There were embarrassing scenes during the clash between the Sydney Roosters and Parramatta Eels.
Venues NSW has launched an investigation after farcical scenes at Allianz Stadium on Friday night during the NRL clash between the Sydney Roosters and Parramatta Eels. Sydney was hit with a torrential downpour for about 15 minutes prior to kick-off, and the rain left the field extremely waterlogged for the entire match.
But considering the venue is brand-new and cost $828 million to build, many expected the drainage to be much better. The much older Brookvale Oval handled the downpour way better and the water managed to drain off the surface very quickly.
But it was a completely different story at Allianz, with the water sitting on the surface for the whole game and creating very tricky conditions for the players. Allianz Stadium officials have conceded the swamp-like surface wasn’t up to standard, and Venues NSW has now opened an investigation.
“Prior to kick off on Friday night, Allianz Stadium received 11.5mm of rain in 15 minutes as a severe storm hit the area resulting in a drainage issue during play,” a Venues NSW spokesperson told AAP. “This is a brand-new stadium and it shouldn’t have happened.
“We are taking this seriously and have already commenced a thorough investigation to identify the cause to ensure the issue is rectified. The review will be completed by the end of this week and further updates will be provided.”
There’s a fortnight for ground staff to sort out the surface until the next fixtures at Allianz Stadium – an NRLW-NRL double-header on September 1. But the ground will also host at least one finals game in three weeks’ time.
Allianz was built with a gravel and sand layer beneath the turf to assist with drainage, but Friday night’s issues appeared to be at surface level. The turf that was initially used at the stadium in 2022 came from Windsor after flooding in the region, which sparked concerns over silt levels and whether it would impact water flow. But according to AAP, the turf has been relayed since then after a series of off-season concerts at the venue.
NRL players and fans blast state of Allianz Stadium surface
On Friday night, Parramatta captain Clint Gutherson described the field as one of the worst he had ever played on. “Especially with the fields these days as they’re normally pretty (to drain) quick and I didn’t think it rained that much,” Gutherson said.
“It was hard to play in but there’s no excuse for letting some of those tries in. We didn’t know it was that bad until we got out there and your feet were fully underwater. I don’t know what they can do about it, probably not much.”
Roosters counterpart James Tedesco said: “It was pretty crazy. When we got here two hours before the game the field was looking great and then we got a bit of a downpour there and it was soaking wet.
“It sort of got drier as the game went on but in the middle (of the field) there wasn’t much bounce and it was pretty slippery. It was tough conditions but it was fun as well.”
Corey Parker said in commentary for Fox League: “It’s certainly not the conditions that you would expect at a stadium like that after so much money was spent. I understand there was a fair downpour, but it looks diabolical. In 40 minutes, that has not gone away whatsoever.”