There appears to be no definitive timeline for when tickets will go on sale for this year's NRL game between Penrith and Manly at Bathurst in May, despite initial indications they would be available for the public to purchase this month.
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The round eight blockbuster is scheduled for May 1, but coronavirus protocols still need to be established by the NRL while potential capacity reductions at Carrington Park in line with social distancing are also forcing ticket delays.
Crowd limits will be dependent on government restrictions in place, if any, which Bathurst mayor Bobby Burke said could force any decisions regarding the ground's capacity to be made much closer to the time.
We probably won't know too much until two weeks out until the event.
- Bathurst mayor Bobby Burke, on ticket sales for this year's NRL game at Carrington Park
"We probably won't know too much until two weeks out until the event," he said.
Ticket information is still be announced for the two other NRL games in the Central West this year either, with Mudgee hosting Manly and Gold Coast on April 17 while South Sydney play Penrith at Dubbo on May 23.
In fact, despite round one kicking off in less than a month tickets aren't yet available for any regularly-scheduled games in the 2021 NRL season as the governing body navigates logistics amid continually changing restrictions.
The exception is the Magic Round in mid-May, where all 16 teams will play their round 10 games on one weekend at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium, with tickets available now.
Cr Burke said this year's clash at Carrington Park, should it go ahead, will make for a great occasion considering the Royal Bathurst Show is set to be held on the same weekend.
The two events shouldn't detract from each other as the show runs from Friday to Sunday, and the NRL game's 3pm kick-off time on the Saturday is friendly for fans wanting to attend the show that night too.
"We're looking forward to the Manly game against the Panthers. It should be a great weekend and if the football can work in with our local show, it'll be even better," he said.
"[The Royal Bathurst Show] had a tough year with COVID-19 and if we can get a crowd there after the footy, it could be one of the best shows we've had."
The economic boost NRL games bring to the city is another huge benefit, and reason to hope this year's edition goes ahead as planned.
"All the NRL games are big. Every game is big because it always brings an influx of people to town," Cr Burke said.
"They do leave their money here and sometimes they're here for two or three days. It doesn't matter what, we need to keep trying to put on these very high-level events to keep business alive."
Bathurst, Mudgee and Dubbo are three of the five regional centres in NSW given hosting rights for NRL games this year.
Wagga will also play host to Canberra's clash with Newcastle on May 8 while the Wests Tigers take on Cronulla at Tamworth on August 21.
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