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Scott Bailey and Ed Jackson

NRL not rushed as grand final call looms

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo is confident fans will turn up to the grand final in droves wherever it is held. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

The NRL insist the late announcement of their grand final won't hurt crowd numbers after a decision on the venue was pushed back again on Wednesday.

The ARL Commission met for lengthy discussions on Wednesday evening, before again opting to defer an announcement on the October 2 decider.

A decision is now expected on Thursday afternoon, when league bosses will officially decide whether to keep the event in Sydney or move it to Brisbane.

NRL grand final tickets generally go on sale to fans early in the season, with early-bird tickets going to public as early as April in 2019.

But after two COVID-impacted years, NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said there was proof fans would still flock to the event at late notice.

"This is a really important decision and the Commission needs to consider all the elements," Abdo said.

"We're in a position where we have the ability that we know that we have very loyal and supportive fans.

"And we've proven through COVID that we can be pretty agile in getting games on sale and getting them away because of the great support we've got.

"Clearly, everybody's seeking certainty.

"So we're going to work as quickly as we can, but the commission won't be rushed on something that is strategically important."

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has backed Brisbane to host successive NRL grand finals. (Russell Freeman/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

The league had initially struck a deal with the NSW government in 2018 to keep the grand final in Sydney until 2042.

However that was contingent on an $800 million upgrade of Accor Stadium, which was pushed back due to the pandemic.

The NRL claims a verbal agreement was then reached that the money would be decreased and redistributed to suburban grounds, with $300 million to be spent on Penrith's stadium and upgrades elsewhere.

However the NRL was left furious when told a fortnight ago the money for other grounds was no longer a priority with Brookvale, Leichhardt and Cronulla's Pointsbet Stadium all going without.

Negotiations now continue with both governments with ARL Commission chair Peter V'landys telling AAP this week he was still hopeful of a stadium compromise in NSW.

"We're disappointed with the fact that we're not in a position to have finality on what we believed was an agreement on our long-term arrangements yet," Abdo said on Wednesday.

"But we're working really hard and respectfully on trying to resolve the matter.

"We have and have had great relationships with all state governments through a really difficult time, you know, and the government supported us through COVID."

It comes as Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk made a final public pitch on the state's behalf on Wednesday in parliament, highlighting Brisbane's successful hosting of last year's grand final.

"It is no secret the NRL is considering a new home for this year's grand final, why not Brisbane for the second year in a row?" Palaszczuk said.

"The NRL knows Queensland is a safe pair of hands."

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