NRL preliminary finals: Corey Parker and Dean Ritchie debate venue ‘advantages’

CODE Sports experts Dean Ritchie and Corey Parker go head-to-head to argue the matter.

DEAN RITCHIE

Those Queenslanders have become a pain in the neck. Brisbane should be renamed Bris-pain. Broncos fans, stop complaining.

Panthers CEO Brian Fletcher quite rightly questioned why Brisbane was given a preliminary final at Suncorp Stadium while his Panthers were pushed 40 km down Sydney’s M4 to Accor Stadium for their grand final qualifier.

Not forgetting, Penrith finished first on the NRL table, Brisbane second.

Fletcher knows the NRL cannot stage a preliminary final at the 22,500 capacity BlueBet Stadium. He is happy to play at Accor.

What he did question though was why Brisbane wasn’t playing at a neutral venue?

Well didn’t Broncos fans throw their toys out of the cot? Fletcher copped a whack on social media, as did the NRL, this masthead, even your humble journo.

It was a reasonable question from Fletcher asked with civility.

The silence and serenity from Queensland fans during Brisbane’s three-year finals drought has been so tranquil. Now, once back in the finals, the barbs start to fly again.

Penrith has been disadvantaged this weekend, no doubt about it.

And Fletcher having the temerity to even question the prelim finals venues has to send Broncos supporters into a tailspin.

Up the Wahs.

COREY PARKER

If we go to neutral venues, and the Panthers play in a grand final, where is it supposed to be played?

The Broncos get Suncorp Stadium this week but if they are in a grand final, they have to travel to Sydney next week.

Normally I would say playing at Suncorp Stadium is an advantage for the Broncos but they are playing against the Warriors.

There is a huge contingency of Warriors fans in Brisbane, like enormous. We saw that a few weeks ago when the Warriors played the Dolphins, the support they had.

Yes, it‘s a small advantage to the Broncos but overall it’s going to be a great spectacle for rugby league, everyone wins in that respect.

You play all season for this reward in the end to potentially play at your home ground in a finals game.

We saw that last weekend with the Warriors, they hadn’t played a semi-final at Mt Smart for 15 seasons and we saw the impact that can have for their performance.

But I don’t think the Broncos will have the full home advantage.

Suncorp Stadium has a 52,000 capacity, and there‘ll be plenty of Warriors fans. Yes, Penrith have to go to Accor Stadium, but Panthers fans should be able to fill the stands with double the Panthers fans, if not more, than at Penrith.

I understand where the Penrith CEO is coming from, but regardless of what the fans might think, it‘s in the NRL hands.

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The NRL runs the finals series not the club, I want to make that clear. Fans might think the Broncos have a hand in where the game is played but it all comes down to the capacity of the stadium.

Which is why the game is not being played at Penrith.

For the NRL, it‘s a business and their job is to generate revenue and the capacity at Penrith (of 22,500) simply isn’t sufficient.

Originally published as NRL preliminary finals: Corey Parker and Dean Ritchie debate venue ‘advantages’