Should the Easter Monday clash been played at Accor?

Andrew Voss and David Riccio have debated whether the NRL has missed a trick by not moving the Eels vs Tigers Easter Monday clash to Accor Stadium.

Throughout the last fourteen years, the NRL has made a point of scheduling blockbuster games during the Easter long weekend, with the Rabbitohs vs Bulldogs clash on Good Friday, while the Eels take on the Tigers on the Monday.

Since the two sides began playing on Easter Monday in 2014, the crowd has exceeded 30,000 only four times, compared to the Good Friday clash, which has only dipped below that mark once.

With those smaller crowds, it has seen three of the last four games being played at the smaller CommBank Stadium.

But with the Tigers humming in third place after four rounds, there is some renewed optimism and interest amongst the fan base, which is likely to see an attendance increase.

So much so that Voss believes that they could have garnered a 50,000+ crowd at Accor Stadium... even though it's a Parramatta home game. 

“This is huge,” he explained on SEN’s Vossy Verdict.

“There's part of me that wishes this was at Accor on the back of the Easter show.

“I really do think Eels v Tigers… I reckon Tigers fans would come out of the woodwork. I think there'd be 50,000 plus.

“But it's an Eels home game, it's there at CommBank, fill the joint, that'll be great, but I just wonder if we could've got 50,000+ for this one.”

And if the Tigers can keep their form up for the remainder of the year, we could see a sleeping giant emerge, resulting in bigger crowds.

“They (the Tigers) sit alongside the Canterbury Bulldogs as far as supporter base,” Riccio explained.

“If they can get it right, Wests Tigers fans will come from everywhere.

“We're seeing just the inch by inch at the moment, we're seeing super positive signs, but they're already starting to come, the West Tigers fans.

“If they can get it right, and they emerge as a genuine year-on-year finals contender.

“The NRL will be in an unbelievable space as far as crowds (and) TV ratings. They are a sleeping giant and for so long (have) been the punching bag of the game.”

The Tigers will look to solidify their spot in the top four when they take on the Eels on Monday at CommBank Stadium.

SEN League will have live coverage of the match on our radio network and on the SEN app beginning from 3pm AEST.