A pitch invasion after Lance Franklin’s 1000th AFL goal at the SCG – which is also hosted by the NSW Arena – is set for high-profile events in 2023, but the NRL insists the security risk is too great at present to be replicated.
If supporters do jump the fence, ground operations are considering how the ground invaders would be dispersed from the ground, and will work with security to ensure this happens in a safe and orderly manner.
Buddy Franklin surrounded by fans at the SCG after kicking his 1000th goal.Balance: Getty Images
“We would much prefer the fans not to enter the stadium when Alex breaks the record,” Solly said. “It is a huge achievement and there will be several opportunities for our fans and members to celebrate properly with Alex.
“In fact, the game can be concluded, and the celebrations can continue after the 80 minutes are over”.
Bennett’s weekend suggestion that fans be allowed into the stadium after half-time, should Johnston make history, is of little concern to the NSW Arena and the troubled Allianz region.
Much of the farm’s surface had to be re-laid recentlyjust weeks after the $828 million stadium was closed for 10 weeks to fix major drainage issues.
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Small areas of the newly laid grass had been damaged from mowing during the summer heatwave, prompting NSW Hall to re-lay a large area of grass in the middle of the pitch.
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo may be ready to deliver a post-match presentation on Friday’s game. Head of football Graham Annesley had stood in similar fashion at Suncorp Stadium in round one should Johnston score a hat-trick against the Dolphins.
The glory of the golden points helps justify the three-year wait for the Raiders and the $2m contract call
And Walsh
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart enjoyed the best of both worlds after being soaked to the socks on the sidelines at Brookvale on Saturday night.
Canberra’s best number 7 was able to catch up with one of his favorite pupils, new Manly defender Jamal Fogarty, as well as enjoy a match-winning performance by Fogarty’s replacement, Raiders youngster Ethan Sanders, who the Raiders backed in a long-running deal that many observers feared could doom them in 2026.
Sanders scored a 35-yard, overtime field goal ending a contest in which both sides rallied from a 14-point deficit, with the 22-year-old kicking his fifth NRL game.
Canberra had an option on Fogarty’s contract last year and could match it was the Sea Eagles’ lucrative $2 million offer that attracted Fogarty that Sydney.
Instead, Stuart and the Raiders backed Sanders to step in with the least experienced No. 7 overall pick this season, having clearly identified him as their long-term player two years ago when signing him as a youngster from Parramatta.
Ethan Sanders hugs his family at 4 Pines Park Saturday night.Balance: NRL Pictures
With a fierce attempt from close to impressive defense against Manly fullback Haumole Olakau’atu, it’s a good thing for Sanders after splitting his time behind Fogarty, with the Eels partnering Mitchell Moses and Dylan Brown before that.
“Your dream as a full-back is to be in that position, to score those goals,” Sanders said after his 81st-minute winner.
“Obviously there are a lot of good full-backs who have been in those positions and nailed it, and are known for that. So the goal is to be one of those full-backs who do that.
“We weren’t planning on doing it, but we ended up getting a quick play-by-play and I just took it — I didn’t think about it.”
Stuart paid tribute to Sanders’ long-term approach to his game before kick-off, saying: “A lot of young players these days are very much in the running to play first-class … I think he’s very brave about taking that apprenticeship last year, to build a long career.”
Ethan Sanders celebrates his first NRL try with Joe Tapine.Balance: Getty Images
After Canberra’s thrilling 29-28 victory, he also praised both guards, noting Fogarty’s impressive display in his Manly debut against Sanders.
“And Ethan Sanders, I thought his game tonight was very mature, beyond the games he’s played,” Stuart said. “I think that was the fifth or sixth game in the first division. He had more pressure on him tonight than any player on the pitch.”
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Given that he’s been highly favored since he appeared as a teenager, Sanders’ meteoric rise over the past three years has been the talk of the town, seemingly for everyone but him.
“I wouldn’t say I was desperate (to play in the NRL), I was just learning,” Sanders said of his first year in Canberra.
“There are a bunch of great leaders in this side; it was good to pick their brains and be around them 24/7 … To be able to get a half-back spot in the first round is another tick on the bucket list.”
