Wynnum Manly Seagulls to start 2020 season on the road
A Queensland rugby league powerhouse’s premiership hopes just got more difficult with works on their home ground forcing the club to play most of the first half of the 2020 season on the road.
Southeast
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A QUEENSLAND rugby league powerhouse’s Intrust Super Cup premiership hopes just got more difficult with works on their home ground forcing the club to play the majority of the first half of the season on the road.
Last year’s runners-up, the Wynnum Manly Seagulls, may not play in front of their home fans at Kougari Oval until after round nine as the club’s famous home ground undergoes its first major upgrade in more than two decades.
Works started last week as part of a $10 million redevelopment of the Wynnum Manly Leagues Club with the main field being moved 6m towards the Chook Pen.
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The Seagulls may be forced to play all but three games outside of their catchment to start their campaign, with works not scheduled to be finished until June.
Wynnum Manly’s home field advantage at Kougari Oval was a big part of their successful 2019 season, where the team went all the way to the grand final but fell to eventual premiers, the Burleigh Bears.
Seagulls CEO Hanan Laban said the club was looking at possible options for next year’s schedule.
“We may play our annual Stradbroke Island game a little earlier as well as another one on within our catchment,” he said.
“I’m trying to get as many away games as possible to start the year so we can play as many games as possible at the new Kougari Oval on the run home.
“But the works going on are very exciting, we believe after this we will have one of the best home grounds and facilities in the competition. We can’t wait to see it when it’s complete.”
However, Laban did not expect it to negatively impact the Seagulls’ season and instead saw it as a positive with the team expected to play most of the games leading into the finals at home.
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