Heatwave could throw a hand grenade into grand final plans as NRL refuses to rule out making huge change to protect players
- Temperatures of 34 degrees are expected in western Sydney
- NRL officials are prepared to take action if safety is compromised
- The second heat wave is a threat this season
The NRL is confident they have the space in their grand final schedule to cope with the impending weekend heat in Sydney.
Temperatures are expected to reach 34 degrees at Sydney Olympic Park on Sunday afternoon, peaking around 4pm when the NRLW grand final between Gold Coast and Newcastle gets underway.
A state championship match between South Sydney and Brisbane Tigers is scheduled for 1.20pm.
Temperatures are expected to dip back into the low 30s for the men’s kick-off between Penrith and Brisbane at 7.30pm.
It’s not the first time heat has been a problem for the game this year.
Temperatures should have dropped by the time the decider between the Broncos and Panthers starts, but the matches beforehand could be an issue (Photo: Reece Walsh running the ball against Penrith)
Peak heat of 34 degrees is expected to hit when Newcastle and the Gold Coast (pictured) face off in the NRLW grand final
The NRL was at risk of having its first premiership match postponed due to warm conditions in March, when conditions at Belmore hovered in the black zone on the heat stress index before kick-off.
That match was able to go ahead after the mercury dropped a few degrees to 32 before the match between Canterbury and Wests Tigers.
Sunday’s conditions are unlikely to put matches at a similar risk of being postponed as forecast low humidity will reduce the heat stress index.
However, drinks breaks after 20 minutes of each half and extra coaches on the pitch are among the measures that could be made available to players.
It’s believed drinks breaks after 20 minutes of halves, extra trainers and later kick-off times for the build-ups of the Panthers-Broncos clash could beat the heat (pictured, Penrith stars celebrating last year’s grand final win)
“We are ready for any conditions, as we have been all season,” NRL head of football Graham Annesley said.
‘As part of our standard operating procedures we have very extensive heat guidelines.
“We have a policy that is a standard operating procedure for game days where it is believed that the conditions require some intervention.”
In the most unlikely event that conditions are worse than predicted and deemed dangerous for players, Annesley said the league could delay the kick-off of matches if necessary.
“I’m confident that won’t happen at this time of year,” Annesley said.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that Sunday is expected to be the hottest Grand Final day since the biggest match of the year was moved to Sydney Olympic Park (Penrith star Nathan Cleary is pictured running the ball against Brisbane earlier this year)
‘Many people think it only has to do with the temperature. It’s the temperature, the humidity, it could even be wind conditions and so on. So I am confident that this will not happen.
‘But we have enough space in the agenda for the grand final day.
“We have two and a half hours between the kick-off of the first two games, and then literally from 4pm to 7.30pm between the start of the women’s game (until the men’s game).
“I don’t expect anything like that to happen, but we have flexibility. There are a lot of levers we can pull if we need them.”
Sunday is on track to be the hottest grand final day since the biggest competition of the year was moved to Sydney Olympic Park, Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson Helen Reid told the Sydney Morning Herald.