NRL: Peter V’landys says Dominic Perrottet shook his hand over grounds deal before backflipping

Money promised by the NSW government for NRL ground upgrades is no longer coming and the NRL boss is far from happy.

Peter V’landys has accused NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet on reneging on a handshake deal for funding upgrades to Sydney venues, lambasting the government for using “human tragedy” to get out of the deal.

The NRL is considering legal options in the wake of Perrottet’s decision to withdraw $250m in funding V’landys believed was coming to refurbish venues including Brookvale Oval in Manly and Cronulla’s Shark Park.

This year’s grand final could yet be moved to Brisbane on the back of the fight over funding, which V’landys claimed on Wednesday had twice been promised to him this year by Perrottet.

V’landys, the ARL Commission chairman, said the pair shook hands on the deal that would keep the grand final in Sydney until 2042 in an April meeting and he had also spoken to Perrottet over the phone about the suburban ground upgrades going ahead.

But V’landys said he struggled to understand the NSW Premier’s move after the government confirmed on Tuesday night that upgrades of the suburban venues were no longer a priority.

“We looked the Premier in the eye, we shook his hand, we did a deal and he‘s just blatantly reneged,” V’landys told 2GB.

“That‘s the summary. When you do a deal and you shake someone’s hand, you honour that agreement.

I’ve met with Peter V’landys about suburban rugby league grounds and he is as straight as an arrow. You can trust him over Dom Perrottet & Stuart Ayres every day of the week #nswpol

— Darcy Byrne (@MayorDarcy) August 2, 2022

“How is any organisation or business going to do it make an agreement with a NSW government when it‘s got a precedent of reneging?”

Perrottet confirmed on Tuesday that funding had been redirected due to “recent natural disasters”.

“The NSW government remains committed to upgrading suburban stadiums; however, following recent natural disasters and the Covid-19 pandemic, it is appropriate that further investment in stadia is staged,” he said.

“The government has just received the floods inquiry report, which will likely require a significant cost to the taxpayer, and I note right now there are still 1366 people without a home in NSW due to flooding.”

But V’landys slammed the government’s reasoning as “spin”.

“(When) they use the human tragedy of the floods to spin their way out of why they‘re reneging on it, it takes it to another level,” V’landys said.

“This is about the fourth or fifth excuse that has been given to us.”