NRL 2024: UFC’s plans to put roof over 4 Pines Park, Vegas 2025 ins and outs, Eels interested Zac Lomax | Sport Confidential
In a shock crossover, Manly Sea Eagles have held talks with the UFC over a potential 4 Pines Park major upgrade, in the full SPORT CONFIDENTIAL.
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Manly have held talks with the UFC over an alliance that could culminate in 4 Pines Park being turned into a modern 20,000 seat stadium with a roof.
Sea Eagles chair and majority owner Scott Penn met UFC powerbrokers while in Las Vegas for the club’s season opener against South Sydney, where they discussed a potential partnership that would result in the UFC using 4 Pines Park as their training base in Australia.
The ambitious plan would crucially mean an overhaul of 4 Pines Park, resulting in the venue being turned into a boutique stadium capable of holding up to 20,000 people.
Penn revealed they were also keen to incorporate a roof as part of the renovation. It is understood the cost of the project could be as much as $300 million, but it would give Sydney’s northern beaches a stadium worthy of hosting an NRL team as well as other major events.
“We would like to see it as a 20,000 seat stadium with a roof,” Penn said.
“We talked to the UFC guys and they said they would be interested in a partnership with us on it.”
Manly haven’t given up on securing government funding to help with the project and it is understood that chief executive Tony Mestrov will hold talks with government officials in coming weeks over the plan.
The Sea Eagles have discussed incorporating first responder accommodation around the ground as part of their project to help justify government investment.
Manly trained at the impressive UFC headquarters in Las Vegas as part of the preparation for their win over the Rabbitohs.
The UFC Performance Institute is a one-stop shop for UFC fighters, housing a sprawling gym, medical and training facilities and a kitchen.
The UFC has a similar facility in China and Sydney’s northern beaches could become their base in Australia under a plan that has been put forward by the Sea Eagles.
Manly are keen to return to Las Vegas next year given Penn struck up a relationships with San Francisco 49ers president last week, prompting discussion over the NFL giants buying a stage in the Sea Eagles.
WHICH CLUBS ARE AND AREN’T VEGAS KEEN
Only Brisbane and South Sydney have ruled themselves out of vying for a spot at next year’s double header in Las Vegas.
Sport Confidential reached out to all 17 clubs to gauge their interest levels about kicking off the 2025 season. As it stands only South Sydney and the Broncos won’t put their cases forward when the NRL asks clubs to apply this month.
The Bulldogs, St George Illawarra and Wests Tigers are considering if they will formally piece together a proposal to be part of the double header however a long-list of clubs have already indicated they are keen.
“We are very interested but are of course keen to get a clearer picture of the success and the pros and cons of making the travel from this year’s competing teams,” Dolphins chief executive Terry Reader said.
“There is of course, also a commercial element to being part of the Las Vegas NRL promotion, but I’m sure after the success, the terms and inclusions from the NRL will be sufficient to ensure clubs are not worse off for participating. The Dolphins have already shown that we are willing to take matches to expanding markets by playing a match in Perth last year and again this year, so that probably best underlines our intentions.”
The Panthers want to play while their stadium in Penrith is being redeveloped. While the Roosters and Manly have put their hands up to play again despite original plans to have each team rotate through the NRL’s five-year commitment to take games to the US.
While teams are scrambling to be part of it in 2025 it was a different story last year where only 10 teams applied.
Cronulla, Bulldogs, Canberra, Melbourne, Dolphins and Gold Coast all missed out. Melbourne and Canberra were down to the final six before being pipped by South Sydney, Brisbane, Manly and the Roosters.
SYDNEY RIVALS JOIN RACE TO SIGN LOMAX
Parramatta has emerged as a potential suitor for St George Illawarra’s Zac Lomax who remains uncertain about his positional switch.
The Eels have made no secret of their desire to land a strike outside back and are understood to be watching with interest to see if there are any changes to Lomax’s situation at the Dragons.
As it stands, Dragons officials are acutely aware that Lomax is unhappy with new coach Shane Flanagan’s decision to move him from his preferred centre spot and play him on the wing.
That move has sparked rumours of discontent however it is understood that Lomax has yet to formally ask for a release from his contract worth about $800,000 a season until the end of 2026.
At just 24 there would be an obvious market for Lomax who has long been touted as an Origin player.
The Roosters are another club with significant salary cap space next season given the departure of Joseph Suaalii, the likely retirement of Daniel Tupou and rugby bound Joey Manu. Despite being spoken about as a potential Origin player, Lomax has not been able to play consistent football.
He was in the headlines at times last year under former coach Anthony Griffin after he was shifted from his preferred right side of the field to the left. He was then axed from first grade.
To Lomax’s credit, publicly he has said all the right things.
“That’s where Flanno thinks is best for the team at the moment so we run with it,” Lomax said just before last month’s Charity Shield. “I think that’s the best option for the team at the moment for me is (playing on the) wing.”
Lomax will play wing for the first time since round two, 2020 when the Dragons take on the Titans to start their season on Saturday night.
FLASHBACK
How quickly times change. Five years ago the 16 clubs came together to launch the NRL season. From that only Daly Cherry-Evans, Isaah Yeo and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck remain active players. Tuivasa-Sheck returns to the NRL this weekend having not played since midway through 2021.
NEW DOG, OLD TRICKS
New Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton hasn’t lost touch with his Penrith teammates after getting up early to cheer his former side on in the World Club Challenge.
Crichton ensured he was in front of the television to watch the Panthers as they went down to Wigan in England.
“It was cool to see the boys do their thing,” Crichton said. “They didn’t get the result they wanted but I spoke to them after the game and the experiences they had over there.”
STORM CLOSE IN ON ONE STAR AS RIVALS CIRCLE ANOTHER
Melbourne are close to securing centre Nick Meaney on a new two-year deal. Sport Confidential understands that negotiations with the former Bulldogs fullback have been positive and an extension could be signed within the next fortnight.
Meaney has been a fixture in the Storm side since moving south at the end of 2021, playing 48 games for the club in the main as a fullback.
However, the return of Ryan Papenhuyzen and the emergence of Su’A Fa’alogo has led to a change of position for Meaney this season, with the 26-year-old named at centre for the club’s season opener against Penrith.
While Meaney looks set to remain in Melbourne for the foreseeable future, young back rower Jack Howarth is being eyed off by rival clubs after missing the Storm side for the Panthers game.
Howarth was a schoolboy prodigy who made his first grade debut for the Storm last season against the Brisbane Broncos in the final game of the regular season, his lone NRL appearance to date.
He was named on an extended bench for the Penrith game and his inability to crack the starting side – fellow youngster Joe Chan has been selected alongside Eli Katoa in the second row – has put some of Melbourne’s rivals on alert.
It is understood they are watching closely and could look to make a move for Howarth, who has a contract until the end of 2027.
US CONCUSSION TRIP
ARL Commissioner Wayne Pearce took a detour on his way to Las Vegas to visit world-renowned concussion expert doctor Micky Collins in Pittsburgh.
Pearce is the head of a committee set up by head office to ensure the game is at the cutting edge of the concussion debate.
Pearce had spoken with Collins previously but he wanted to visit with him in person and get an insight into his groundbreaking research on head knocks, in particular their treatment.
Collins, who presented to the concussion committee last year, is the head of the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, which was established in 2000.
A decade later, it is at the forefront of research and clinical programming into the assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, research and education of sports-related brain injury.
SPOTTED
It is not quite Random Souths Fan areas but North Sydney continue to gain momentum as they look to be part of an expanded NRL competition. A diehard Bears fan was seen in the crowd at Allegiant Stadium last weekend with an ever so hopeful “Bring Back the Bears” banner.
PRIDE ROUND BACK TO HAUNT A-LEAGUE
The A-League has its own issue with a planned pride round as the ghosts of Manly’s rugby league fiasco comes back to haunt the sporting landscape.
Adelaide United teenager Musa Toure was told by club officials to remove a social media post after he stated he did not support the planned pride round.
“For the Muslim brothers and sisters I’m an Adelaide United player but also I’m a Muslim before anything,” Toure said in his post.
“I do not support the pride round. I love football but I have no say … the Muslims in my team all disagree about the pride round but we also have no problem with the LGBTQ PEOPLE!! It’s their life.”
Toure’s teammates include Josh Cavallo, who became one of the few Australian male athletes to be openly gay in 2021.
The A-League has a planned Pride Celebration round this week.
Last year’s Cairns Taipans players opted not to wear a Pride Round jersey.
JET LAG CURE
Manly players have been told to adopt a “wind-down routine” of up to an hour to help avoid jet lag. The Sea Eagles reached out to the Australian Institute of Sport for the best way to deal with recovery following long travel time.
To help prepare for the flight from Las Vegas the players were told to pack an eye mask, neck pillow, eye drops, nose spray, noise cancelling headphone, compression socks and wear comfortable clothing. Once they arrived in Sydney they were to have a cool, dark and quiet sleep environment.
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