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Sharks want to play their home NRL finals match at Shark Park
🇦🇺 Australia /Sports

Sharks want to play their home NRL finals match at Shark Park

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency Ongoing story
  • Fifth-placed Cronulla has secured a week-one home elimination final against South Sydney, North Queensland or Newcastle.
  • The NRL could move the match from 15,000-seat Shark Park to a larger Sydney venue, which would generate more ticket revenue.
  • Cameron McInnes criticized frequent rule changes and said Cronulla’s home final should be played at its home ground.

Cronulla has earned a home NRL finals match, but the Sharks still do not know whether the game will take place at Shark Park.

The fifth-placed side is guaranteed to host a week-one elimination final against one of South Sydney, North Queensland or Newcastle. Yet Shark Park’s limited capacity and deteriorating condition have made its suitability a recurring issue. The ground holds 15,000 people, the smallest capacity among the NRL’s regular venues.

I was under the impression the rule was if you earn a home semi, whether you're first or second, or fifth or sixth, you get to play it at your home. Our home is Shark Park.

— Cameron McInnesThe Cronulla player argued that the Sharks should host their week-one finals match at Shark Park.

The league could instead choose the Sydney Football Stadium or Stadium Australia, both of which hold more than twice as many spectators. The NRL receives ticket revenue from finals matches, meaning a game in Cronulla would bring in less money. Shark Park cannot host finals in weeks two or three, although it staged week-one finals in 2022, 2023 and 2025.

I don't know if that was a rule change that they can just put in, but then again, the NRL changes rules all the time.

— Cameron McInnesMcInnes questioned the league’s discretion to move the final.

The NRL is not expected to confirm venues until after the final regular-season round ends on Sunday. Clubs were told before the season that the league retained discretion over finals locations.

That possibility frustrated Cameron McInnes, who may play his final match at Shark Park against Melbourne on Saturday before moving to England. “I was under the impression the rule was if you earn a home semi, whether you're first or second, or fifth or sixth, you get to play it at your home. Our home is Shark Park,” he said.

Rule changes just happen at the drop of a hat now, don't they? So as a player, you just have to adapt.

— Cameron McInnesHe criticized the frequency of NRL rule changes.

McInnes also criticized the league’s approach to rule changes, pointing to recent adjustments involving kick-offs, six-agains, 20/40 kicks, two-point field goals, captain’s challenges, trainers and interchange policies. He said inconsistent calls around ruck infringements were particularly difficult for players and referees, describing six-again decisions as “just sort of a lottery.”

But with the six-agains, it's just sort of a lottery.

— Cameron McInnesHe described the uncertainty surrounding ruck-infringement calls.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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