https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/n...l/news-story/8aeba4e8dd41a790b94d2d656512d1df
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian breaks silence on NRL home games at Brookvale Oval
Robbie Patterson, Manly Daily
June 20, 2018 12:00am
PREMIER Gladys Berejiklian has broken her silence on the future of NRL home games at Brookvale Oval, declaring the Sea Eagles are free to play where they want.
But the Sea Eagles’ No. 1 ticket holder stopped short of throwing her support behind Brookvale as her preferred destination.
In response to questions sent last week, the Premier said on Monday: “The Manly Sea Eagles determine where the Manly Sea Eagles play.”
This follows a KPMG business case, being used to justify a $730 million knockdown and rebuild of Allianz Stadium and the $810 million refurbishment of ANZ Stadium, suggested games be moved from Brookvale to the new stadium at Moore Park.
It also suggested deterioration by neglect, to force the Sea Eagles there.
“In line with the stadia strategy, the government has stated its commitment to not fund non-state-owned venues,” the report said. “As such, these Sydney-based teams will begin to require new venues to host home games as their stadiums become unsuitable.”
Wakehurst state MP Brad Hazzard criticised the plan, saying it had been tried before and failed.
“It was clear when the original policy was floated to push games to the bigger stadia that it wouldn’t work for the Sea Eagles or the fans on the beaches. I made that clear a long while ago,” he said.
Sea Eagles legend Max Krilich has urged the Premier and her government to “get off their behinds and give Manly what they deserve — a stadium upgrade”.
The former club captain said a 40-year wait was long enough.
“Parramatta Stadium is going to have been built twice. Why?” he said.
“I’ll tell you why — because it is a marginal seat that’s why. They are only worried about their own politics.”
He said moving home games would not work. “Give Manly a decent ground and decent team and we will get 25,000 people to every game,” he said. ‘They would get 5000 to 6000 if it moves.
“I don’t know how KPMG would say that it would be profitable. They’re bean counters, they don’t know anything about rugby league.”
The Sea Eagles remain firmly committed to staying at Brookvale and say they were promised $10 million by former premier Mike Baird. The club had been banking on the money along with $12.5 million promised by Warringah MP Tony Abbott to upgrade its facilities.
They had also applied to upgrade the club’s Narrabeen training facility at Sydney Academy of Sport as part of a centre of excellence fund.
It has since been said by Sports Minister Stuart Ayres that only the centre of excellence fund was available.
Ms Berejiklian did not respond to questions on funding.
But Mr Hazzard said he believed funding had been promised for Brookvale Oval’s upgrade.
“I could be wrong but my interpretation at the time was that it was $10 million straight out to come to the upgrade of the stadium,” he said.
“I thought, perhaps mistakenly, that the centre of excellence funds were a possibility as an extra not as the mainstay.”
He said he would “very much so” be making his sentiments known to the Premier and Sports Minister.
