NRL to honour retiring players at sold-out Grand Final

The NRL will pay tribute to 27 retiring and departing players including female stars during the build-up to the NRL Premiership 2020 Grand Final tonight.

Players to be honoured in a tribute tonight include Mitchell Aubusson (Sydney Roosters), Joel Thompson (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles), Chris Lawrence (Wests Tigers), Ethan Lowe (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Tim Grant, Sam McKendry (Penrith Panthers), David Gower (Parramatta Eels), Tim Glasby (Newcastle Knights), Cameron King, Jayson Bukuya (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks), Jamie Buhrer (Newcastle Knights) as well as Ruan Sims (Sydney Roosters).

Also acknowledged as part of the tribute will be Darius Boyd, Matt Gillett (Brisbane Broncos), Adam Blair, Gerard Beale (Warriors), James Graham (St George Illawarra Dragons), Ben Matulino (Wests Tigers), Shannon Boyd (Gold Coast Titans), Aidan Guerra (Newcastle Knights), Gavin Cooper, Scott Bolton (North Queensland Cowboys), along with Lorina Papali’i, Sarina Clark (Warriors), Lavina O’Mealey, Rebecca Young (Sydney Roosters) and Heather Ballinger (Brisbane Broncos).

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo says the retiring and departing players ceremony is always one of the most emotive moments of the Grand Finals Day.

Abdo says it will look different this year because of the biosecurity protocols, but they will still be able to pay tribute to the players in a special way.

He says to be a regular NRL player for several seasons takes a great deal of talent and hard work, and these are the champions who have given their heart and soul to their clubs and their representative teams over a long period.

NRL reports that a crowd of close to 40,000 will descend on Sydney's ANZ Stadium for the NRL Grand Final tonight.

The Penrith Panthers will meet the Melbourne Storm at 8.30 tonight.

[Source: NRL]