Sydney grand finals hinge on ANZ Stadium: NRL's reminder to NSW government
by Michael Chammas
September 14 2017 - 8:00PM
The NRL has reminded the NSW government that their recent 20-year commitment to play grand finals in Sydney hinges around the major redevelopment of ANZ Stadium.
Uncertainty surrounding stadia investment in Sydney could open the door for the NRL, as well as the FFA, to backflip on the memorandum of understanding that was signed in relation to a content guarantee last year.
At a recent meeting with the NRL, NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian asked for clarification surrounding the details of that particular MOU, as she continues to ponder the breakdown of the investment into Sydney stadia.
NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg may not have been bullish in his response, but it's understood Berejiklian was left under no illusions as to what needed to happen to secure a two-decade guarantee from the NRL to play grand finals and State of Origin games in Sydney.
An NRL spokesperson said the memorandum of understanding required work on all three stadia to be delivered in return for a guarantee on taking games to ANZ Stadium for major events.
"We look forward to seeing the MOU delivered in full," the NRL spokesperson said.
The NRL's current deal with the state government to play grand finals and Origin matches in Sydney expires at the end of the 2019 season. The Queensland, Victorian and Western Australian governments have been lobbying to lure major rugby league events to their respective states, and the timing of the proposed redevelopment of ANZ Stadium had opened the window for the NRL to take games away from its traditional heartland.
Greenberg hinted as much himself last year when he declared his preference would be to avoid hosting major events in a "construction site", with many expecting Suncorp Stadium to be given the right to host a decider while ANZ Stadium is out of action.
However the NRL has been hamstrung in its planning due to the uncertainty surrounding the government's investment, unable to lock in dates and events with other states as a result.
Football Federation Australia have also made a 12-year commitment to Sydney on the proviso ANZ Stadium gets a major facelift, however strong lobbying from the powerful SCG Trust and sports minister Stuart Ayres has thrown plans in the air.
There is an argument being made to knock down and rebuild Allianz Stadium, however the NRL fails to see the logic in building a brand new 50,000-seat stadium when regular season matches struggle to fill a third of that and major events require a larger capacity.
ANZ Stadium has already hosted 12 events with crowds in excess of 35,000 this year, with the NRL grand final, two potential Socceroos World Cup qualifiers and this weekend's Eels-Cowboys semi-final expected to take that to 16 by the end of the year.
There is a push, backed by the Sydney Roosters, to build a 35,000-seat stadium at Moore Park – something the NRL believes is a sensible alternative to the 50,000-seat proposal being considered by government. The NRL haven't moved from its original ambition to have a 30,000-seat stadium in Parramatta, a permanent rectangular major events stadium at Sydney Olympic Park and then, if funding allowed, a boutique 35,000-40,000-seat stadium at Moore Park on the existing site occupied by Allianz Stadium.
