Inside the frantic race to fix Allianz Stadium pitch ahead of NRL, rugby union and football blockbusters

The ‘unacceptable’ Allianz Stadium playing surface has undergone drastic renovations in a desperate bid for the embattled ground to recover in time for three weeks of blockbuster clashes.

The Allianz Stadium playing surface has undergone an extensive renovation process normally used to rejuvenate golf greens in a desperate bid for the embattled ground to recover for blockbusters involving the Roosters, Rabbitohs, British and Irish Lions and Ryan Reynolds’ Wrexham football club.

Venues NSW is working with several independent contractors on a full review of the field, the drainage system, groundwater conditions and maintenance regimen that led to water pooling during the women’s State of Origin match on May 15.

Sydney’s unusually high rainfall coupled with an intense cluster of NRL, football and rugby union matches damaged the grass and hampered drainage at one of Sydney’s premier stadiums, most noticeably during the Origin II clash when NSW secured the series win.

At the time, Venues NSW conceded the lack of drainage was “unacceptable” but head curator Adam Lewis and his team have made the most of a few quieter weeks to focus on grass renovation.

The Allianz Stadium pitch came underfire during the Roosters’ Round 24 clash against Parramatta in 2024. Picture: NRL Images.

“The field has needed a rest and thankfully we’ve made the most of the two-week breaks between matches recently,” said Lewis.

“We’ve implemented a full renovation to get it up for the rest of the winter season.”

Renovation work has also included punching deep holes in the playing surface to promote drainage and plant growth, as well as increasing oxygen to the root zone.

This process, similar to coring greens at golf courses, also removes large amounts of organic matter from the field to allow new growth.

“We have a really, really busy season and this is the first real break we have had. We got in straight after the (Roosters-Raiders) match and were able to pull out 50mm hollow cores from the surface, like a plug of turf,” Lewis said.

“That equated to about 12 to 13 cubic metres of organic matter and dead grass from the surface. We broom up the organic matter and remove it, which is a key part of the renovation process.

“This a normal green-keeping practice that is used on all golf courses, bowling greens and sports fields that you undertake a couple of times a year to rejuvenate the turf and tidy up the surface. It means when we do get those heavy bouts of water, it can be pulled through into the drainage system.

“We are still doing our own full suite of testing to help us to prepare surfaces the best we can.”

Allianz ground staff were frantically using pitchforks to try and drain water during the Roosters v Eels clash. Picture: Fox Sports.

From 4am after last weekend’s Roosters-Raiders match, the grounds team top-dressed the entire field with a nutrient rich mix, followed by additional sowing of winter grass. This should increase grass coverage across the surface.

Venues NSW is cautiously confident the ground will hold up for the rest of this season although another rain bomb could spoil the soil.

From March to May this year, Allianz Stadium hosted multiple matches and codes including NRL, NRLW, NSW Cup preliminary matches, Super Rugby, Super Rugby Women’s matches and a GPS-CAS rugby game between Barker and Shore.

There were also games involving A-League, Asian Champions League, Socceroos and Matildas, as well as several training sessions, captain’s runs and kicking drills.

The Allianz came under fire again in Women’s State of Origin I on May 15, 2025. Picture: Getty Images

Allianz’s upcoming games include a June 22 Emergency Services Round NRL game between the Roosters and Cowboys before a massive July 5 rugby union game pitting the NSW Waratahs against the touring British and Irish Lions.

There is then a July 6 round one NRLW game between the Roosters and Warriors, an NRL game between the Sydney and Wests Tigers before a huge game between Sydney FC and the touring Wrexham on July 15.

A round 27 cracker between the Roosters and Rabbitohs, followed by the NRL finals series, will also be played at Allianz Stadium.

The ground was given a two-week break before last weekend’s NRL match and now has another fortnight interval, allowing curators to frantically work on fixing the playing surface.

The Sydney Roosters have a bye this round before an away game against Newcastle on June 4 ahead of a return match at Allianz Stadium against North Queensland on June 22.

Allianz Stadium cost $828 million and was officially opened in 2022.

South Sydney is making a bold and determined push to return to the Moore Park venue after nearly 20 years at Accor Stadium.