‘There's something wrong with this field': Players lash Allianz Stadium surface as officials remain confident ahead of major test this weekend
Almost 200mm of rain have fallen in Sydney this month, with torrential downpours across the weekend forcing the Randwick race meet to be abandoned, while City2Surf runners had to contend with slippery surfaces in the east.
Wet weather has plagued the $828 million Allianz Stadium since it opened in 2022, with surface water and poor drainage leading to slippery surfaces and pools of water forming at a number of events over the past few years.
The surface has come under fire a number of times with a Roosters clash against the Eels in 2024 virtually played underwater, while there were huge puddles for women's Origin and a Super Rugby fixture.
Clint Gutherson was at the Eels last year and described it as 'one of the worst fields' following the match, while Roosters skipper James Tedesco lamented how slippery the surface was even if it hadn't been raining.
Sydney's awful weather is set to clear this week with the chance of the odd shower here and there, but nothing serious enough to cause problems ahead of men's matches involving the Roosters, Bulldogs, Rabbitohs, Eels, Wests Tigers and Sea Eagles, while the Wests Tigers face the Dragons in the NRLW.
Heat lamps were used on Monday at one of the problem ends of the ground, with staff confident the surface will handle the action.
'Following a wet weekend in Sydney with another 150mm of rain falling, the forecast leading up to Gadhu Gathering is looking positive,' a venue spokesperson confirmed to NewsWire.
'Allianz Stadium will have had a 19-day break between events, which has allowed the grounds team to perform the required work in preparation for five games of footy in three days.
'The field has been aerated, additional grass has been seeded and we've had the growing lights and blankets in place at every opportunity to ensure we're ready to go for an action-packed weekend.'
Concerns over the pitch have forced the Roosters to train elsewhere, with Tedesco not overly optimistic ahead of this weekend's fixtures.
'I'm glad we're playing the Friday game because I don't know how the other games will go,' he said at Allianz Stadium on Monday morning as the rain tumbled down.
'It's tough because we're meant to be training a lot of the time throughout the year, but most of the time we don't because the surface isn't good enough and there's so much traffic on there with rugby, soccer and so many games in general.
'I think they're doing something in the off-season to get the pitch better, but I feel like the surface in general hasn't been beneficial for us.
'I'd love it to be re-turfed and be ready to go for us next year. I'd love a dry track because every time we play here, I feel like it's slippery and it's wet and it's tough conditions.'
The Moore Park precinct has some of the best facilities in the country, but the only thing that really matters for the players is how the turf holds up.
'This is an elite stadium for lots of sporting teams and I feel that the grass is the most important thing,' Tedesco said.
'So if we can get that sorted and have a dry track (then I'll be happy). I'm not a greenkeeper so it's probably a hard job for the boys to get right, especially with weather conditions like this.
'Maybe a roof would help keep it dry. It'd be like Vegas – how good was that track!'
A roof was floated at some point but was eventually dismissed due to costs, with players urging the government to fix the pitch over summer.
Roosters prop Lindsay Collins also backed calls for a roof but said players had to cop whatever conditions they're given.
'There's something wrong with this field, it's not crash hot,' Collins said.
'We've just got to deal with it. You can only control the controllables, and this is something I can't control.
'We were saying they should have put a roof on it, which I think was the original plan. With the money they're going to invest to rip it all up, they probably could have put a roof on.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
AFL 2025: Nathan Buckley's admission over growing links to Melbourne Demons job
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley remains uncertain about his aspirations to return to coaching but says 'this is the first time' since finishing at the Pies that he's wanted to explore the possibility further. It comes as Buckley has been highly touted as one of the leading candidates for Melbourne's vacant position following the dismissal of Simon Goodwin. It also comes after initially-fancied premiership mentors John Longmire and Adam Simpson openly voiced their unwillingness to return to the coaching landscape next year amid newfound personal ventures. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Buckley, 53, coached Collingwood between 2012 and 2021, including a grand final berth in 2018 and five finals appearances. At the outset of Fox Footy's On the Couch on Monday night, asked point-blank by Brisbane Lions legend Jonathan Brown if he wanted to coach next year, Buckley said: 'I don't know if I do or not. And I think I've been pretty transparent and clear with that. 'There's a spot available now, and this is the first time that I've actually wanted to go further down the track to find out what that challenge would be, and whether it would fit for where I'm at in my life, as well. 'I'm going to explore it a little bit harder this time around.' On the Couch: Jonathan Brown asks Nathan Buckley about his coaching aspirations. Buckley, who has now been out of coaching for almost four years, had a career 117-99-2 record with the Magpies after a 28-game, Brownlow Medal-winning playing career. He was prompted on what that 'exploration' looks like. 'It's more to understand Melbourne's challenge, and where they think they're at, where they think they need to go forward. But before we get to all of this, I am but one of many candidates that will be really good options for Melbourne going forward,' he said. 'And they'll go through their process, and they'll choose the person that they think is best-placed to take them forward, whether that's for the next three years, five years, whether they're looking for 10 years. 'In the end, that's their remit, to work that out. There's multiple good options, there's multiple good decisions. It's not just one person, so I think that's got to be really clear up front.' Buckley acknowledged 'it could be' a reality that senior coaching is ultimately done for him, despite externally shaping as a frontrunner in Melbourne's process. 'But I'm stepping into a space, now, that I haven't at this point. So, I'm just taking the next steps to explore it for myself, and obviously through the lens of one club at the moment,' he continued. 'I have kicked around with Tassie as well, to have a look at that. But that's been dormant for probably six months. So, that's as open as I can be about it. 'I'm going to be asked as I go along, and (I'll) have a microphone in front of me every second day, but I'm not going to be giving blow-by-blows (updates) on Melbourne's process on their system, on where we're at in terms of our communication. 'I could think one thing this evening and think something different tomorrow evening. So, it wouldn't be fair on me or them to try and do a blow-by-blow, because it will ebb and flow until either they or I or any other candidate gets to a final position.' The Demons are after a new coach after axing Simon Goodwin. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images) Brown proposed the idea that the 'attractiveness' of the Demons' win-now list might play a hand in Buckley's desire to partake in their process. 'Ultimately, you're really governed by the list that you have at hand,' Brown posed, to which Buckley replied: 'Yes and no.' Brown suggested that perhaps the state of West Coast's list last year played a key hand in Buckley's unwillingness to participate in the process that ultimately ended with Andrew McQualter winning the senior coach role. 'Was that because I didn't like West Coast, or was it because I wasn't ready?' Buckley answered. 'I took a call from Don Pyke (Eagles chief executive), but I said to him 'I'm not in the space to consider that', and I think I'm in a space to consider it now. 'You look at the list, but then you've got to consider what's the state of your TPP (total player payments). I've been in a position where the TPP is not in a great state. Maybe it's not a position I want to step into in that regard — I don't know that yet. 'Then the other is where do you train? What's the structure of your leadership? Because at the moment, it's still quite transient. 'What are your plans going forward in terms of facilities and where you want to be? And where do you think you sit? When do you want to contend? I don't have any answers to any of those questions.' Originally published as 'This is the first time': Buckley's admission over growing links to role
News.com.au
6 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘This is the first time': Buckley's admission over growing links to role
Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley remains uncertain about his aspirations to return to coaching but says 'this is the first time' since finishing at the Pies that he's wanted to explore the possibility further. It comes as Buckley has been highly touted as one of the leading candidates for Melbourne's vacant position following the dismissal of Simon Goodwin. It also comes after initially-fancied premiership mentors John Longmire and Adam Simpson openly voiced their unwillingness to return to the coaching landscape next year amid newfound personal ventures. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Buckley, 53, coached Collingwood between 2012 and 2021, including a grand final berth in 2018 and five finals appearances. At the outset of Fox Footy's On the Couch on Monday night, asked point-blank by Brisbane Lions legend Jonathan Brown if he wanted to coach next year, Buckley said: 'I don't know if I do or not. And I think I've been pretty transparent and clear with that. 'There's a spot available now, and this is the first time that I've actually wanted to go further down the track to find out what that challenge would be, and whether it would fit for where I'm at in my life, as well. 'I'm going to explore it a little bit harder this time around.' Buckley, who has now been out of coaching for almost four years, had a career 117-99-2 record with the Magpies after a 28-game, Brownlow Medal-winning playing career. He was prompted on what that 'exploration' looks like. 'It's more to understand Melbourne's challenge, and where they think they're at, where they think they need to go forward. But before we get to all of this, I am but one of many candidates that will be really good options for Melbourne going forward,' he said. 'And they'll go through their process, and they'll choose the person that they think is best-placed to take them forward, whether that's for the next three years, five years, whether they're looking for 10 years. 'In the end, that's their remit, to work that out. There's multiple good options, there's multiple good decisions. It's not just one person, so I think that's got to be really clear up front.' Buckley acknowledged 'it could be' a reality that senior coaching is ultimately done for him, despite externally shaping as a frontrunner in Melbourne's process. 'But I'm stepping into a space, now, that I haven't at this point. So, I'm just taking the next steps to explore it for myself, and obviously through the lens of one club at the moment,' he continued. 'I have kicked around with Tassie as well, to have a look at that. But that's been dormant for probably six months. So, that's as open as I can be about it. 'I'm going to be asked as I go along, and (I'll) have a microphone in front of me every second day, but I'm not going to be giving blow-by-blows (updates) on Melbourne's process on their system, on where we're at in terms of our communication. 'I could think one thing this evening and think something different tomorrow evening. So, it wouldn't be fair on me or them to try and do a blow-by-blow, because it will ebb and flow until either they or I or any other candidate gets to a final position.' Brown proposed the idea that the 'attractiveness' of the Demons' win-now list might play a hand in Buckley's desire to partake in their process. 'Ultimately, you're really governed by the list that you have at hand,' Brown posed, to which Buckley replied: 'Yes and no.' Brown suggested that perhaps the state of West Coast's list last year played a key hand in Buckley's unwillingness to participate in the process that ultimately ended with Andrew McQualter winning the senior coach role. 'Was that because I didn't like West Coast, or was it because I wasn't ready?' Buckley answered. 'I took a call from Don Pyke (Eagles chief executive), but I said to him 'I'm not in the space to consider that', and I think I'm in a space to consider it now. 'You look at the list, but then you've got to consider what's the state of your TPP (total player payments). I've been in a position where the TPP is not in a great state. Maybe it's not a position I want to step into in that regard — I don't know that yet. 'Then the other is where do you train? What's the structure of your leadership? Because at the moment, it's still quite transient. 'What are your plans going forward in terms of facilities and where you want to be? And where do you think you sit? When do you want to contend? I don't have any answers to any of those questions.'
Daily Telegraph
7 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
Eels stars bury hatchet after explosive scenes during nailbiter
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Parramatta Eels skipper Mitchell Moses appears to be all rosy with teammate Tallyn Da Silva again. The duo looked far from friendly on Sunday when Moses was sighted delivering multiple blistering outbursts in the 20-year-olds direction. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. In a tense encounter at CommBank Stadium on Sunday night, Moses' frustrations boiled over with Da Silva three times in the final 10 minutes of the clash against the Cowboys. The young halfback drew the ire of his skipper after multiple passes from dummy half missed the mark. Moses however really lost his cool when the youngster attempted to slice through the defensive line on the fifth tackle just metres away from the line. The skipper was caught on camera giving the youngster an extraordinary spray which appeared to those watching on to be along the lines of: 'Tallyn you f***ing c***.' On Monday however it appeared the two had buried the hatchet with Da Silva responding to Moses' Instagram post. The 30-year-old star posted several images and captioned the upload: 'Gun win big effort from the lads!'. Da Silva saw an opening and took his chance by cheekily commenting: 'Clutch #stillfriends'. The sentiment was reciprocated by the Eels skipper who responded to his teammates remark by writing: 'Love me little mate. lololol.' Tallyn's cheeky response to Moses' post Moses lost it at his teammate. Moses brushed off the heated scenes with his teammate after being asked by Bryan Fletcher on the Sunday Night with Matty Johns show. 'Yeah it happens on the field … was a tense game,' Moses said. 'We'll learn a lot of lessons from that I think. We've got a really young squad at the moment and it's better to learn the lessons winning the game than having a loss.' Speaking on his SEN radio show on Monday morning, Fox League commentator Andrew Voss was in shock at what unfolded — both for how poor Da Silva was and Moses' subsequent blow up. 'Poor old Tallyn possibly played the worst five or six minutes of a dummy half in the history of the game and I'm not saying that flippantly, I'm saying that honestly,' Voss said. Tallyn had his teammates filthy after multiple mistakes down the stretch. 'I don't think I've seen a dummy half make so many mistakes and errors in judgement in such a short period of time. 'The on field berating from Mitch Moses, now that's happened before, but it happened three times in five minutes. How do you come back from that? 'Mitchell Moses lost his you know what and I can understand it and I can imagine Parramatta fans losing it.' Voss' radio co-host Greg Alexander said he hadn't seen an on-field spray directed at a teammate like that in some time, but didn't fault Moses for his actions. 'I can't remember the last time I've saw a player berated like Da Silva was,' Alexander said. 'I don't think we've seen it happen plenty of times recently. That part of the game died out. 'He probably deserved it but it was tough.' Tallyn had a tough finish to the match. (Photo by) The moments were applauded by former Panthers star Scott Sattler who praised the skipper for holding his teammates to account. 'When you have a young player coming into the group, you want to let him know what you are striving for as a group, what you are heading towards rather than what you're walking away from,' Sattler said on SEN 'I loved that from Mitchell Moses. 'There'd be no problem between the players. To Parramatta fans that should be a sign that you have a coach that is trying to drive high standards, and you have a captain that's driving the same standards. So when the coach turns his back, the captain is going to pick up the slack. 'If you're a Parramatta fan, I would think they would love seeing what they saw yesterday.' Originally published as Eels stars bury hatchet after explosive scenes during nailbiter
