Manly’s home final at Lottoland is under the threat of being moved to Bankwest Stadium after traces of asbestos were found at the suburban ground.
The NRL has confirmed small traces of asbestos were found on the Brookvale hill on Friday, with a report due to be submitted to the league on Monday evening.
Ticket sales for the elimination final against Cronulla have been put on hold, with the match still to be scheduled for Saturday night.
The traces were found as part of testing for the standard excavation planning at the northern end of the ground.
“Our number one priority is ensuring the safety of our players and fans,” NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg said.
“Unfortunately it could not be guaranteed when the schedule was confirmed.
“We have given the local council and the Sea Eagles a period of grace of 24 hours in order to assess the safety of the venue before we release tickets.
“We have worked with Northern Beaches Council and the Sea Eagles to ensure the club is given the opportunity to host a final, while ensuring the safety of our supporters is paramount.”
The news comes after security at the venue was called into question last week, when a fan became involved in a mid-tunnel incident with Melbourne centre Will Chambers.
The NRL had initially threatened to review the ground’s hosting rights for the finals, before later saying any concerns had been cleared.
The league is only returning to home suburban finals this year for the first time since 2010, due to the rebuild of Allianz Stadium.
Lottoland is the only suburban ground due to host a finals match, with the others scheduled to be played at the SCG, AAMI Park and Bankwest Stadium.