A group of Sydney National Rugby League clubs is set to approach the New South Wales government for an extra A$200M ($150.5M) investment "that would end a dispute over the allocation" of A$1.6B ($1.2B), according to Michael Chammas of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. It comes as Roosters Chair Nick Politis has "threatened to take games away from Allianz Stadium at a time the NRL is trying to gain a pledge from its clubs to use the three major Sydney stadiums being proposed." Politis is frustrated Cronulla and Manly "will be paid to move games to Allianz where the Roosters pay to play." After ANZ Stadium officials presented their design strategy to clubs on Thursday, "executives from Sydney's biggest clubs discussed plans to request" an additional A$200M that would see ANZ Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust left with an equal share of the funds. As it stands, the NRL is backing plans to build a new A$800M ($602M) stadium at Moore Park, however it "remains at loggerheads with the clubs who want ANZ Stadium to get most of the funds to turn it into a permanent rectangular stadium with a roof" rather than the A$400M ($301M) it would get under the NRL's model. The other A$400M will be spent at the new Parramatta Stadium, but the clubs are hopeful a A$200M "spike in government investment will leave ANZ Stadium and the SCG Trust" with A$700M ($527M) each to "follow through on their preferred plans and end the feud between the NRL, clubs and venues." The state government is "becoming increasingly frustrated with the bickering among the NRL and its clubs," and has given Australian Rugby League Commission Chair John Grant an April 1 deadline to gain a 65-game commitment to play at the three major venues. It is expected the NRL will "have to fork out millions of dollars to lure those four clubs to the major venues, frustrating the Roosters who pay to play at a venue others will be paid to visit." Politis said, "If Manly and Cronulla get paid to play there, that means we should be able to play there for nothing. That's fantastic news, because being a tenant there for so many years they are going to support their loyal tenants and hopefully we play for nothing" (SMH, 3/24).
