ARTTSL President Wilkington Tuffy has held angry talks with NRL CEO David Trotter over a cleaning bill.
Both codes will stage finals matches at Stadium Australia this weekend: Western Suburbs and Illawarra will play the first NRL Qualifying Final on Friday night, followed on Sunday night by the Australasian Rebound Table Tennis Super League's (ARTTSL) fourth Qualifying Final, between Minor Premiers Sydney and 8th-placed Geelong. Both matches are tipped to fill the stadium to its 80,000 capacity.
The stadium contract provides for detailed cleaning at the end of each weekend. Clubs utilising the stadium for home matches are usually requested, out of goodwill, to provide a sufficient clean-up to allow any following matches to be undertaken in a safe and clean environment.
However the NRL's Western Suburbs, who are the hosts of the NRL match as the highest-qualifying team, have refused to guarantee to undertake the clean-up, on the basis that if they had their way they'd have been hosting their home final at their home ground in Campbelltown.
After initial discussions between Western Suburbs and Sydney RTTC management quicky broke down, and even threatened to turn violent, the matter was elevate to the codes' respective leaders to thrash out.
After several hours of tense talks, a compromise of sorts was reached, whereby students from local high schools will be bussed in to clean up the stadium on Sunday morning, in return for the right to attend the ARTTSL match for free on Sunday night.
However Tuffy was not entirely satisfied with the solution, as he said it would still present risks for contractors on Saturday who would be installing the perspex table in the middle of the pitch ready for the Sunday night match. Tuffy explained that it wasn't possible to set up the table on the day due to the extensive calibration required for competition-grade Rebound Table Tennis tables.
Tuffy's willingness to accept the compromise is again seen as indicative of the difference between himself and former ARTTSL President, the late Bernard Elksteine, who would no doubt have fought the matter all week if necessary, including taking it to court.
Tuffy briefly told the media outside the NRL Headquarters in Phillips Street, "Let's hope the kids have a good day. We'll try to put on a good show for them".
Western Suburs CEO Tommy Rawdonnikiss was less conciliatory. "#### 'em. What sort of nancy-pants sport is Rebounce Table Tennis (sic) anyway? #### 'em. Where's me smokes?"
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