The NRL has confirmed that Friday night’s game between the Dolphins and the South Sydney Rabbitohs has been shifted to the CommBank Stadium in New South Wales with concerns mounting over the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Alfred on Thursday.
The match was due to be played at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane but with the Queensland capital bracing for gusts of 120km/h and 40mm of rain overnight on Thursday, league bosses opted to make the fixture switch for safety reasons.
It means the Rabbitohs will now play their opening NRL fixture of the 2025 season at home, with the two teams set to play the return leg of the fixture at the Suncorp Stadium in Round 17.
‘The NRL has made the decision today to allow for the appropriate changes to be implemented and acknowledges and thanks both the Dolphins and the Rabbitohs for their approach and co-operation,’ the NRL said in a statement on Tuesday.
‘The NRL said the safety of players, fans and the community were the highest priority when considering the venue change.
‘Ticket holders to the match at Suncorp Stadium are advised that the Dolphins will be in touch as soon as possible with further information around options. If you need further information, contact info@dolphinsnrl.com.au.’
The game is now scheduled to kick-off in Sydney at 8pm (7pm QLD time) on Friday.
The Rabbitohs have issued a statement on the fixture alteration on their website, stating that club members and supporters will recieve communications over the next 24 hours over seating and ticket availability.
Club CEO BLake Solly also added that the safety of players, staff and supporters as well as all those in south-east Queensland is of the highest importance.
‘Firstly, we hope everyone in Queensland and northern New South Wales are staying safe and following the advice of authorities with regards to protecting themselves in the face of Tropical Cyclone Alfred,’ the Dolphins chief said.
‘The advice we received from the QLD government was to move the game and we have been able to accommodate the move.
‘With us now hosting the Dolphins in Sydney for round one, it means our return game against the Dolphins in round 17 will be played in Queensland. We have worked closely with the Dolphins, the NRL and Venues NSW to ensure the game goes ahead and we thank them for their positive approach to moving this game to Sydney.
‘We will communicate with our Members and supporters over the next day to let them know how they can attend this game to support their team, and we thank them for their patience as we put together this event at the last minute.’
It comes as the AFL today opted to cancel the Brisbane Lions 2025 season curtain raiser against Geelong at the Gabba and the Gold Coast’s clash against Essendon at the People First Stadium on Friday night.
More to follow…
