Anfield was a terrible choice.

[ian.birchall]

I see that instead of playing on a 100 metre pitch the limitations of Anfield mean the final of what should be Rugby League of the highest quality is now going to be played on a pitch 9 metres short. Well done Red Hall, another marketing triumph!

[formulamoto]

seems a bit late to start measuring pitch for safety reasons . perhaps it would be safer playing cross-ways

[cow yeds]

Anfield is 110yds x 74yds. Thats big enough for any rugby league game. It's the refereeing they need to sort out not the size of the pitch.

[ian.birchall]

Anfield is 110yds x 74yds. Thats big enough for any rugby league game. It's the refereeing they need to sort out not the size of the pitch.

Obviously not the case at Liverpool then if they need to reduce the playing area whatever your info. Did the new stand reduce the length of the football pitch?

[The booze hound]

Anfield is 110yds x 74yds. Thats big enough for any rugby league game. It's the refereeing they need to sort out not the size of the pitch.

Obviously not the case at Liverpool then if they need to reduce the playing area whatever your info. Did the new stand reduce the length of the football pitch?

No the "new stand" extended backwards. The reason the pitch has been shortened is after an ancident with an OZ player hitting the hoardings at Old Trafford a few years ago.

[yokozuna]

Old Trafford isn't a big enough pitch for Rugby League. It's used every year for the grand final.

[Wiganer Ted]

The pitch might be 110 yds x 74 yds but all the markings are in meters so that's where the problem has come from.

[josie andrews]

Four Nations 2016: Anfield to have pitch shortened for final over safety fears

New Zealand's Jesse Bromwich and Australia's Cameron Smith are set to captain the finalists

Sunday's Four Nations final between Australia and New Zealand will be played on a shortened pitch at Anfield because of safety concerns.

The pitch will be nine metres shorter than the required 100-metre length.

"It's not going to make it any less a spectacle," said Australia coach Mal Meninga.

Australia's Brett Morris collided heavily with an end-of-field advertising hoarding during the 2013 World Cup final at Old Trafford.

Earlier in that tournament, fellow Kangaroo Luke Lewis suffered a dislocated shoulder when his momentum took him into a hoarding at St Helens' Langtree Park ground.

The Anfield pitch will now have a five metre in-goal area and a further three-metre gap between the dead ball line and the perimeter fence.

"There's been concerns expressed before the tournament," tournament director Jon Dutton told the Sydney Morning Herald. "We're spending a bit of money to make sure health and safety isn't compromised.

"We've got some matting and and padding and we've also taken out the LED displays behind the goals."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/38002428

[josie andrews]

Why can't the pitch or any pitch for that matter be the required size as normal but the extra "padding" be used anyway on advertising hoardings? Why does the pitch need to be shortened?

I'm sure in this day & age there is a transparent material than can bear the force of a player crashing into it & prevent any injury & still be able to see the necessary money making advertisements!

[butt monkey]

Australia's Brett Morris collided heavily with an end-of-field advertising hoarding during the 2013 World Cup final at Old Trafford.

Earlier in that tournament, fellow Kangaroo Luke Lewis suffered a dislocated shoulder when his momentum took him into a hoarding at St Helens' Langtree Park ground.http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/38002428

Obviously highlighting two incidents from 3 years ago. One ground regularly used as our showpiece final event and the other a league ground.

It is also fair to say that at our ground we have seen numerous players collide with the advertisement hoardings. Is this a pitch size issue? Or has this become players safety gone into overdrive? Should Wigan (among others) be thinking about shortening the pitch?