With the future of Leichhardt Oval undecided, fans urged to make a statement on Sunday

WITH THE Tigers’ new board room still undecided about the future of Leichhardt Oval, fans get the opportunity to make a statement on Sunday.

Kyle Lovett, Aaron Woods, Mitchell Moses, Robbie Farrah and Luke Brooks. Five Balmain local juniors will return back to Leichhardt Oval on Sunday when the Tigers take on the Panthers.

WESTS Tigers skipper Robbie Farah affectionately calls it “the eighth wonder of the world”.

For the Balmain junior who played for Leichhardt Wanderers, the Balmain Tigers’ spiritual home of Leichhardt Oval is still the best ground in the NRL by the length of the Flemington straight.

On Sunday against Penrith, with the forecast for sunshine and the Tigers’ new board room still undecided about the future of Leichhardt Oval as an NRL venue, fans get the opportunity to make a statement.

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Aaron Woods, Robbie Farah, Kyle Lovett, Mitchell Moses, and Luke Brooks are Balmain local juniors.

To show the Tigers board, complete with three NRL-appointed “independent” directors, that as much as ANZ Stadium will bump up the bottom-line by $100,000-per-game, there is still a legion of Tigers faithful who love nothing more than standing on the hill squinting into the sun with a pie and a beer in either hand.

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“It’s no secret I love Leichhardt Oval, being a Balmain junior it will always hold a very special place in my heart,” Farah said. “At the moment no one is really sure how many more games we’re going to get at Leichhardt so to me every single one of them is like gold.

“When you look up on the hill, it gives you chills. The fans are so close to the action you can hear them all, it’s a great place. I hope the club can always find a way to play a couple of games a year there, it’s such a special venue in terms of the history of the club.”

On Sunday, the Tigers will boast six Balmain juniors in the 17-man line-up, with each and every one of them attached to the venue after a lifetime of attending Tigers home matches.

Aaron Woods is proudly the first Leichhardt Juniors junior to play for NSW, Luke Brooks played for Holy Cross Rhinos and Leichhardt Wanderers, Mitchell Moses played for Carlingford Cougars, Kyle Lovett played for Five Dock RSL and Leichhardt Juniors and Dene Halatau moved from the Merrylands Rams to North Ryde Hawks.

Injured Tigers forward Curtis Sironen is another current NRL player from the Balmain junior nursery with the North Ryde Hawks, with the second-rower, Woods, Brooks and Moses all attending renowned rugby league nursery Holy Cross Ryde.

For the Western Suburbs side of the joint venture, Campbelltown Stadium is equally as sacrosanct, with the Magpies contributing NRL stars James Tedesco Chris Lawrence, David Nofoaluma and Jesse Sue to the current NRL squad and having produced other club favourites like Bryce Gibbs and Liam Fulton.

Originally published as With the future of Leichhardt Oval undecided, fans urged to make a statement on Sunday