Battle to ‘Save Kougari’ gains momentum as Seagulls legends lead the charge

Rugby league legends have rallied against controversial plans for a new stadium on Brisbane’s bayside in a plea to save one of Queensland’s most iconic football grounds.

Legends from one of Queensland’s most iconic rugby league clubs have come together in a desperate plea to save its sacred home ground.

A group called ‘Save Kougari’ has been formed, led by Wynnum Manly Seagulls and former Queensland State of Origin player Craig Greenhill, after it was revealed the historic club had plans to build a new home.

Those plans include the Seagulls moving away from their spiritual home at Kougari Oval and build a new stadium with a capacity of up to 15,000 people at Kitchener Park – the current home of the Wynnum Manly Juniors.

The main reason behind the plans was both the Seagulls seniors and juniors needing more space to continue to expand.

Earl Morgan and Craig Greenhill are leaders of the ‘Save Kougari’ group. Picture: John Gass

But the revelations sparked some fierce backlash from the bayside and rugby league community with the ‘Save Kougari’ Facebook group now boasting more than 1600 members and signs saying ‘Save Kougari’ displayed around different areas of Wynnum and Manly.

And after Seagulls CEO Hanan Laban sat down with the Wynnum Herald for an exclusive interview, Greenhill said several important questions were still unanswered.

“From feedback on our social media page ‘Save Kougari’ and talking to people in the general community, 80 per cent of the community do not want to see the seniors leave Kougari and 750 registered junior players be kicked out for a 15,000 seat stadium that we will never fill,” he said.

“Because it’s not our house, it’s our home.”

Wynnum Manly Juniors president Adam Lipke at Kitchener Park before the club completed major upgrades to its facilities. Picture: Renae Droop

Greenhill said the big questions on the plans included who was on the Seagulls subcommittee for the project and whether it would be confirmed the Wynnum Manly Leagues Club had no plans to extend onto Kougari Oval once the club moves to the new stadium.

“For transparency could Hanan Laban let their members know who is on this subcommittee, are they qualified for a project of this size, is there any conflict of interest of any of them being on the subcommittee and is there a time line on when all this is to happen?” he said.

“Hanan has stated Kougari Oval will remain a training facility and the ground will remain as it is but will CEO of the Wynnum Manly Leagues Club, state he has no plans to turn Kougari Oval into a car park.

“We are being told that a 10,000 to 15,000 seat stadium at Kitchener is the saviour of rugby league in the Wynnum Manly district when our average crowds per game are 1200.

“Are we going to lose supporters who are disgruntled at losing Kougari Oval that has been our home since 1967?”

Laban also stated the Seagulls could not redevelop Kougari because it was on a flood plain but Greenhill said Kitchener Park was a flood plain with twice as much flooding as their current home, according to the flood map from the Brisbane City Council.

Lionel Morgan at Kitchener Park in 2011.

Another man leading the ‘Save Kougari’ charge is Earl Morgan – the son of Seagulls legend and the first indigenous player to represent Australia in Lionel Morgan – who said the move was disrespectful to the history of the club and those people who played significant roles in that rich history.

Greenhill said the Wynnum Manly Juniors needed to know where they were expected to move to, the cost of the move and who will cover that cost before the new stadium plans could go ahead.

He also called for the Seagulls to put the potential move to a vote with their members.

Mr Laban said he wanted to reiterate that no one, including the juniors, were being kicked out of anywhere.

Wynnum Manly Seagulls CEO Hanan Laban. (AAP Image/Richard Walker)

He also said Wynnum Manly Leagues Club chairman, Peter Smith, said in a joint statement with the Seagulls and Juniors last week the current board of directors and management have had no discussions and have no plans to develop Kougari Oval.

“We have heard all of the rumours from Kougari which have bordered on ridiculous,” Laban said.

“The fact of the matter is, Kougari will remain a rugby league field, used by the Seagulls as a training base.”

He said he believed moving to Kitchener was embracing Wynnum Manly’s history after club played 16 seasons from 1951 to 1967 at the ground.

“Kitchener Park is Wynnum Manly’s first home, and a huge part of our club’s history, just like Kougari Oval,” Laban said.

Laban also revealed the members of the subcommittee behind the plans consisted of himself, directors of the board of the Wynnum Manly Seagulls in Tom Solah and Karl Dekroo as well as Wynnum Juniors president Adam Lipke.

“There is no conflict of interest,” he said.

“There is no timeline because, as stated previously, the concept is in the information-gathering and feasibility stages.”

Councillor for Wynnum Manly Peter Cumming (ALP) said he opposed the plans and the news the Seagulls and juniors needed more space was news to him.

“I appreciate the Seniors would like a glamorous small stadium but believe the footprint would reduce the training and playing space at Kitchener Park, also it would be nearly empty for an average home game,” he said.

“No other club is likely to use it, maintenance costs may mean it could become an expensive white elephant.”