It would appear a return to afternoon grand finals is something a distance away from the NRL's radar.
Calls this week have exploded suggesting the grand final should be reverted back to its traditional afternoon timeslot.
Led by Matty Johns, the overwhelming public sentiment has suggested that a grand final far earlier in the day, despite the Monday public holiday in New South Wales and Queensland, would be the preference.
"I would love to see a day grand final return to the NRL," Johns told SEN Radio during the week.
โI think it's a better standard of football. In our game, you move the ball around a lot more and I just like the atmosphere of a daytime grand final."
The NRL grand final has been an evening affair for the best part of two decades. The first night grand final took place in 2001, with twilight deciders then played between 2008 and 2012, before returning to the Sunday 7:30pm timelost from 2013.
The NRL has never looked back in the last decade, however, the pressure of this week has drawn comment from Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'Landys, who seemingly has no intention of changing it.
โAt the end of the day, you've got to get the most eyeballs watching the grand final,โ V'landys told The Daily Telegraph.
โGrand finals are a huge opportunity to promote the game and it's proven that more people watch sport at night.
โWe need to maximise our audience with major events. You might get some casual fans who will become rusted-on fans.
"At this stage, there are no plans to change it.โ
The NRL's biggest rival, the AFL, plays their grand final in the afternoon slot, starting at 2:30pm (AEST), however, the league has been under pressure for years to move to an evening grand final.
