NRL's Magic Round Sidelined by Stadium Politics The National Rugby League's (NRL) Magic Round has long been a celebration of community and competition, drawing fans from across Australia to witness their beloved teams in action.
But behind the excitement of the triple header at Lang Park last weekend lay a far more mundane concern: stadium politics.
While the Gold Coast Titans and Newcastle Knights battled it out in the day's opening fixture, negotiations between the Queensland government and the NRL had been underway for months.