The NRL has confirmed it will scrap pre-match entertainment at this year's grand final, redirecting roughly A$1 million toward helping underprivileged children play rugby league. The decision follows a breakdown in talks with Australian pop star Tones And I, who says she had prior commitments with Macklemore in the United States.
Australian Rugby League Commission chair Peter V'landys told ABC Sport on Tuesday that the league had decided to go in a different direction. Tones And I's management, however, says no deal was ever signed or confirmed in writing.
What happened between Tones And I and the NRL?
Tones And I's management representative Regan Lethbridge issued a statement clarifying the timeline. An offer was presented on September 5, but the singer had a prior commitment with Macklemore in America and explored all avenues to make it work.
Nothing was signed or confirmed in writing. Due to the last-minute nature and prior commitments by Tones, we were unable to accept the offer.
The statement wished the NRL well for the event. Neither side has cited the set list as the issue, though the Sydney Morning Herald reported the NRL insisted Tones And I perform her 2019 hit 'Dance Monkey', a song she has previously said she loathes.
Why is the NRL redirecting grand final entertainment money?
V'landys said the cost of staging any artist for the pre-match show was around A$1 million. He framed the decision as a values-driven choice.
I'd prefer to see 20,000 underprivileged kids who can't afford to play rugby league play rugby league, rather than spend a million dollars on 11 minutes of a musical performance.
He added that the game sells itself, and people come to watch rugby league, not a pop concert. V'landys said he had been toying with the idea of redirecting the funds for a couple of years.
What does this mean for the grand final tradition?
The move marks a stunning break from tradition. The NRL grand final has regularly featured international acts, including Teddy Swims last year, with Billy Idol and Tina Turner among past performers.
New South Wales Rugby League chief executive David Trodden said he had a short conversation with V'landys about the prospect and applauded the decision.
Rugby league has a unique ability to provide community support to those who need it the most.
State governments are currently bidding for grand final hosting rights. New South Wales holds the rights, but it is unclear whether state officials were consulted. Neither sport minister Steve Kamper nor Premier Chris Minns provided comment.
What about Macklemore?
Macklemore recently found himself at the centre of his own live music upheaval after being dropped from Ed Sheeran's The Loop Tour over pro-Palestinian comments. The connection adds a layer of political context to an otherwise commercial negotiation.
Is scrapping pre-match entertainment the right call?
The decision raises genuine questions about where sporting budgets should go. A$1 million could fund thousands of children's registrations, equipment, and club fees. But it also strips a cultural moment from the grand final experience, one that fans have come to expect.
For a league that positions itself as community-driven, the choice to invest in grassroots participation over spectacle is arguably a progressive one. Yet the lack of transparency around the negotiations, and the reported insistence on 'Dance Monkey', leaves questions unanswered.
What is clear is that both sides walked away, and the real winners may be the kids who now have a better chance of pulling on a jersey.