Can Queensland cash in on the NRL finals? It's all about 'event leveraging'

By Sheranne Fairley, Associate professor, The University of Queensland
Danny O'Brien, Associate Professor, Sport Management, Bond University
Vitor Sobral, PhD candidate, The University of Queensland

Queensland’s love of rugby league, and the fact the state isn’t in lockdown, has won it the right to host the 2021 NRL finals series.

But it was economic gains as much as love of the game that Premier Annastacia Pałaszczuk spruiked when announcing Queensland would host all eight finals games plus the grand final at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium. Six of those games are being played outside Brisbane — two in Townsville, two in Mackay, and one apiece in Rockhampton and Sunshine Coast.

“It’s a tremendous gesture from the NRL and will provide an economic boost spread over our regional…

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