Forget footy, give us a new stadium
MANLY coach Des Hasler had an easy time of it in Newcastle yesterday. So much so, he must have spent a fair chunk of it admiring the Knights' new western grandstand and wondering what the northern beaches has to do to have a facility as good built in Manly's neck of the woods.
It's not the first time this season Dessy has used the after-match press conference to push the political barrow about stadium funding for the northern beaches.
And you get the impression it won't be the last.
Like a terrier dog, he is not going to let go until something is done.
His team scored in the first minute against the Knights yesterday.
They led 22-0 at half-time and cruised to a 32-10 win.
The way they went about their business is why they are rated so highly in this competition.
But Hasler had bigger fish to fry than talking about his side's performance yesterday.
He wanted to talk stadiums. And he took aim at the NSW government.
"This facility is unbelievable - it's going to be a juggernaut. It's a great stadium. You see the people turning up - it must have been over 20,000 turning up to watch their footy side play in a facility like this - it's outstanding," he said.
Then he turned the heat on Premier Barry O'Farrell.
"There are over a quarter of a million, probably 300,000 people in the northern beaches constituency - they deserve the same facilities," he said.
"So let's get off the fence and do something about it. Get on the front foot and give the people of the northern constituency a facility like this.
"The game was nearly equal to the stadium."
Hasler, it must be said has a point. Right now, he has a Rolls-Royce side being housed in an old dilapidated garage.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...us-a-new-stadium/story-e6frexnr-1226096375496
