Warringah Council has "engaged debt collectors to retrieve a six-figure sum" from National Rugby League side Manly "after the bottom-placed club refused to pay their hiring fees for Brookvale Oval," according to Adrian Proszenko of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. Manly is in arrears in its payments for the use of its home ground as it prepares to host the Penrith Panthers on Monday. The development "raises fears games may be shifted from Brookvale Oval, a ground where the Sea Eagles have a high success rate." The club reportedly has pointed to the "poor state of the pitch" during its round three encounter against Canterbury, when Council raised the issue of the outstanding debts. While the NRL "had its own concerns for player welfare after the ground was covered in sand and potholes, council has subsequently worked hard to ensure it is up to first-grade standard." There have been "ongoing issues around the hirer's fee for Brookvale Oval." The club balked when Council sought to double its hiring fee for '14, from A$350,000 a year to about A$710,000. Both parties share concerns over the "long-term viability of a venue which is arguably the most dilapidated in the NRL" (SMH, 5/12).
