Canberra Raiders explore enclosed-roof stadium

CANBERRA could become the first NRL team to play in an enclosed-roof stadium with club executives travel to the US to tour the facilities of NFL teams.

THE Raiders goal to become the first NRL team to play in an enclosed-roof stadium coupled with a new high-performance centre in the heart of Canberra will take its most significant step when club executives travel to the US to tour the facilities of NFL teams, including the San Francisco 49ers.

In a bold and unprecedented level of strategy from the Green Machine, chief executive Don Furner, head coach Ricky Stuart, football manager John Bonasera and commercial manager Jason Mathie will travel for two weeks on November 26 to Seattle before then visiting Levi Stadium, the home of Jarryd Hayne’s 49ers.

The Raiders have gained access to tour the administration floors and training facilities of NFL team the Seattle Seahawks, Major League Soccer team the Seattle Sounders and College football team, the Washington Huskies.

They are the same three clubs which Parramatta Eels executives visited in November last year.

But in a major coup for what is widely considered almost impossible access during the NFL season, Stuart has secured an exclusive meeting and face-time with Superbowl championship-winning coach from the Seahawks, Pete Carroll.

The Raiders’ home ground is hugely exposed to the laments.

The Raiders hope to be playing out of a newly developed stadium within the next five-years as part of the ACT Government’s long-term City to the Lake project, which will see the creation of a new state of the art playing arena for NRL matches, Super 15 with the ACT Brumbies and possibly the A-League with the addition of a professional football team from Canberra.

Furner said the club’s want to develop an enclosed-roof stadium which gave fans a greater experience than that of live television coverage was at the forefront of their planning of the US tour.

“Our fans are the toughest in the NRL, they have to go through some very cold conditions in July and August and of all the cities in Australia, we need a roof,’’ Furner said.

“So to be able to look at the 49ers because of their brand new stadium and those of Seattle and the University of Washington, considering the ACT government is talking about a new enclosed-roof stadium here in Canberra, will be beneficial.

The Raiders facing West Tigers in the snow back in 2000.

“It will be good to see how these new stadiums work with connectivity, interactions with the big screen and Wi-Fi.

“That’s a big challenge for all sports because the major competitor for all sports is fans watching it on television, so you’ve got to make it better to come to a live game and the Americans do it very well.

“But added to that one of the main drivers is that we’re looking at a new centre of excellence and community hub.

“We want to see how we might like to set that up, taking into account the interaction of the players and rehabilitation and it will be good to see what they’ve got in America.’’

While the Raiders executive team are likely to attend a college-football game, Furner said it was unlikely they would attend a 49ers home game to witness Hayne, who was coached by Stuart at Parramatta and NSW, strutting his stuff in the NFL.

“We’ve been talking about this for a couple of years now,’’ Furner said.

“And because after missing the semi finals, we’ve got time this year.

“The mere fact that there’s a lot more interest in the NFL now because of Jarryd Hayne is a bonus, but we planned this before we knew he’d made it.’’

Originally published as Canberra Raiders explore enclosed-roof stadium