Be careful what you wish for.
Sydney rugby league fans who spent years praying for an end to the Penrith Panthers’ dynasty were treated to a clash between two eminently hateable interstate powerhouses in the Brisbane Broncos and the Queensland (sorry, Melbourne) Storm in Sunday night’s NRL grand final.
The Broncos brought hordes of Queenslanders with them south of the border, while despite CBD’s search for a rival contingent from Melbourne, a bona fide Storm diehard remains about as elusive as bigfoot.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese taking centre stage at the NRL grand final.Credit: Getty Images
The lack of a Sydney team didn’t stop plenty of firepower descending on the plush confines of Accor Stadium for the showdown. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was in attendance in the NRL’s suite, no doubt among the first names on head honcho Peter V’landys’ guest list.
Chief among the heavy hitters was News Corp chair Lachlan Murdoch, who also attended the NRL’s inaugural Las Vegas jamboree last year. The empire’s scion might live in a Bellevue Hill mansion when in Australia, but is technically also the Broncos’ big boss – News Corp is a majority owner of the Queensland club.
Also in the mix of corporate titans was Seven West Media boss Jeff Howard and Commonwealth Bank chief executive Matt Comyn.
Another consequence of the non-NSW grand final was that the NRL’s suite resembled a meeting of national cabinet. Making the trip to Sydney was Queensland Premier David Crisafulli, the last Liberal premier standing on the mainland with a bit of a spring in his step, what with the Lions roaring to back-to-back AFL premierships last week, the Broncos winning the NRLW premiership and the men’s team facing off against their Melbourne-based Maroon compatriots, and an Olympic Games on the horizon.
Will Warbrick of the Storm is tackled during the NRL grand final against Brisbane.Credit: Getty Images
Less springy of step, fellow guest NSW Premier Chris Minns probably wished he could’ve watched his beloved Bulldogs return to the big game, only for the Belmore boys to get bounced from the finals in straight sets after a promising season. Still, it was an opportunity for Minns to reprise his bromance with V’landys. The pair bonded over their failed attempt to sell off Rosehill Racecourse to build more housing, with the premier later gushing that Sydney needed 10, rather than one, V’landys. A terrifying thought.
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