NRL Grand Final could shift to Queensland after reported backflip on NSW’s $800m stadium promise

ARLC chairman Peter V’landys has put the New South Wales government on notice after a reported backflip on a promise to the league.

NRL Grand Final stadium debacle

Sydney is on the brink of losing the NRL Grand Final after the NSW Government reportedly walked away from a $800 million pledge.

ARLC chairman Peter V’landys held a meeting with Premier Dominic Perrottet on Monday night, looking to confirm if the deal to upgrade three stadiums would be upheld.

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The agreed upon deal, reportedly struck in May, sits on the brink of collapsing with V’landys said to be fuming.

The agreement would see Brookvale Oval ($100m), Leichhardt Oval ($50m) and Shark Park ($100m) receive significant upgrades — and if delivered, the grand final would remain in Sydney for the next 20 years until 2042.

Penrith Stadium was also in the agreement, however $300m has reportedly been ticked off to upgrade the grounds.

“We are in delicate negotiations with the NSW government,” V’landys said.

“All options will be on the table if these negotiations fail.”

A 5pm deadline has come and gone with the two parties still staring each other down with reports Perrottet is set to walk away from a $250 million pledge to upgrade grounds, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Sports Minister Stuart Ayres however applied the blowtorch back on the NRL when he addressed the media on Tuesday.

“If the NRL took the grand final away from Sydney, after the NSW government has spent in excess of one and a half-billion dollars on sporting infrastructure that massively benefits the NRL … that would be an extraordinary move,” Ayres said.

NSW Premier on threats to move #NRL GF “Sydney will always be the home of rugby league and if Peter V’landys wants to take the Grand Final away from its home, then he can explain that to the fans.”

— Phoebe Bowden (@PhoebeBowden) August 2, 2022

In 2018, under the then leadership of Gladys Berejiklian, the NRL grand final would remain in Sydney until 2042 on the proviso the Olympic venue would receive an $800m upgrade.

Those plans were scrapped during the pandemic with the NRL moving to shift those funds to suburban grounds and V’landys claiming he had received verbal confirmations from Berejiklian and Perrottet for between $250 and $350 million.

“I find it appalling that they’re using human tragedy of the floods to renege on an agreement,” V’Landys told the Sydney Morning Herald.

The 2021 NRL Grand Final took place at Suncorp Stadium, due to Covid-19 forcing the league to relocate North.

So far only one out of four stadiums, Penrith, have received confirmation upgrade works to be undertaken.

Ayres told 2GB on Tuesday that the Premier’s negotiations are “ongoing” with the NRL, but explained there were “limitations” to the budget.

“We have been really clear with the NRL about the limitations that exist on our budget,” he said.

“We have invested well in excess of $1.5 billion. Part of that is to say that we would like to have a long-term commitment from the NRL for the grand final.

“I think there comes a point where you have got to say we have invested enough in that sporting infrastructure and when we have got the capacity to invest in more sporting infrastructure in the future there is no reason why we won’t do that.”

Penrith fans will be enjoying an upgrade. (Photo by Matt Blyth/Getty Images)

2GB’S Ben Fordham questioned Mr Ayres surrounding the Panthers upgrade being approved, while other grounds are looking unlikely to receive any funding.

“You’re the Sports Minister, your home ground is Penrith, you’re a Panthers fan and for all I know you’re probably the number one ticket holder,” Fordham said.

“So they got the $300 million, so what about Brookvale, Shark Park, Leichhardt Oval … I would be seriously surprised if you don’t know the answer I am posing to you.

“Why did your home ground get the money at your home ground and the others didn’t?

“Why don’t we just tell the listeners now, those other grounds aren’t getting their redevelopments?”

“Ben, there’s a long-term strategy,” Ayres said.

“We made decisions in what was the best interests of the public.

“We’ve had a long-term stadia strategy that we’ve been delivering since 2015. We’ve rebuilt Parramatta Stadium, we’re just about to open the new Sydney Football stadium.

“We’re committed to a stadium in Penrith, it reflects our three city strategy.

“We’ve invested well in excess of $1.5b dollars, part of that is, we’d like to have a long-term commitment from the NRL for the grand final.

“We’ve just had Covid, we’ve had substantial flood impacts that have put more pressure on the budget.”

The Queensland government is now readying a bid to claim to NRL grand final for years to come.