NRL grand final to go ahead without pre-game show after Tones and I standoff
The Dance Monkey singer's rejection of an offer to perform has left next weekend's NRL grand final without pre-match entertainment for the first time in recent memory.
The NRL grand final will run without any pre-game entertainment for the first time in recent history, after talks with Tones and I to perform broke down, according to Guardian Rugby League.
The Dance Monkey singer made headlines this week when it was reported she had turned down an offer to appear at next weekend's decider.
NRL boss Peter V'landys attributed the collapse of negotiations to what he described as "artistic differences" between the league and the Aria award-winning artist.
Reports have since suggested the sticking point centred on song choice, with some claiming Tones and I was reluctant to perform Dance Monkey, the track that made her a global star.
The figure attached to the saga has become part of the story in its own right, with an offer reportedly worth $90,000 a minute put on the table before talks stalled.
Guardian Rugby League notes that accounts of exactly why the deal fell through differ depending on who is telling the story, leaving the precise sequence of events unclear.
What is confirmed is the outcome: for the first time in recent years, the grand final will kick off without a pre-match performance slot filled.
The episode has become a talking point ahead of the biggest match on the NRL calendar, overshadowing some of the build-up to the fixture itself.
Attention now turns to how the league fills, or chooses not to fill, that pre-game window when the grand final is played next weekend.