From the NRL website (http://www.nrl.com.au/tigers-abandon-scg-clash-with-dragons/tabid/10874/newsid/63440/default.aspx):
The Wests Tigers have been forced to move an NRL clash with St George Illawarra which was to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1961 grand final from the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground.
The round 22 game will now be played at the Sydney Football Stadium after it was scheduled for a Friday night slot.
The Tigers had originally planned for the blockbuster to be played at the SCG 50 years after St George beat Western Suburbs 22-0 in a grand final featuring greats Norm Provan, Johnny Raper, Reg Gasnier, Noel Kelly and Arthur Summons.
But the scheduling of the clash as a Nine Network Friday Night Football game on August 5 meant the club had to revise its plans.
"We were hopeful of hosting this match on a Sunday afternoon so we could provide a great day of entertainment for our supporters," Tigers chief executive Stephen Humphreys said in a statement.
"However, Friday night games impose really tight timeframes for supporters to get to the game and therefore, from a fan's perspective, a Friday night game becomes less about the pre-match entertainment and all about the game itself.
"As a result of this, we've needed to down-scale the pre-match entertainment plans which were so integral to the original decision to host the match at the SCG.
"With all of that in mind, we have now transferred the match to the SFS, which is such a great venue to watch rugby league at."
Humphreys said the Tigers, a joint venture between foundation clubs Wests and Balmain, remained committed to honouring the rivalry between Wests and St George of the 1960s.
"We will be hosting a lot of past players from that golden era at the match and our NRL team will proudly wear the Wests heritage jersey on the night," he said.
"We will do everything we can to secure a Sunday afternoon slot for the corresponding fixture over the next couple of years to enable us to celebrate this particular phase of the club's history on a more comprehensive scale than we are able to deliver on this occasion."
The Wests Tigers have been forced to move an NRL clash with St George Illawarra which was to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1961 grand final from the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground.
The round 22 game will now be played at the Sydney Football Stadium after it was scheduled for a Friday night slot.
The Tigers had originally planned for the blockbuster to be played at the SCG 50 years after St George beat Western Suburbs 22-0 in a grand final featuring greats Norm Provan, Johnny Raper, Reg Gasnier, Noel Kelly and Arthur Summons.
But the scheduling of the clash as a Nine Network Friday Night Football game on August 5 meant the club had to revise its plans.
"We were hopeful of hosting this match on a Sunday afternoon so we could provide a great day of entertainment for our supporters," Tigers chief executive Stephen Humphreys said in a statement.
"However, Friday night games impose really tight timeframes for supporters to get to the game and therefore, from a fan's perspective, a Friday night game becomes less about the pre-match entertainment and all about the game itself.
"As a result of this, we've needed to down-scale the pre-match entertainment plans which were so integral to the original decision to host the match at the SCG.
"With all of that in mind, we have now transferred the match to the SFS, which is such a great venue to watch rugby league at."
Humphreys said the Tigers, a joint venture between foundation clubs Wests and Balmain, remained committed to honouring the rivalry between Wests and St George of the 1960s.
"We will be hosting a lot of past players from that golden era at the match and our NRL team will proudly wear the Wests heritage jersey on the night," he said.
"We will do everything we can to secure a Sunday afternoon slot for the corresponding fixture over the next couple of years to enable us to celebrate this particular phase of the club's history on a more comprehensive scale than we are able to deliver on this occasion."
