National Rugby League side Sydney Roosters Chair Nick Politis "has heaped more pressure on the state government by warning his club could make a permanent move to ANZ Stadium" -- or in a worst-case scenario be destroyed -- "if it were forced to move out of Allianz Stadium" under an A$800M ($568M) plan to rebuild the ground, according to Brent Read of NEWS LIMITED. Politis "spoke of his fears that the Roosters would be irreparably damaged" as Manly CEO Joe Kelly "reiterated his club was focused solely on its future at Brookvale Oval and had given no thought to moving matches to a rebuilt Allianz Stadium." The Roosters, and to a lesser extent Manly, "have been included in talks" with the Australian Rugby League Commission over the game’s stadium strategy, the outcome of which will play a "significant role" in determining how the government will spend the A$1.6B ($1.14B) it has earmarked for venues in Sydney. The "overwhelming preference of Sydney rugby league clubs is to devote the majority of funds to turning ANZ Stadium into a rectangular venue," which would mean Allianz Stadium undergoing a A$300M ($213M) refurbishment rather than a "complete rebuild." Politis: "We don’t want to be dislocated for three years. The only thing that matters to us -- as well as Sydney FC and the Waratahs because we’re all together on this -- is that if the new stadium is to be built, we will have to go somewhere for three years. That would destroy our club. If that happens we will go to ANZ Stadium and we will probably stay there." On the possibility of "ripping down Allianz and starting again," Politis said, "What’s that going to do to the crowds. You do all that and get what, 10 percent more. What does your average rugby league game get, 15,000? So you get another 1,000. Big deal. We will be destroyed if we were forced to leave." Kelly insisted the club was "yet to consider any contingency plans" and had not countenanced the idea of using Allianz Stadium on a "more regular basis" in future years. Kelly: "This is still very early days. We have had no discussions with the NRL" (NEWS LIMITED, 2/12).
