http://city-messenger.whereilive.com.au/news/story/oval-wants-nrl-action/#
Oval wants NRL action
15 Oct 08 @ 04:15pm by Adam Todd
MATCH ON: SACA chief executive Mike Deare wants a slice of NRL action at Adelaide Oval.
SOUTH Australia is set to become the new battleground for rugby league with Adelaide Oval likely to host two NRL matches a year.
Just a week after the State Government announced the Cronulla Sharks would play a match a year at Hindmarsh Stadium, the SA Cricket Association (SACA) is finalising negotiations with another NRL club.
SACA CEO Mike Deare would not reveal which club but confirmed it was not the Sharks.
We are talking to one of the other NRL clubs about the possibility of playing two games a year at Adelaide Oval for a five-year period and they seem very interested in that, he told the City Messenger.
We will hopefully be in a position to announce it in the next couple of weeks.
Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart said last week the Sharks hoped to make Adelaide its second home.
The Adelaide Oval deal would set up a battle for the hearts and minds of South Australians.
Obviously the two clubs will both be playing in Adelaide so theyll be competing to some extent for the market and supporters, Mr Deare said.
He said SACA was in a race to confirm the deal before the NRL finalised its 2009 fixtures at the end of the month.
Were not 100 per cent sure its going to start next season, the original plan was that it would but the NRL are very keen to settle their program for 2009 and we may not have this arrangement in place in time, so it may not start until 2010.
Mr Deare said SACA had been negotiating with the NRL and the un-named club for several months.
Adelaide Oval regularly hosted rugby league matches during the two years of the Adelaide Rams in the late 1990s, attracting crowds of up to 27,000.
Mr Deare said SACA expected crowds of more than 15,000 this time around.
Great time to be an NRL supporter in Adelaide
Oval wants NRL action
15 Oct 08 @ 04:15pm by Adam Todd
MATCH ON: SACA chief executive Mike Deare wants a slice of NRL action at Adelaide Oval.
SOUTH Australia is set to become the new battleground for rugby league with Adelaide Oval likely to host two NRL matches a year.
Just a week after the State Government announced the Cronulla Sharks would play a match a year at Hindmarsh Stadium, the SA Cricket Association (SACA) is finalising negotiations with another NRL club.
SACA CEO Mike Deare would not reveal which club but confirmed it was not the Sharks.
We are talking to one of the other NRL clubs about the possibility of playing two games a year at Adelaide Oval for a five-year period and they seem very interested in that, he told the City Messenger.
We will hopefully be in a position to announce it in the next couple of weeks.
Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart said last week the Sharks hoped to make Adelaide its second home.
The Adelaide Oval deal would set up a battle for the hearts and minds of South Australians.
Obviously the two clubs will both be playing in Adelaide so theyll be competing to some extent for the market and supporters, Mr Deare said.
He said SACA was in a race to confirm the deal before the NRL finalised its 2009 fixtures at the end of the month.
Were not 100 per cent sure its going to start next season, the original plan was that it would but the NRL are very keen to settle their program for 2009 and we may not have this arrangement in place in time, so it may not start until 2010.
Mr Deare said SACA had been negotiating with the NRL and the un-named club for several months.
Adelaide Oval regularly hosted rugby league matches during the two years of the Adelaide Rams in the late 1990s, attracting crowds of up to 27,000.
Mr Deare said SACA expected crowds of more than 15,000 this time around.
Great time to be an NRL supporter in Adelaide
