A-League side Sydney FC, National Rugby League side Sydney Roosters and Super Rugby side New South Wales Waratahs will press for Allianz Stadium to be redeveloped in a way that “allows them to stay put during several years of renovations, rather than be forced to find alternative venues,” according to Tom Smithies of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. As the state government considers various options to build a new 55,000-seat stadium to replace Allianz, “concern is growing among its tenants that being displaced for several years could have ruinous effects on its membership levels.” Those fears are exacerbated by “the lack of alternative venues,” with only ANZ Stadium and Kogarah Oval seen as “even remotely appropriate, though both of those have major drawbacks.” It “is believed the Sky Blues, the Roosters and the Waratahs will seek talks” with NSW Sports Minister Stuart Ayres and the two bodies that control the land around Moore Park, the SCG Trust and the Centennial Parklands Trust, to "emphasize those concerns." The “preferred option” for the stadium’s tenants will be to build the new A$800M ($581M) venue adjacent to the current Allianz Stadium, “leaving the latter untouched until its various sporting teams relocated to the new, finished site.” Failing that, they will seek a staged redevelopment, “still allowing them to play at the venue during the works that could take up to four years to complete” (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 10/13).
