Sydney retains hosting of NRL Grand Final until 2046

While conceding that playing at the Sydney Cricket Ground "is not a great experience", the NRL will nonetheless stage consecutive grand finals at the venue in 2020 and 2021.

With the Queensland, Victorian and Western Australian Governments having reportedly been vying for the end-of-season showpiece to be held in Brisbane, Melbourne or Perth, the NSW Government secured the contest as part of a $15 million deal to keep the event in Sydney until the end of 2046.

The NRL-NSW Government agreement - more lucrative than the deals offered by the other states - was agreed this week.

The NRL Grand Final is now locked in at the SCG for the next two years while ANZ and Allianz Stadiums are unavailable due to upgrades. It will shift to the new Sydney Football Stadium in 2022 and then back to ANZ Stadium after its refurbishment in 2023.

The NRL had agreed to host the 2020 grand final at the SCG, but wanted compensation from the government for the reduced earnings that would result from staging the event there for a second consecutive year.

Delays in delivering Sydney’s new stadium network had raised the possibility of the grand final leaving Sydney for the first time. However, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, NRL Chief Executive Todd Greenberg and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian finalised the deal early last week.

Having secured the inaugural NRL Magic Round, the Queensland Government had been hoping to also take one grand final to Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium. Greenberg informed Queensland Sports Minister Kate Jones of the decision on Wednesday.

Queensland Tourism Kate Jones expressed he disappointment at failing to secure the event by stating "I think it's a kick in the guts … we believe we have the best NRL stadium in the world. I think it would have been great for the game."

Images shows the SCG Trust's masterplan for the SCG (below right) and the currently under construction new Sydney Football Stadium.