The Sydney Cricket Ground Trust "ruled out" moving a Super Rugby clash scheduled for the night before a potential A-League grand final as "doubts about the state of the Allianz Stadium surface increase," according to Dominic Bossi of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The grand final is not for another two months but "already serious concerns exist about the state of the pitch at the venue most likely to host the A-League's biggest game." Football Federation Australia governs the bookings, venues and dates for finals, but "it is understood the Sky Blues will fight tooth and nail to keep any home finals at their spiritual home in Moore Park, rather than move to ANZ Stadium at Olympic Park." That "could come at a major cost to the quality of football during the finals with those potential fixtures falling between a heavy schedule of rugby league and rugby union games at the venue." With the A-League grand final to be played on May 7, possibly at Allianz Stadium, "there are fears the Waratahs' home game against the Blues on May 6 will damage the playing surface." Of all the codes that "inflict the most damage on the playing surface, the 15-man game poses the greatest threat to the pitch" (SMH, 3/11).
