News by MADURA MCCORMACK, DANIELLE OâNEAL, PETER BADEL, JACK MCKAY, BRENT READ 1st Jun 2021 10:12 AM
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Subscriber only In a major coup expected to pump $5m into the rugby league heartland, t After days of negotiations, it s understood an 11th hour offer by the Queensland Government sealed the deal for the shift, dashing a last ditch bid from NSW. The move to Townsville comes amid a worsening Covid-19 outbreak in Melbourne, where 11 new locally acquired cases were recorded in the 24 hours to Monday. Townsville has the lowest risk of a Covid outbreak impacting the game and the least financial fallout of the available venues, NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said.
Townville’s “once-in-a-lifetime” chance to host the State of Origin series opener will be a huge boost to the region’s tourism industry, normally overshadowed by Cairns and the Whitsundays.