Menu
Facilities

NRL Side South Sydney CEO Says Rectangular Codes Need Rectangular Grounds

National Rugby League side South Sydney CEO John Lee has "described the push to rebuild Sydney’s Allianz Stadium as a piecemeal approach," insisting a smart state government will realize it needs to "devote the majority of its resources to ANZ Stadium," according to Brent Read of THE AUSTRALIAN. Lee is part of the group of club officials "in talks with the ARL Commission over the game’s stadium policy." Manly has reportedly "also been included in talks in a clear signal the club could be on the move" when the state government completes its billion-dollar investment in Sydney’s venues. Cronulla will also be approached as the NRL "looks to have all its Sydney clubs playing the majority of their games at major venues." Lee has been "lobbying the state government to devote a large chunk of its resources to ANZ Stadium" -- a battle Souths "appear to be losing" given the recent comments of Sports Minister Stuart Ayres. Lee: "Any retrofitting of an SCG, any rebuilding of Allianz, that’s all going to be piecemeal. You need an uber stadium and then some boutique stadiums. I think a smart government will look at the evidence, see where most of the people live, fix ANZ to take it from an athletic track to a proper rectangular stadium. ... It’s not the bankers and the backpackers who are coming to major sporting events. It is real families, real people who are in that massive geographical catchment of the whole Sydney basin" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 2/11). Read reported in a separate piece the NRL has "reopened talks with its clubs over the game’s stadiums strategy." ARL Commission officials held talks with Premier Mike Baird last week where they were "encouraged to talk to their disgruntled clubs and return with a uniform policy." ARLC Chair John Grant "also plans to speak" with officials from rugby union and football in the hope of reaching an agreement between the codes. Under former NRL CEO Dave Smith’s watch, the league "had been pushing for a new stadium at Moore Park, a move that led to ructions within the code." With the government "on the verge of announcing where it will direct its billion-dollar investment," the NRL has been urged to "end the internal bickering and work in unison towards a solution." Grant: "You have to be uniform. The government is prepared to commit but you have to act as a code and you also have to then act as a group of rectangular sports. ... So, ultimately, we’re going to be very influential in this" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 2/10).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2016/02/11/Facilities/Lee-Rectangular-Grounds.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2016/02/11/Facilities/Lee-Rectangular-Grounds.aspx

CLOSE