NRL finals ticketing under fire as fans locked out of prime seats
The National Rugby League's handling of finals ticketing has come under scrutiny this week, with Penrith Panthers supporters locked out of premium seating and a Sharks star calling the crowd turnout at one elimination final 'embarrassing'.
Nicho Hynes labelled the crowd of 17,429 that attended Saturday night's elimination final between the Cronulla Sharks and North Queensland Cowboys as 'embarrassing', while Penrith fans were denied access to better seats for Sunday's qualifying final against the Sydney Roosters at CommBank Stadium.
'It's a little bit upsetting. It's a bit disappointing and embarrassing there's so many free seats here,' Hynes said after the Sharks defeated the Cowboys.
Why were Penrith fans blocked from buying better tickets?
The Western Weekender reported last week that Penrith fans could not purchase tickets in a range of bays, most of them in locations where supporters typically prefer to sit. Fans vented their frustration on social media about the lack of choice when tickets went on sale on Monday morning.
The result was that many of the 22,148 who attended Sunday's qualifying final were squeezed into corner bays with the worst views of the match. In contrast, whole bays near the halfway line on the western side of the stadium remained empty.
How does the NRL control finals ticketing?
The NRL controls ticketing during the finals series, not the clubs. Penrith fans could not buy tickets in the same areas as their season membership, meaning those who wanted to sit in more prized positions were unable to do so.
According to the Western Weekender, Penrith fans were unable to buy tickets in five bays in the lower eastern grandstand and three bays at the top of the same stand. More than 10 bays at either end of the stadium were also inaccessible during Monday's pre-sale and to the general public on Tuesday.
Another issue emerged when fans found they could not purchase more than eight tickets, with some who bought eight in one transaction then rejected when attempting to buy more in a second transaction.
Sharks great calls for smarter venue choices
Former Sharks captain Paul Gallen called on the NRL to be 'smarter' when deciding where finals games are hosted, particularly in the first week.
'They brought it to a 40,000-seat stadium when they know Sharks fans aren't great travellers and they are playing North Queensland who have been absolutely horrendous in the back-end of the year. They had 50 points put on them last week, 80 points a few weeks earlier. They're not going to travel either,' Gallen said.
Warriors forced to relocate for semi-final
The NRL has also forced the New Zealand Warriors away from their home ground for this weekend's do-or-die semi-final against the Newcastle Knights. The Warriors played at Go Media Stadium in Saturday's loss to the Dolphins, where the ground was packed with 26,131 fans.
They will now play at the 50,000-seat Eden Park on Sunday. The NRL, which profits from ticket sales during the finals, is banking on an additional 25,000 spectators coming through the gates.
Fox Sports reached out to the NRL for comment on the ticketing concerns.