Semi Final Venues

[fLIP]

What are everyones thoughts about the current format of winning sides from the first week of the finals getting a 'local' area game for their semi final?

I've got to say I don't think its all that even or fair. There is no guarantee that winning in week one will give you an advantage as I believe it should.

-For example, had Melbourne finished 3rd and won they would be playing this weeks game at Olympic Park (home ground) or Telstra Dome.

-Had NZ won they would be playing at Mt Smart Stadium (home ground).
-Broncos would be at Suncorp Stadium (home ground)
-The cowboys are playing at Dairy Farmers (home gournd)
-Souths or Bulldogs would be playing at home (telstra)
-If the tigers or Roosters made the finals and won it would be a home ground advantage.
-Parramatta who had a great win across the tasman against all odds are rewarded by playing the dogs where?

Telstra Stadium (Dogs home ground).

IMO, this is not a fair system. If you are going to give a 'home town' advantage you can't just make it 'area'. It has to be home ground advantage for winning your first final.

 

[DSM5]

Correct Flip, all the other teams, bar the eels, have a homeground advantage, and the team that hasn't won for three weeks gets to play at its home ground. Not that I care about the eels, but we have to play out of our 'area' the following week. not so the Storm.

 

[The Gronk]

The distance from Olympic park to Telstra Dome would only be marginally less than the distance from Brooky to the SFS.

We will be playing an out of town team and so will have similar crowd advantage.

I don't see the problem.

 

[Garts]

You cant play anymore than 1 finals game at a place like brookie anyway, not big enough and the facilties are not up to standard. I would probably say the same for Dairy Farmers.

As for Telstra being a classed as a home ground for the Dogs, whilst they may play there it is hardly like Brookie. No teams seem to fear it like Brookie or Shark Park.

 

[Canteen Worker]

The logical outworking of what is suggested is that all Sydney teams play at Aussie or Telstra, which would be crap. Brookvale, Leichhardt etc don't cut the mustard as top flight grounds any more.

Obviously the NRL in trying to be a National comp is pandering to the outer towners but also trying to avoid a Melbourne versus North Qld or Warriors game that noone goes to at Telstra.

What is most unfair to me is that had Manly lost (after coming second) we could have been playing teams away. Surely the team coming higher should have the home game, not the team that one in the first week. Otherwise what advantage is there in coming second???

 

[Corso_Pete]

I have no problem with the current system. It makes sense to play games in the regional areas. It would be ridicuolos to play Cowboys/Warriors anywhere else other than either of their home grounds,

Similiary the capacity of Slime Stadium is only 20K or thereabouts. Too many fans would miss out on the opportunity to watch the match if it was played at Slime Stadium and the NRL coffers would suffer as a result.

The system aint perfect I agree, but with the rescources available and playing in a semi national compitition I don'tthink there is a better solution.

 

[Spuds Bodyguard]

the only one i havent been able to understand is the cowboys to me that game should have been played at suncorp. It is a least then in the same state but not the major advatange that they have at the moment. While technically telstra is the dogs home it is more of a neutral venue and one that would have a capacity able to fit in enough of the scum that supports both teams.

 

[Crushercleal]

What on earth was the point of the WArriors, Cowboys, Dogs or Eels even playing last week. NEither result mattered, and is often the case with these 1st rnd games. Absolute pointless, but I have been saying that for years.....

 

[Matabele]

I would far rather see us adopt the system proposed by Warren Ryan a few years ago.