SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 11: Panthers fans show their colours during the round one NRL match between the Penrith Panthers and the Parramatta Eels at Panthers Stadium on March 11, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

It’s been less than 24 hours since the Eels beat the Storm to set up a thrilling first-week finals encounter with Penrith, but ARLC Chairman Peter V’landys has already had to rule out a venue change to accommodate increased capacity for the clash.

As it stands, Penrith’s BlueBet Stadium has a maximum capacity of 22,500 – which will likely mean tens of thousands of potential attendees will be unable to attend as the game sells out.

With belief the game could draw a crowd of up to 70,000, there have been suggestions in the media that the game could be moved to Homebush’s Accor Stadium – but V’landys has quickly tempered that notion before it gathers steam.

“The teams have earned the right to host finals,” V’landys told the Daily Telegraph.

“My focus is on their loyal fans. This is a reward they get for turning up every week.

“Sometimes it’s not about dollars, you’ve got to reward loyalty.

“I understand we could make more money at another venue, but this is how you get long-term memberships and tribal followings.”

Despite the potential for lost revenue, the NRL have already stood firm on the issue after agreeing to let Cronulla host a home final if they secure second spot, which seems highly likely, despite the fact their stadium can only hold 11,000 currently due to surrounding construction.

“Cronulla fans are the same as Penrith’s,” V’landys said.

“They’ve been turning up all year to support the team and they deserve to be playing out of home.”

1 COMMENT

  1. “The chairman leads the board, sets its agenda and ensures it is an effective working group at the head of the company. He … is responsible for effective communication with shareholders ”

    By contrast, the chief executive has responsibility for the day to day management of the company and putting into effect the decisions and policies of the board.

    “There should be a clear division of responsibilities at the head of the company between the running of the board and the executive responsibility for the running of the company’s business. No one individual should have unfettered powers of decision”

    The quotes are from the UK Corporate Governance Code. There is probably an Australian equivalent that says exactly the same thing, but I don’t have a copy.

    Does anyone have any idea why (Chairman) Peter V’Landis is making pronouncements like this, seemingly every week?

    Does anyone have any idea what (CEO) Andrew Abdo actually does?

    Does either of them understand the concept of governance?

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