The National Rugby League grand final "looks set to remain in Sydney for at least the next decade" with the New South Wales government demanding a "long-term commitment before investing a billion dollars into the city's major stadiums," according to Michael Chammas of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. With the grand final "up for grabs" from '20, the NRL had "previously indicated the competition's showpiece event could go on the road for the first time in more than a century." However the NSW government "is desperate for the grand final," which injected close to A$17M into the state's economy in visitor spend last year, to remain in Sydney for decades "despite a strong push from the Queensland government to take it north of the border." It is understood former NRL CEO Dave Smith had "threatened to take the grand final to Brisbane or Melbourne if the state government didn't come to the party with substantial funding to upgrade Sydney stadia." The state government has since pledged A$1.6B ($1.15B) into Sydney sporting facilities and is "now in a position to demand the NRL provide a return on their investment" with a long-term commitment to playing the grand final in Sydney. The future of the grand final "will be of significant interest to the state government" considering Australian Rugby League Commission Chair John Grant's comments before last year's premiership decider. Grant said last September, "The NSW government has made commitments around stadia in Sydney and it will be reliant on having headline content" (SMH, 2/17).
