The NRL grand final looks set to remain in Sydney for at least the next decade with the NSW government demanding a long-term commitment before investing a billion dollars into the city's major stadiums.

With the grand final up for grabs from 2020, the NRL had previously indicated the competition's showpiece event could go on the road for the first time in more than a century.

However the NSW government is desperate for the grand final, which injected close to $17 million into the state's economy in visitor spend last year, to remain in Sydney for decades despite a strong push from the Queensland government to take it north of the border.

It is understood former NRL boss Dave Smith had threatened to take the grand final to Brisbane or Melbourne if the state government didn't come to the party with substantial funding to upgrade Sydney stadia, ARLC chairman John Grant last year admitting the NRL was considering taking the decider away from its traditional home.