‘Should’ve finished higher’: Rudolf’s cheeky clapback over finals stadium drama

Toby Rudolf has put a cheeky full-stop on a growing outcry from the NRL world to move the Cronulla Sharks vs. Sydney Roosters finals match to Allianz Stadium so that more fans can attend the game and the state’s $850 million stadium doesn’t sit empty.

Several voices in the rugby league community, not least of all veteran journalist Phil Rothfield and Sydney Morning Herald reporter Andrew Webster, have declared Shark Park has “no business” hosting this weekend’s elimination final between the two clubs when the newly-developed Sydney Football Stadium is sitting just down the road.

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Complaints from the pair, as well as other talking heads in the media, claim the NRL is being “small-minded” for letting PointsBet Stadium—which fits just 13,500 as redevelopments continue—host the sudden-death game.

In particular, those clamouring for the move think it will bring in more money through ticket sales and turn the 6th vs. 7th clash into a bigger spectacle than its already shaping to be.

This is, of course, all while the $850 million Allianz Stadium remains the Roosters’ home ground.

In Rudolf’s eyes, it’s all very simple though: Sydney should have done better.

“I guess I would say to them they probably should’ve finished a bit higher on the ladder,” Rudolf said on Wednesday. “Then they could’ve actually [hosted the game] at Allianz Stadium.”

Rudolf wasn’t finished either though, and quickly used the chance to call out another element of the story—the Roosters were handed an $850 million stadium through NSW Government funding that the Sharks simply haven’t seen in their relatively similar bid to expand and improve their suburban footy field.

“It’s also nice having a stadium being freshly built by the government’s money,” Rudolf said.

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“We’ve been waiting for quite some time now, it seems that everyone else is getting the government’s money but us.

“That’s all I have to say about that for now.”