There is thought to be no risk of the game being postponed.
When Cyclone Alfred makes landfall in southeast Queensland this week, it may cause problems for the NRL and AFL as the season gets underway. Although the NRL season began in Las Vegas on Sunday, the remaining six Round 1 games will take place in Australia throughout the first weekend.
The big event of Friday night will take place in Brisbane when the Dolphins play the South Sydney Rabbitohs. The match, which is the first prime time Friday game of the year, is especially significant since it marks the start of Wayne Bennett’s second spell at the Rabbitohs against the team he has played for for the past two years. The game is now in doubt, though, as the Bureau of Meteorology predicts that Cyclone Alfred, which is presently a Category 2 system in the Coral Sea, will make landfall on Thursday or Friday somewhere between Bundaberg and Northern New South Wales.
Cyclone forecasts can vary greatly, thus it is impossible to predict where or when the system will make landfall. However, the weather event is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds—possibly exceeding 100 km/h—as well as the possibility of severe flash flooding. While flooding has been a problem in the past when significant weather events have struck the city, Brisbane is ill-prepared to handle a cyclone, which could cause devastation to parts of the state capital.
According to predictions, some places may receive up to 600 mm of rain. While storm Wanda caused the epic 1974 floods in Brisbane, no tropical storm has approached the city since 1990. There may be doubts around the game in Brisbane on Friday night because the Queensland government has advised citizens to prepare for the cyclone and take precautions, and Brisbane City Council has decided to stop all ferry services on the Brisbane River from Monday night.
On two prior instances, in 2011 and 2022, Suncorp Stadium was submerged, forcing the delay of a Kangaroos-Kiwis Test match. Though there are expectations that the game won’t need to be rescheduled or postponed, the NRL has not yet disclosed any emergency plans for Friday night’s big event. The Australian Football League, which begins play on Thursday night in Brisbane, has stated that they would not make a decision until Thursday afternoon. “When we truly understand what is going to occur, that will be the deadline. AFL CEO Andrew Dillon stated, “At the moment, there are forecasts, and those forecasts have changed.” “We will make a call once we are completely certain of what will occur. “The weather can change at any time.
In every decision we make, the players’ and supporters’ health and safety will come first.” Rain is predicted over Australia’s eastern shore, which could affect other games over the weekend. The Dolphins and Rabbitohs are scheduled to begin off at 8 p.m. (AEST) on Friday.