Typical Sydneycentric NRL.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Home finals up for grabs
March 5, 2006
SYDNEY would lose its right to host preliminary finals under a document circulated to NRL clubs last week.
Graham Annesley, the league's chief operating officer, has tabled a proposal that teams get home state or country advantage on the penultimate weekend of the season from next year.
That means if Melbourne, Brisbane, North Queensland or the Warriors are higher ranked than their preliminary-final opponents, they would be able to use approved venues in their home territories to play for a grand final berth.
"One of the things to come out of recent seasons is the need to be less Sydney-centric in our finals," Annesley said of his discussion paper.
"There are some anomalies. One of them is that North Queensland would have to play in Brisbane and that is still a long way for them and their supporters to go.
"Fans of Newcastle, Canberra or St George Illawarra can get in a car and come to Sydney but Cowboys fans wouldn't be able to do that so easily."
The difficulty of promoting the Melbourne-North Queensland semi-final at Aussie Stadium last year is thought to be behind the philosophy.
Only once since finals were introduced in 1954 has a match on the second last weekend of the season been held outside Sydney.
That was in 1998, when eventual premiers Brisbane beat Sydney City 46-18 at ANZ Stadium.
The Sunday Telegraph
http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,86 ... 14,00.html
