South Sydney Rabbitohs boss Blake Solly signed contract to stay at Accor Stadium

The Rabbitohs’ push to move to the brand new Allianz Stadium comes less than a year after their boss signed a contract acknowledging their current home ground would not get a major refurbishment.

The man pushing for the South Sydney Rabbitohs to move to the new $828 million Allianz Stadium signed a contract that acknowledged the team’s current home would not have a major refurbishment.

South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly has kicked up a storm by calling for his team to be allowed to move from Accor Stadium at Olympic Park to the brand new stadium at Moore Park that is the full-time home of rivals the Sydney Roosters.

“Our preference has always been to stay at Accor Stadium, but if the government is not going to upgrade it then we should be allowed to move,” he said on Thursday night.

But The Daily Telegraph can reveal that he knew Souths’ home at Stadium Australia was not going to be revamped, and signed an agreement in November 2021 amending the venue hire in South’s favour “due to the cancellation of the proposed redevelopment”.

Then Premier Gladys Berejiklian scrapped the $810 million refurbishment of Stadium Australia in May 2020. Despite that the South Sydney Rabbitohs announced they were happy to stay at their Sydney “home” on their website a few months later.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Accor Stadium, the home ground of his beloved Rabbitohs. Picture: Damian Shaw

Rabbitoh Latrell Mitchell after kicking a conversion during the match against the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium last weekend. Picture: Getty Images

And on November 22, 2021, Mr Solly signed the amended agreement which gave the Rabbits better terms because the refurbishment had been scrapped.

A source close to the agreement said: “His calls to break his contract and move are extraordinary because he signed the deal knowing that the refurbishment was not going ahead.”

South Sydney Rabbitohs CEO Blake Solly signed a contract to stay at Accor Stadium, despite knowing it would not be refurbished. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

But Mr Solly hit back, saying: “We had to sign it because we didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

He knew the full refurbishment was not going ahead but signed the contract believing the government amendments “were going to be more than just putting in a big screen and some LEDs”.

“What we are asking for is a rectangular stadium that brings the fans closer to the action and refurbished corporate suites,” he said. “A couple of hundred million dollars.”

“We want to stay at Accor and we are the only people who believe in it and are fighting for the government to upgrade it,” Mr Solly said.

“They have changed their minds four or five times, and are not giving us any response to our request.”

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