NRL and clubs fail to end stalemate over Sydney stadium plan
Date: April 1, 2016 - 6:23PM
by Michael Chammas
Sports reporter
The NRL has sought an extension from the NSW government after failing to meet the deadline for a 65-game stadium commitment from the Sydney clubs to play at the major stadiums.
It comes as the clubs opposed to the NRL and sports minister Stuart Ayres' plans to build a new stadium at Moore Park found an ally in former league boss turned FFA chief David Gallop, who has backed the clubs' campaign to ensure ANZ Stadium receives the majority of funding.
"FFA has taken a consistent position since the start of the stadia strategy debate in NSW," FFA chief executive David Gallop told Fairfax Media.
"Our first preference was funding for a new stadium at Parramatta, which has been achieved largely due to the popularity of the Wanderers. Next on the list is an overhaul to make ANZ Stadium a world-class rectangular venue and of course Allianz Stadium needs a thorough renovation.
"Western Sydney is where football and for that matter rugby league have many supporters, so it makes sense to develop modern stadia they can easily access. In my experience, it was always problematic to expect fans from the Northern Beaches, the Shire, Campbelltown and Penrith to travel across the city to watch their clubs. Travel in Sydney is tough."
At a meeting between club powerbrokers at Canterbury Leagues Club on Friday, the clubs presented their priorities for funding and were unable to commit to the 65 games the NRL was confident of gaining by the end of this week. The clubs also raised a need for the investment into the dilapidated training facilities available to some organisations, with a hope of also securing funding for the run-down suburban grounds.
The failure to gain the 65-game commitment has left the NRL in a precarious position after Ayres demanded a commitment before April 1 in order to go to treasury to release funds for the development of Sydney's new stadium landscape. However Fairfax Media understands Ayres has granted the extension despite a threat of the $1.6 billion investment being taken off the table if the NRL failed to play ball.
While the meeting was meant to be a clubs-only gathering, NRL head of strategy and investment Andrew Fraser requested to attend in the hope of securing the final few games needed to reach the magic figure.
However the clubs are not in a position to make such significant decisions and require further deliberation with their respective boards before they reach an agreement.
It was a meeting that posed more questions than answers, with one of the main sticking points being a disagreement between most of the Sydney clubs and the NRL, who are hellbent on following through on plans to build a new 55,000-seat stadium at Moore Park. The clubs want priority to be shifted towards transforming ANZ Stadium into a permanent rectangular venue with a 75,000 capacity ($700 million).
Such an investment would likely mean no new stadium at Moore Park, but would leave Allianz Stadium with $400 million for a major makeover.
"Following today's meeting with the Sydney clubs, a resolution on the content rugby league can deliver to the governments proposed new stadia network has not been finalised," an NRL spokesperson said.
It comes just a couple of days after the NRL tried to adopt a divide and conquer approach in its battle with the clubs over the allocation of funding.
Fairfax Media reported on Friday that the NRL was 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.
A spokesperson for Ayres said: "The NRL has informed the Government they are still working with clubs and have sought more time. We will meet with them early next week."
