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"Poor decision": Why Craddock is against scheduling of First Test
Nicholas Quinlan • September 27th, 2025 1:25 pm
Veteran journalist Robert Craddock has criticised the decision by New Zealand Rugby to play the first Bledisloe Cup Test against the Wallabies during the AFL Grand Final.
It has been a resurgent year for Australia, who has slowly worked its way back into the national sporting consciousness.
Despite losing to the British and Irish Lions in a three-game series, the Wallabies showed plenty of promise and potential, which they have turned into success during the Rugby Championship.
So far, they have managed an even record against South Africa and Argentina, having won one match and lost one against both sides, which puts them at the top of the Rugby Championship standings.
With these results, the Wallabies find themselves playing in one of the most important Bledisloe Cup series against the All Blacks in recent memory.
However, sporting fans will be left to choose between either the AFL Grand Final or the First Test, with the clash between Australia and New Zealand starting during the clash.
This has led Craddock to criticise the decision made by NZR, believing that it was not beyond them to find an alternative time for the match to be played to avoid the match falling under the radar.
“I thought the same thing,” Craddock said on SENQ Breakfast.
“And because it is basically more New Zealand’s ownership of the game, they went to their own viewership rather than in Australia with the AFL Grand Final.
“It’s a really poor decision.
“Sports have generally gotten better with this. They work around each other where they can, and it's all done really quietly, and they look at each other and make calls here and there.
“Like, just imagine if the Wallabies crack the 40-year Eden Park hoodoo. That is one of the sport stories of the entire year, and it will be just submerged.
“It is an utterly poor decision.”
The match will begin at 3:05pm AEST on Saturday at Eden Park (5:05pm local time).
