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AAP
AAP
Scott Bailey

NRL ready to manage heat on grand final day

Grand final day could be a scorcher but the NRL says it has heat plans in place. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)

The NRL is confident they have the room in their grand final schedule to deal with Sydney's impending weekend heat.

Temperatures are expected to reach 34 degrees at Sydney Olympic Park on Sunday afternoon, with the peak to come at around 4pm when the NRLW grand final between Gold Coast and Newcastle kicks off.

A State Championship match between South Sydney and Brisbane Tigers is scheduled for 1.20pm.

Temperatures are expected to dip back below 30 degrees for the men's 7.30pm kick off between Penrith and Brisbane.

It's not the first time heat has been an issue for the game this year.

The NRL was at risk of having its first premiership game delayed due to hot conditions in March, when conditions at Belmore hovered into the black zone on the heat stress index before kick off.

That match was able to go ahead after the mercury dropped several degrees to 32 before the game, between Canterbury and Wests Tigers.

It's unlikely Sunday's conditions would put matches at a similar risk of being pushed back, since the low humidity that is forecast will drive down the heat stress index reading.

However, drinks breaks at the 20-minute mark of each half and extra trainers on the field are among measures that can be on offer for players.

"We are ready for any circumstances as we are throughout the whole season," NRL head of football Graham Annesley said. 

"As part of our standard operating procedures, we have very extensive heat guidelines.

"We have a policy that is a standard procedure for game day where there is a belief that the conditions may require some intervention."

In the most unlikely event that conditions are worse than forecast and considered dangerous for players, Annesley said the league would be able to delay the kick off of matches if required.

"I'm confident it won't happen at this time of year," Annesley said. 

"A lot of people think it's just based off temperature. It's temperature, humidity, it can even be wind conditions and so forth. So I'm confident it won't happen. 

"But we've got plenty of room in the agenda for grand final day. 

"We've got two-and-a-half hours between the kickoff for the first two games, and then literally from 4pm to 7.30 between the start of the women's game (to the men's)."

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