NSW Sports Minister lashes out at South Sydney CEO over proposed move to new Allianz Stadium
The NSW Sports Minister has added a new twist to South Sydney’s push to dump Accor Stadium as their home ground and return to the newly built Allianz Stadium.
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The South Sydney Rabbitohs and NSW Government are at war.
Just a day after Souths accused the Government of failing to approve the club’s proposed move from Accor Stadium to Allianz Stadium, Sports Minister Alister Henskens has lashed out at Rabbitohs CEO Blake Solly for running his campaign through the media.
A fired up Henskens said he wouldn’t be “railroaded into making commercial decisions through media pressure being placed on the Government”.
The Rabbitohs want to quit Accor Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park – their home ground for 16 years — for a return to the newly rebuilt Allianz Stadium, located at Moore Park, in the club’s geographic heartland.
In Wednesday’s Daily Telegraph (see story below), Solly claimed the Government was thwarting the move, an accusation which drew a stinging rebuke from Henskens, who has summonsed Souths’ CEO to an emergency meeting next week.
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Souths management claim the Government’s cancelled $800m redevelopment has allowed the club to walk away from Accor Stadium for Allianz Stadium.
Henskens said Souths agreed in November last year to remain playing at Accor Stadium until 2030 – a contract the Government claimed was signed after funding for a redevelopment had been axed.
The Daily Telegraph has obtained a written clause in the November contract which states the stadium operator “agrees to use reasonable endeavours to secure additional funding for upgrades to the Stadium and its facilities and will consult with the Rabbitohs regarding the Rabbitohs’ priorities with respect to any such upgrades.”
“Since 2006, the Bunnies have been the anchor tenant at Accor Stadium and there have been various different contractual arrangements entered into since 2006, the most recent of which was in November, 2021, just a bit over six months ago,” Henskens said.
“That agreement signed by the Bunnies specifically made reference to the cancellation of the proposed redevelopment of Accor Stadium by the Government, which was announced in 2020. It involved them agreeing to commit to operating or conducting nine rugby leagues games per year out of Accor Stadium until 2030.”
Henskens met with ARLC chairman Peter V’landys and NRL CEO Andrew Abdo on Monday to discuss the issue.
“The Bunnies have made no direct contact with my office since I have been Sports Minister for almost a week. Instead, they went first out to the media,” Henskens said.
“I’m conducting professional, good-faith discussions with the head of the rugby league competition and there has been no communication by the Bunnies and no communication by Peter V’landys and then the first time it does, the Rabbitohs go out to the media.
“What I want to be very clear on is that I am prepared, in fact I want, to conduct professional, commercial negotiations with them and the rugby league. But what I won’t do…I will not be railroaded into making commercial decisions through media pressure being placed on the Government.
“This is not just a simple yes or no answer. This is a complex issue and I let Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo know that on Monday. I’m willing to try and work through some of these issues to try and get an acceptable outcome for everyone. I don’t think recriminations or expressions of view like that (from Souths) are really constructive.
“We want to enter into constructive discussions with them to try and work through some solutions. What they haven’t done is actually come to me directly – I thought I was having ongoing discussions with Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo.
“The Bunnies have never approached me directly and the first that they have made any statements about this, with regard to the Government since I have been a Minister, was straight to the media.”
Solly wasn’t backing down when contacted by The Daily Telegraph on Thursday night.
“We welcome the Minister’s request to discuss these matters in person. But we have also met and discussed these matters in person with each of the six Sports Ministers that have been in posts since the (Accor Stadium funding) MOU was signed,” Solly said.
“It is difficult to accept that the Government, on one hand, wants to stand behind legally binding agreements with the club whilst walking away from their MOU obligations. The Government committed in our November, 2021, agreement to secure additional funding for upgrades to the stadium and would consult with us about priorities. They haven’t done that.
“We are not criticising the Government for withdrawing funding for Accor Stadium – we’re just asking for a fair and reasonable outcome for our members and fans.
“We signed a long-term deal back in 2016 with Accor Stadium management at the time based on a significant redevelopment of Accor, which at that time, was a knockdown rebuild. Now the Government has confirmed Accor Stadium won’t be redeveloped, it’s our view that we should be able to move to Allianz Stadium, where the Government has invested $800m.”
About 75 per cent of a Daily Telegraph online poll – which attracted more than 1000 respondents – voted in favour of Souths being allowed back to Moore Park.
“We’re a big club that deserves to be playing in big stadiums. They’ve just built an $800m stadium in our backyard, so I think it makes common sense to me that we’re playing there,” Souths coach Jason Demetriou said.
“It’s a stadium that’s built in the heartland of South Sydney. It’s in our area, so it’d be great to have us playing there.”
COMMENT
Why Perrottet can’t make an enemy of Souths
-Dean Ritchie
Don’t fire up the Bunnies or we’ll see you in Opposition, let me assure you of that, Premier Dom Perrottet.
Perrottet managed to upset fans from Manly, Cronulla and Wests Tigers just last week by reneging on funding to upgrade their suburban grounds.
While large in numbers, fans of the three clubs have remained largely silent over clearly being dudded.
But woe betide if Perrottet crosses the Pride of the League.
Souths have power, history and reach.
Few will ever forget the 100,000 fans who marched up George Street in November, 2000, protesting South Sydney’s exclusion from the NRL premiership.
This is a club owned by Russell Crowe, James Packer and Mike Cannon-Brookes – three global personalities worth a combined total of around $20 billion.
Perrottet and his government are playing a dangerous game by refusing to approve South Sydney’s shift from Accor Stadium in Homebush to Allianz Stadium.
Souths have 31,000 official members but data indicates the club has around 350,000 fans throughout Australia.
Perrottet has an election to win on March 25 – he doesn’t want to make an enemy of Souths.
Souths fans spread far and wide. If thwarted, they will attack. Perrottet must approve Souths return to Moore Park today. He is fast becoming the villain of all rugby league fans.
It’s one thing to cross Manly, Wests Tigers and Cronulla. But irritate Souths at your peril, Dom.
Souths left homeless as historic stadium move faces oblivion
- Dean Ritchie and James O’Doherty
South Sydney – the Pride of the League – has been left stranded embarrassingly without a home ground for 2023 because the NSW Government refuses to make what the club claims is a “simple” decision.
It has triggered an increasing drama between an under-pressure Government and rugby league’s most famous club.
“We are extremely confused, frustrated and disappointed - we have bucket loads of uncertainty,” said angry Souths chief executive, Blake Solly.
The Rabbitohs have formally announced a decision to quit Accor Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park after 16 years for a historic return to the rebuilt Allianz Stadium, located in the club’s geographic heartland.
But the club’s hunger for a return to Moore Park and its $830m venue is being thwarted by the NSW Government, who is refusing to approve the move.
Souths are predicting an ugly financial black hole if the club cannot start selling tickets, memberships, sponsorship and corporate hospitality for home games in 2023.
Solly fears his club has been caught in the middle of a public dispute between the State Government and NRL over stadium funding.
Souths have told the Government, Venues NSW and NRL that the club wants to return to its traditional eastern suburbs heartland – but the relocation is being denied.
Solly is becoming increasingly exasperated given that, at this point, the club cannot tell fans where the team will play next season. If the shift back east is denied, Souths have several options but would likely be forced back to Accor Stadium.
“We are pleading for a fair go. We just want to be treated fairly,” said Solly. “The club has told the Government, NRL and Venues NSW we now want to play at Allianz. We’re struggling to understand why it’s so hard. Why this isn’t a quick decision? This needs to be approved as soon as possible.
“The Government has spent $800m improving Allianz Stadium so surely they want as many games, with as many people, using the venue to make a return on the taxpayer investment – to utilise it at full capacity.
“We have memberships going on sale in four weeks’ time and we still don’t know where we’re playing next season. We also have sponsorship, tickets and hospitality to sell - everything that comes with a home stadium.
“We need to go on sale with these options. This will cost us financial and commercial opportunities.
“Given there is no investment in Accor Stadium, we want the best experience for our members, fans and corporate partners so we can’t see why the Government won’t approve or allow our move to Moore Park to go ahead. They haven’t said yes or no and that’s the problem.”
Solly claims the Government’s decision to renege on a further $250m investment in Brookvale Oval, Shark Park and Leichhardt Oval, causing much anger from within the NRL, could be behind the Government’s reluctance to agree on the move.
“It is an issue that has to be resolved between us, NRL and NSW Government,” Solly said. “It feels like we are a casualty of the dispute between the NRL and NSW Government on the (stadium funding) MOU.
“We understand one of the things being negotiated between the NRL and NSW Government was our move to Moore Park. It was part of the deal to keep the grand final in Sydney (until 2042) along with other stadium funding discussions.
“Ours is arguably the most simple part of the whole discussion, moving from one NSW Government-owned venue that they do not want to invest in, to another that they have spent $800m on.”
NSW Sports Minister, Alister Henskens, claimed Souths only last year agreed to remain at Accor long-term.
“South Sydney have been an anchor home team at Accor Stadium since 2006 and in November 2021 reaffirmed that commitment until the end of the 2030 NRL season,” he said.
“I have discussed this matter with Mr (Peter) V’landys (ARLC chairman) and Mr (Andrew) Abdo (NRL CEO) this week and I look forward to further constructive conversations with them on this matter.”
Solly fired back, saying: “We signed a long-term agreement to play at Accor Stadium based upon an MOU between the NSW Government and the NRL that guaranteed significant investment in Accor Stadium. We have had a great partnership with (Stadium CEO) Daryl Kerry and his team at Accor – they are outstanding partners and people.
“But the Government last week confirmed that they do not want to invest in Accor Stadium – we understand that with the challenges they face it is not their priority.
“We get it and have been supportive of the NRL and Government on this issue. But it doesn’t look like our support is being reciprocated.”
Souths have maintained for the past Two-and-a-half years that the club should be permitted to move if the Government withdrew its funding for Accor Stadium. Once that was confirmed last week, Souths were on the move.
Tigers fear for fans at ‘third world’ oval
- Fatima Kdouh
Wests Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis has warned more spectators will get hurt if the NSW Government refuses to fund improvements to Leichhardt Oval after part of a grand stand collapsed on the weekend.
Footage (see above) of a railing collapsing under the weight of excited fans celebrating a try at a schoolboy rugby union match sent shockwaves through social media on Saturday.
The frightening scenes could not have come at a worse time for Premier Dominic Perrottet after his government reneged on a funding deal with NRL bosses to upgrade a number of suburban grounds, including Leichhardt Oval.
“Absolutely, I’m worried,” Hagipantelis said when asked if the venue still posed a risk to fans. “What happened on Saturday is indicative of the potential of what can occur throughout the entire venue.
“I have reached out this morning to the local mayor and I will be seeking an update from him as to what is going to happen in response in terms of an inspection of the facility to ensure that any risks of that nature are identified and rectified.”
Saturday’s match between St Joseph’s and St Ignatius came to a stand still as a stunned 15,000-strong crowd watched paramedics rush to the aid of the injured.
Inner West Council councillor Marghanita da Cruz, whose ward takes in Leichhardt, told The Daily Telegraph on Sunday that at least two people sustained minor injuries in the incident.
Last week, Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman Peter V’landys entered a war of words with the NSW government, accusing the premier of failing to honour a $250 million agreement to upgrade suburban grounds.
Leichhardt Oval was slated to receive up to $50 million of that money, which has now been redirected to flood recovery efforts, to make much needed improvements and upgrades to the facility.
“It is very concerning. I’ve spoken about the facilities at Leichhardt being substandard, I have described them as third world and borderline dangerous,” Hagipantelis said.
“I think we have now crossed that border.
“What occurred on Saturday was very concerning but not surprising.
“My personal view is that the staircases, the seating, the toilets … all those facilities are substandard and I think are a genuine concern for all of us.”
The Tigers boss told The Daily Telegraph that the club’s final round game against Canberra on September 4 at the venue is likely to go ahead as planned.
“There will be a lot of work done between now and then. We’ll be working closely with the local council to ensure there is a proper inspection so we are left with a degree of confidence that it is safe for our spectators, fans and members,” Hagipantelis said.
“The last thing that any NRL club should have to consider is the risk of injury to patrons in attending a home game.
The NRL had signed a deal in 2018 that would have seen Olympic Park’s Accor Stadium get an $800 million upgrade, keeping the grand final in Sydney until 2042.
The Covid-19 pandemic meant that the deal was put on ice, with the NSW government announcing a $300 million stadium at Penrith instead.
A further $100 million was to be invested at Manly’s Four Pines Park and Cronulla’s PointsBet Stadium, respectively, as well as $50 million on Leichhardt Oval.
V’landys threatened to take this year’s NRL grand final to Queensland, for the second year running, if the NSW government didn’t fund the proposed upgrades and developments.
It’s believed NRL bosses have softened on that threat in recent days.
“We believe in suburban stadiums, we’ve seen how our fans respond to that … These are multi purpose, multi sport community assets from grassroots to elite.
“This is what we are lobbying for on behalf of everyone in the game but also for the benefit of other sports. Many of these stadiums we are talking about have multiple tenants,” NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said on Sunday.
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