Suncorp Stadium turf costs the Wallabies?

The playing surface of Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium has been blamed for contributing to Wallabies back Kurtley Beale missing his match-deciding penalty kick in the final moments of the Wallabies v British and Irish Lions rugby Test at the weekend.

A range of critics have suggested that the Stadium's playing surface has been below par all season, with comments on social media being particularly savage.

The criticism followed penalty kicker Beale's left stabilising foot slipping out on loose turf as he swung his right boot into the ball from 48 metres out.

The scrutiny of the playing surface is the latest in a series of ongoing criticisms of the Suncorp Stadium surface that have dogged the venue since its refurbishment in 2003.

However, stadium management defended the surface, saying that weather conditions had affected the surface, adding that the surface passed a wide range of pre-match tests before Saturday's contest.

Stadium General Manager Alan Graham told media that the turf would be in excellent condition for Wednesday's Origin II, stating "the surface will be fine for Origin. There is fine weather forecast, which will allow the field to be repaired properly.

"We have had a horrendous year with weather. The Wallabies game was quite a spectacle and the surface held up well, considering the number of rucks and mauls."

Shortly after reopening in 2003, its sandy surface was widely criticised with Sydney Morning Herald rugby league writer Roy Masters stating "the surface is more suitable for a beach sprint than a rugby league match."

At that time the Herald reported that during a Brisbane Broncos v Newcastle Knights match, referee Tim Mander had been heard to say "geez, the field is terrible."

Newcastle fullback Robbie O'Davis later told AAP "it was just like playing on the beach. That's the best stadium in the world but in a lot of ways it's the worst field in the world."

In 2009, the Stadium surface was blamed when Sydney Roosters and NSW forward Craig Fitzgibbon sustaining knee ligament damage in an NRL game.

Early in 2011, the Stadium was flooded to a depth of 1.4 metres on its playing surface during the Queensland floods, but was playable again within a month.

However, in 2010 and again in 2011 (just two months after the floods), the Professional Footballers Australia announced that Australia's A-League footballers voted the Stadium as having the best pitch in the A-League.

10th March 2011 - A-LEAGUE PLAYERS VOTE SUNCORP’S PITCH THE BEST