Sea Eagles miss out on State Govt’s first cash grants

THE Sea Eagles have been told they need to do more work to receive a State Government grant for their proposed Centre of Excellence.

NSW Minister for Sport Stuart Ayres. Picture: AAP.

• A new Hopoate makes his mark

THE Sea Eagles have been told they need to do more work to receive a State Government grant for their proposed Centre of Excellence.

Manly missed out on receiving any money in the first round of grants yesterday while five rival NRL clubs, including wealthy rivals the Roosters and Bulldogs, received a slice of the $50 million pie.

The recipients announced by Sports Minister Stuart Ayres were the Bulldogs ($2 million), the Roosters ($5.765 million), the Knights ($10 million), the Rabbitohs ($8.696 million) and the Sharks ($8 million).

The proposed Sea Eagles entre of Excellence would be part of a Brookvale Oval update.

“Funding reservations have been made for two more clubs while they further develop their Centre of Excellence proposals with the Office of Sport,” a statement said.

One of those clubs was the Sea Eagles for up to $10 million for a facility at Brookvale.

The Sea Eagles Centre of Excellence would be included as a part of the proposed desperately needed redevelopment of the rundown Brookvale Oval.

Asked last week about the money the Sea Eagles believed they were to receive from then NSW Treasurer Mike Baird for an upgrade of Brookvale Oval at a meeting in 2013 Mr Ayres said: “That $10 million was part of our centre of excellence fund.”