NRL grand final 2022: How rugby league’s heartland in Western Sydney is experiencing booming finances

Parramatta's population is projected to grow 48 per cent by 2041. Penrith's is set to rise by 25 per Cent. Both clubs negotiate the fine line between old and new. The game adapts and changes as western Sydney adaptes and grows. The Eels need to play their part in shaping that story. Rugby league cannot lose its roots as a working-class sport. Brad Arthur was a council worker and raised on rugby league. He epitomises the Eel's traditional base. Christopher Brown is chair of the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue think tank.