The Sydney Cricket Ground Trust has "stepped up its bid to win support for a new stadium at Moore Park" by briefing National Rugby League sides Cronulla and Manly on its plans to demolish Allianz Stadium and build a world-class venue in its place, according to Brent Read of THE AUSTRALIAN. Sharks CEO Lyall Gorman and Manly CEO Joe Kelly were "taken through the Trust’s vision for a state-of-the-art stadium that would hold about 55,000 fans and cost in excess" of A$800M ($596M). The Trust has "already briefed other Sydney clubs" on its plans, which would require a "major commitment" from the state government and come at the expense of ANZ Stadium, which is "also bidding for the lion’s share of funding." The NSW government has "committed to spending upwards" of A$1.6B ($1.2B) on stadiums in Sydney, although A$300M ($224M) has already been directed toward Pirtek Stadium in Parramatta. The "rest is up for grabs," leaving officials from Allianz and ANZ stadiums to lobby NRL clubs for support. Manly and Cronulla already "made it clear they are reluctant to move to a rebuilt Allianz Stadium, with both clubs committed to redeveloping their own home grounds of Brookvale Oval and Shark Park respectively." Gorman said, "The conceptual plans are state of the art, really exciting, addressing some of the challenges around transport and infrastructure. As a club, our commitment will always be to our members and fans and what is best for them. But just conceptually, as a Sydneysider, they are the sort of venues you want in your city" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 3/11).
