Sydney's "drawn-out stadium war is expected to come to a head" on Thursday when NSW Sports Minister Stuart Ayres asks cabinet for more than A$2B ($1.6B) to knock down and rebuild both ANZ and Allianz stadiums, according to Andrew Webster of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The unresolved issue, though, "is which will be done first." Several stakeholders from both venues said that Ayres' preference is for Allianz Stadium at Moore Park to be leveled in Oct. '18 with a new A$700M ($550M), 45,000-seat stadium built on the existing site with a view to open it in '20. ANZ Stadium would be demolished in '19 "to make way" for a new A$1.2B ($940M) arena with an opening date in '21. Because Allianz would take less time to rebuild, that "would mean Sydney's two major rectangular stadiums would be out of play at the same time for just one season." The A$2B commitment would be a "significant increase" on the A$1.6B ($1.3B) pledged by former NSW Premier Mike Baird in April '16. About A$350M ($275M) of that money "has already been allocated to a new 30,000-seat stadium under construction at Parramatta" (SMH, 10/17).
BREAKING RANKS: In Sydney, Brent Read reported the National Rugby League has "broken ranks" with its fellow Moore Park inhabitants. A letter drafted on behalf of the Alliance of Moore Park Sports reportedly urged NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to "knock down and rebuild Allianz Stadium at Moore Park with a minimum capacity of 35,000." The letter was subsequently revised to "also request that Allianz Stadium be made the priority for development." The NRL has "consistently requested" that ANZ Stadium be "next in line" and, as such, elected not to offer its support to the letter before it was sent to Berejiklian. In its original draft, the letter "made no mention of timing." However, the NRL was "left with little choice" but to withdraw its support when it was altered to ask that Allianz Stadium be given preference over ANZ Stadium (THE AUSTRALIAN, 10/17).
