THE Newcastle Rugby League are ramping up plans to market their grand final as the best chance to see footy at McDonald Jones Stadium this year with the Knights likely to be restricted to the Queensland COVID bubble.
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The Newcastle league's decider is scheduled for Sunday, September 5.
It's been two years since Turton Road hosted the grand final when Western Suburbs crushed Cessnock 36-0. Last year's COVID-shortened season resulted in Maitland Sportsground hosting the decider where the Goannas broke their 17-year premiership drought by defeating Souths 20-6.
Newcastle Rugby League CEO Charlie Haggett contacted clubs on Tuesday night to notify them of the return to McDonald Jones Stadium. An official launch is expected next week.
Haggett views the decider as a perfect opportunity to showcase the competition to footy-starved Knights fans, who last watched their team at home on July 4.
"We really need to promote the semi-finals and grand final because people won't have had the opportunity to go to a Knights game for a while, so they might want to get along to the local league, which would be really good," Haggett said.
The league will be salivating at the prospect of an all-Coalfields decider between minor premiers Maitland and second-placed Cessnock. The last time the sides met in a grand final was in 2010 when 13,500 fans turned out to No.1 Sportsground to see the Pickers triumph 24-8.
Josh Leeson
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
