NRL makes a shock last-minute change to grand final day – and footy fans won’t be happy
- The biggest game of the year ends a packed program
- Kick-off for the clash between Penrith and Melbourne is on Sunday at 7.30pm
The NRL’s grand final sprint has been officially declared a false start, with the race of the game’s fastest men postponed for another year.
Headquarters planned to pit the NRL’s fastest side-by-side on grand final day, with potential prize money available for the winners.
But the event will now not take place, largely due to the number of players unavailable for Penrith’s Sunday night showdown against Melbourne.
The NRL is still hopeful the race can take place on grand final day in the future, with participants from all 17 clubs.
A sprint between the game’s fastest men has been underway for some time now, with CEO Andrew Abdo going so far as to propose a Rugby League Olympics in 2021.
Male flyer Jason Saab was among those who pushed to compete, but he suffered a season-ending ankle injury.
Josh Addo-Carr would also have been a potential entry, with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow another flyer who would have been a huge draw.
Saab had also insisted that the race take place on a different day as players could be playing in the main game at the end of the season and others could be on holiday.
One of the attractions footy fans were looking forward to ahead of the clash between Jarome Luai’s Penrith side and the Storm has been axed for this year’s decider
Melbourne’s Ryan Papenhuyzen would have been an ideal choice to contest the grand final sprint had he not been lining up for the final NRL match of the year
Pictured: Skippers Nathan Cleary and Harry Grant pose with the premiership trophy
“The way they’re going about it seems quite flawed, to be honest,” Saab said in August.
‘I just think it’s interesting to do it on the grand final day because I’m sure there will be a few (fast) players playing.
“How do you crown the fastest person if the fastest people aren’t running in it?”
Other lightning footy stars who could have been in with a chance of taking part in the event include Roosters winger Dominic Young, Tom Trbojevic and Manly’s Tolutau Koula.
The AFL’s grand final sprint has been a common feature of the game for many years and was reintroduced in 2002 after the program was discontinued from 1988 to 2001.
Each AFL club usually fields one participant in the race, which used a handicap system from 2006 to 2008.
Beau McCreery from Collingwood won this year’s event in a close finish, while Geelong’s Max Holmes took victory in 2023.