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Hagan joins day grand final chorusDecember 04, 2007 12:00amPARRAMATTA coach Michael Hagan has called on the NRL to listen to its fans and make the switch to a daytime grand final next year. Club chief executives will tomorrow meet in the Hunter Valley to discuss a possible switch to an afternoon kick off in 2008, a decision which has polarised the game's stakeholders. The majority of fans and players are in favour of a return to an afternoon grand final, while CEOs and coaches remain split over the shift to a daylight game. Broadcaster Channel 9 want to keep an evening game as it's better for ratings, a reason well supported by some club bosses who believe the later kick off ensures a wider audience and greater exposure for rugby league. Ultimately the decision rests with the NRL board - but Hagan, whose own boss Denis Fitzgerald supports a night-time grand final, urged the NRL to appease the fans. "I just think the majority of the fans are looking for a day grand final," Hagan said. "Sometimes you have to listen to the people that follow your game and there seems to be an overwhelming majority that wants a day grand final. "It wouldn't worry me either way too much." NRL chief executive David Gallop refused to shed further light on the subject today and although he admitted the overwhelming push from fans had been noted by the game, it was not the primary reason it was on the agenda. He said next year's early switch to daylight saving, which would make the 7pm kick off in daylight anyway, had prompted discussion on the matter. "Certainly the fan polls have been part of it, but the change to daylight saving is probably why it's firmly on the agenda for 2008," Gallop said. "There's no doubt that the night-time atmosphere is spectacular and one of the things we take into account when we look at the kick-off time every year. "We are going to get feedback from the clubs. (But) it's a decision for the board." Eels five-eighth Brett Finch said, like most players, the timing of the game was of little concern to him. "As long as I'm there, I will play it in the morning," he joked. "Everyone has a different opinion but a lot of the players as long as they're there they won't care what time it is." The annual CEOs conference, held over two days, will also discuss the outcomes from the coaches and players meeting last month, new initiatives for the 2008 season and proposed plans for the centenary of rugby league celebrations. http://www.news.com.au/dailyteleg.../0,22049,22868402-5001023,00.html |