The NRL has adopted a divide and conquer approach in its battle with the clubs over the allocation of $1.6 billion for Sydney stadiums.
Fairfax Media understands it is using previous financial assistance to Cronulla and Manly as leverage to get the clubs to oppose rival Sydney franchises and back plans for a new stadium at Moore Park.
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The view from above: ANZ Stadium.
The view from above: ANZ Stadium.Photo: Supplied
The NRL dangled financial incentives to the Sharks and the Sea Eagles in separate meetings on Wednesday, reminding the former of an advanced funding payment that had recently been made to assist the club with cash-flow problems. But in an attempt to form an alliance in the battle for stadium funding, the Bulldogs have summoned club powerbrokers to a meeting with the nine Sydney clubs, without NRL representation, at the Canterbury Leagues Club on Friday.
With the NRL expected to tick off on a 65-game commitment to the network of big venues, attention has now turned to determining the priority of the $1.2 billion to be spent between ANZ Stadium and Allianz Stadium. Fairfax Media has obtained images of what ANZ Stadium will look like if it receives a $700 million makeover to turn it into a permanent 75,000-seat venue, which has been heavily backed by most of the Sydney clubs.
However, the NRL and NSW Sports Minister Stuart Ayres disagree with the stance of the clubs and intend to follow through on plans to build a new 55,000-seat stadium at Moore Park.
Football Federation Australia has also joined the clubs' fight and has begun pushing its preference for ANZ Stadium to receive a big upgrade over plans for a new ground at Moore Park.
Under the plans outlined by the NSW government, the SCG Trust would receive between $800 million and $1.2 billion to knock down Allianz Stadium and build a new 55,000-seat stadium at Moore Park, which would leave ANZ Stadium well short of the funds needed to transform the Olympic stadium into a permanent rectangle.
The Bulldogs have organised Friday's meeting to form a united front with the clubs that will hopefully convince the NRL to backflip on its original plans.
If the NRL doesn't budge, the clubs are hopeful the governing body will join a strong push to gain an additional $200 million from the NSW government that would leave both ANZ Stadium and the SCG Trust with an equal share of funding ($700 million each).
The common feeling among the clubs is that a 55,000-seat stadium at Moore Park is unnecessary and would be a waste of money considering it would still hold 20,000 less than ANZ Stadium.
The clubs aren't completely against a new stadium being built, but they believe a 40,000-seat stadium would be a better fit for the game, and would provide ANZ Stadium with extra funding to be transformed as the main events venue.
There is still confusion over where the new stadium at Moore Park will be built, and the NSW government is likely to face resistance if it enters Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust land.
Global construction and engineering company Laing O'Rourke, and architects BVN Donovan Hill, have completed structural detail of the redesign for ANZ Stadium, which will bring the seats up to 48 metres closer to the action.
The redesign, which also includes a roof, has been described as a Suncorp Stadium on steroids, with the gradient of the stands to be significantly steeper than it is now.
WHAT THE CLUBS WANT
South Sydney: The Rabbitohs have no intention to leave ANZ Stadium. They are the pace-setters when it comes to membership in Sydney and their decision to move to Olympic Park more than a decade ago has contributed significantly to the spike in their fan base out west.
Canterbury: The Bulldogs are in an identical situation to South Sydney and are determined to transform ANZ Stadium into the country's premier rectangular venue.
St George Illawarra: The Dragons are in a precarious position. Chief executive Peter Doust is worried about a backlash from fans if they further abandon their suburban roots. The club is also conscious of negotiations with WIN Television boss Bruce Gordon, who is looking at buying a share of it. Playing less than four games in Wollongong is expected to be a stumbling block.
Wests Tigers: The Tigers play four games respectively at ANZ Stadium, Leichhardt Oval and Campbelltown. They hope to receive financial assistance for a centre of excellence but the NRL has power over them given the financial support provided in the past. They have six more years in their deal with ANZ Stadium.
Sydney Roosters: The Roosters don't want to be dispossessed for three years during a construction of a new stadium in fear they will lose a significant number of members when they relocate matches. They want Allianz Stadium to receive a staged upgrade and are hopeful for a better hiring agreement with the SCG Trust when their deal expires in 2019.
Cronulla: The Sharks own their ground and pay big money to maintain it. They are also concerned about significant losses to Leagues Club revenue if home matches are not played on site.
Penrith: The Panthers have agreed to play two to four games a season at the network of big venues. They are willing to play ball in the hope a stadium will be built in the greater west in the next 10-20 years.
Manly: The Sea Eagles are hellbent on upgrading Brookvale Oval, and any move to Allianz Stadium will require significant investment from the NRL to provide transport options to help fans commute to and from the northern beaches. The Sea Eagles take two matches from Brookvale each season and the NRL is budgeting for those two games to be moved to Allianz Stadium. Moving more than two games would require a change of the club's constitution
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