COMMENT
Heavy-hitting Melbourne-based AFL journalist Gerard Whateley has criticised the NRL for pushing ahead with their opening round match between the Dolphins and the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Instead of postponing the contest which was set for Brisbane – the NRL have moved the match to Parramatta with the Dolphins earning an extra home game in round 17.
The rival AFL has cancelled their games that were to be played in South-East Queensland due to Cyclone Alfred.
“One of the first solution’s that was offered on an AFL front was for Brisbane to come to Victoria,” Whateley said on SEN.
“The [Brisbane] Lions could’ve come to Geelong and the [Gold Coast] Suns could’ve come to play Essendon somewhere.
“If you scratch even the surface of that you are asking footballers and staff to leave their families and their houses during a period of maximum anxiety and threat.
“It’s really easy to put yourself in that position and say that there is no way you’d be leaving your family in a time like that.”
The quick switch from the NRL sees the Redcliffe-based Dolphins heading to Sydney where the Brisbane Broncos are already based and play the Roosters on Thursday night.
“We sometimes treat our footballers so callously,” Whateley went on.
“There wouldn’t be many professions in the coming days that would demand residents in Brisbane, Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast to leave their homes and entertain the public while this is happening.”
Does that mean the NRL should send the Broncos home and scrap their blockbuster at Allianz Stadium against the Tricolours?
Whateley himself says the AFL themselves wanted to move the QLD matches down to Melbourne.
It has been a horror start to the year for the AFL who scheduled four “opening round” games in Brisbane and Sydney this weekend against six NRL matches.
The NRL began their season with their double header last weekend in Las Vegas.
With the AFL game at the Gabba on Thursday night cancelled – even more eyeballs will be on the showdown between the Broncos and Roosters on Channel Nine and Fox League.
A postponed Dolphins versus Rabbitohs would have also given the Swans a free ride in the Sydney TV market when they play at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday in primetime.
That’s now not the case due to the quick-thinking of the NRL.
By the time the AFL gets to the MCG for the “round one” match between Hawthorn and Carlton on the 13th of March – it will have been almost a full two weeks since Canberra and the Warriors kicked off at Allegiant Stadium in the Nevada desert.
Perhaps Gerard should stay in his lane and worry about the AFL and the fact that his own code has given rugby league a big head start in 2025.
