NSW government decides not to knock down ANZ stadium

An argument can be made to more steeply tier the seating at ANZ to provide a better view but that is where any additions or major alterations to the stadiums ends. Knocking it down was always a dumb idea . Knocking down and rebuilding Allianz is an outrageous act of vandalism on the public purse. There have been an abundance of architects advising that any faults (whatever they are ) can be rectified. There is no need to knock it down and rebuild it. If Allianz is in such a bad state of disrepair why have the SCG Trust not been sacked? It is they who have had the responsibility of maintaining it. They have spent a great deal (time, effort and money) upgrading the SCG. At an estimated cost of $1.6 billion dollars the newest proposal to be spent money on venues that are rarely, if ever, at capacity is an outrage. the only beneficiaries will be those in corporate boxes with air conditioning, food and comfy seats. The average punter will still just be sitting in a partially filled stadium with no atmosphere on a plastic seat.

GOGWS you are typing your usual predictable load of bollocks. "It won't assist NRL clubs will it?" LOL.ANZ will have according to the stadiums comments on twitter although final designs not out yet, cover for all fans(which doesn't exist now).it will involve seating brought in much closer and they will be steeper to get a better view and create a better atmosphere. Do you actually understand or again bother to do a slight hint of research,that South Sydney/Bulldogs.Tigers are committed long term to ANZ. It's central for their fans.They are not going back to their old stadiums except for a one off. One of the biggest bugbears for rl fans, has been ANZ lacking that closeness you get in stadiums like Suncorp,recangularly configured.They also hate the SCG for the same reason.I've attended that ground for rl games. The other has been the lack of cover when it rains,acting as a deterrent. The other problem is public transport, that is gradually over a longer period, being remedied. I repeat one more time for a guy who suffers from AFL tunnel vision.Other NRL clubs will also seize the opportunity to stage a game or two once the changes have been made. And one more time, and I'm, sick of repeating myself to some who lives in a bubble, OTHER CODES with their major events will be utilising it. If it was only the NRL I doubt this would have happened.(which amazes me how GWS got all the taxpayers and council largesse immediately they lobbed on Sydney's doorstep.One code usage. I doubt you have ever been to ANZ when it's raining for a rl game.I've been there,and I've been to the SFS,when it's pouring. Can I make a humble suggestion, your continued repetitive presence here indicates you don't,have much of a life (as you don't like rugby league),yet pretend you are an expert and make.ludicrous ill informed comments, ignoring the huge taxpayers' money outlaid for your mob.And BTW continue to receive. Then you make a laughable final analysis if I can use that word lightly" Mate it's a done deal I don''t care ." If that's the case, what the hell are you bothering to post here, other than to push your anti rl ,AFL evangelising agenda. I don't care about AFL,that's why I don't waste my time on their threads.I value considered debate,I don't agenda driven drivel. Mate go back to Spotless ,be thankful you got a new stadium, that you ripped off the Blacktown council ,yet get millions from the ACT Govt ,and please get a new bean counter.You persist in playing matches there in a less than half full stadium.And even then only for about 8 games. Practice what you preach. You /Shepherd are not getting ANZ to remain oval ,tough.I understand you are squeamish about that.

Afl fanboy with a pessimistic crystal ball only sees doom and gloom for the code he despises? On and on it goes. Thousands of words typed repeating the same cynical message.

It won’t practically assist the NRL at club level though will it... at all. The current stadiums are more than adequate in terms of capacity, and the refitting to retangular just isn’t very likely to magically lift club NRL crowds in any major way..my only discomfort is in the waste of taxpayers money, and a large proportion of NSW taxpayers think likewise (and they have no affiliation with the AFL). The refurbishment of at Homebush couldn’t be a bottomless pit where any value upgrade was justified- this seems to be the attitude of some barracking on this issue - spend whatever it takes...no why don’t we be sensible and think about what’s actually needed. And in the scheme of things, NRL club games simply have little relevance in deciding what to do with that stadium.... the NRL won’t even be holding club games there in years to come. You’ll see. Mate it’s a done deal.. I don’t care,.. it’s good that some taxpayers money was saved on the way through is all. That 500m can be put to much better use.

Oh and if there were 15 clubs playing there regardless off crowds, guess what they all pay rental.They are not on a free boat to China. Usage and revenue ,actually assist the taxpayer. Lying idle does zilch.

GOGWS.Your carrying on in an AFL echo chamber. Your discomfort, that these stadiums are going to be attended to ,and the fact it may well assist the NRL and other codes.,is eating away at you. Can't get through your noggin.these stadiums are used for 3 codes of football, not one like the exclusivity of your code. Three codes' followers that represent the overwhelming majority of football fans in NSW. You know people known as taxpayers. Again you have this childish habit of not reading what i stated, and making ignorant assumptions. Of course if there was no major sporting event such as SOO/GF/Bledisloe/EPL/Gridiron etc, there would be no justification for spending vast sums on a stadium. Never suggested otherwise, so cut the crap implying i did. Let me remind you, there would be no new rectangular stadium in Melbourne if it were jus=t for the Storm.That the A league have teams and a union team meant throughput. I stated one more time for the ignorant, in addition to these majors there are 3 NRL clubs who will be playing there ,paying rent, creating revenue for the stadium.Plus additional games for clubs.Even the Sharks have indicated they would be looking at taking a game or two to the new SFS. I repeat one more time:DO SOME RESEARCH. And if that conflict of interest Chairman of your club had not put his finger in he pie, and your arrogant code had not upset the applecart by ensuring for many years ANZ remained oval, we wouldn't be having the argument now. Spin as much as you like. GWS have dudded Blacktown ratepayers and the State Govt which you ignore,GWS get horrendous Sydney TV ratings, their crowds in a stadium for a team parachuted in (and used by 1 not 3 codes),their crowds are lucky to half fill Spotless in a 25,000 stadium,the ACT Govt says $2m pa for staging 4 games in Canberra(again ratepayers)tthe SCG used by 1 football code has received huge sums over the years(again taxpayers involved). The Storm have 23,000 members in a city besotted with AFL.So what!!! Really mate, you still live in the twilight zone,3 codes play on rectangular fields,.all,three have International teams/countries of various strengths and size,as opposed to your code still girt by sea. You spend so much time here embarrassingly flogging your code, it's amazing you have any time left to discuss what's actually going on in your own.Funny how few if any here, bother to reciprocate.Says something. Its boring mate ,plain boring.I admire AFL for their crowds, and ability of their leadership I find the arrogance of some within the organisation, and the constant look at me by some of their fanatical fans(no names) as exciting dog paddling.

Alice Springs You don't have to worry about how NSW spends it's taxpayer funding.

No way Sydney needs a "multi-purpose" stadium. The SCG is more than fine for AFL and cricket. Its historic and has a real point of difference to the MCG. If they are going to rebuild Homebush, it needs to be the premier rectangular stadium in the country so that Sydney becomes the best city for those sports. They will never take the big AFL games out of Melbourne so why bother.

I don’t engage in debate with afl fanboys whose sole purpose is to deride the game. Everything you post here about league is in the negative.

Ad hominem ad nauseum... do you ever even attempt to engage in the argument or is parroting insults all you’ve got..

Fanboy ad nausean.

And you wonder why I call you an AFL fanboy? Same tripe every thread.

Also mate you say I don’t know what crowds will attend NRL club games at a refurbished stadium.. let’s say crowds go up 50%... that’d be a pretty generous assumption you’d have to agree. So crowds with increase by 50% and go from 15K up to 22K .. so even with a big bump in crowds that’s still 50K empty seats at most club games..I’m still not seeing a compelling business case based on NRL club games..are you? I think the day will come when the NRL stops pretending it can fill a 75K venue with club games and move them all to suburban venues...that day will come...or maybe virtual reality will save the day and they can edit in large crowds to make it look full.

Mate you could base 13 NRL clubs there.... and there are 60,000 empty seats whenever club games are played. That’s the point .. the NSW taxpayer is paying for a major events stadium (RU internationals, SOO, NRL GF, soccer internationals, concerts) ...the stadium is justified (or not) on the basis of the major events not due to the vast (not) numbers attending NRL club games... the NRL club games could be accommodated easily at suburban venues, as they were pre-Olympics... the business case for the stadium refurbishment hopefully does not rely on the paltry numbers attending NRL club games. Please. It would not surprise me in the slightest if in 20 years time there are no NRL club games at Homebush - the NRL could very well abandon it altogether. GWS play at a 25K venue (Sydney) and 15K venue (Canberra). They currently have around 20K members, about 5K from Canberra. The Canberra games are close to capacity (some games sell out) and the Sydney games do fill about half the stadium, and trending higher crowds every year. A half full Spotless stadium has 12,000 empty seats - a typical NRL club game next door has 60-65K empty seats. The Giants are a much better fit for their stadiums, as are the Dockers and Eagles at the new 60K capacity Perth stadiums (50K and 53K to club games in the past two weeks).

Yes Justin,Too many bleeding penalties though. Not thinking about G/F tickets at this stage.Will be so much better, when ANZ is rectangular for G/Fs. Real test next weekend against the Sombrero Salary Cap boys from the East.

Poor little fanboy is out of his depth here CC. Great win by the sharkies mate. We’re on a roll!

You are typing absolute bollocks.I've onlynwanted SNXZ to be rectangular and SFS refurbished.You wouldn't have a clue ,as you only come here to push your 8 poster barrow. They are moaning because:- 1) The State Govt promised X and the codes (plural) ended up with Y.Thanks to the campaign launched by the red hanky headed chap by the name of Fitz. 2) Most people including the media ,wanted ANZ fixed, and thew SFS refurbished, to reduce costs dramatically. Your GWS head honcho with his fingers in so many pies(conflict of interest much?),ensured SFS was culled down .In the belief many think, that ANZ would remain oval, to suit his code Again rubbish ,if its being used by 3 NRL clubs(Paying rent) and a couple of others on occasions,,it's more than just a major events schedule. You have zero idea ,as to what the NRL crowds will be once ANZ is refurbished. LOL this coming form a guy, whose club rarely half fills Spotless,and has to go to the ACT to assist financially and with crowds. You show complete ignorance ,historically rl clubs in the past have had very mediocre crowds. The WA Govt is financially stretched ,there were protests about the expenditure $1,6bn as there were in SA which blew out to over $600m.Whether is is filled regularly or not, roads,hospitals and schools ,accord to the majority must take preference.$300m on a Etihad precinct. I think you listen too much to Tony Shepherd,or are on Gil's payroll of thousands. The NSW taxpayers will be paying for stadiums that include 3 rectangular codes(not just 1 football code),that have the ability to stage world cups in soccer,Bledisloe cup.EPL games,gridiron etc.The rental income ,and the visitors from overseas, a novelty for AFL fans will contribute to the NSW economy. "Facts" LOL,thatt appears to be something not attune to your vocabulary.

@ Alicesprings 30.3 -9.47am Anyone know if the NSW Government will attempt to obtain an INDEPENDENT Business Case for the revised plans of spending $1.5 billion of taxpayer funds on stadia that are attracting small and declining crowds? Has the NSW ALP Opposition provided any details on how much they are willing to spend on ANZ and SFS?

And yet sections of the RL media and RL fans are moaning despite the largesse - that’s a fact you try and deny but you’re clearly not paying attention (both generally, and in this very thread!!) Good luck to the FFA and NRL.. and Rugby Union...they’re getting two shiny new or newish facilities in Sydney. Bully for them. It was good to see some sanity prevailing in the end and 500m savings being made...no matter how much they spend on ANZ/Homebush it’s never going to be anything more than a ‘major events’ venue, with the 70K capacity only being used for SOO and the GF....that’s the hard reality... for as long as the NRL persists with club matches there they’ll be played at a stadium that is pretty empty (half full at best)...long term averages for NRL club games are what they are... in contrast WA taxpayers know that the their stadium they funded will be pretty close to capacity most weekends during winter... NSW taxpayers are paying for something that will be mostly empty...thems the facts..

Of course your'e not really following it GOGWS,.Your mind is so made up about the NRL and rugby league in general,,you can't see the AFL wood for the trees. Facts are:- 1) ANZ was to be reconfigured to rectangular shape end Olympics.This was prevented by AFL intervening paying a small amount for it to remain Oval." So what "why the hell intervene, and stuff up something already decided upon. Typical AFL arrogance for which they are renowned.They showed their arrogance with the attempt to stage the Soccer world cup . They have the SCG when millions upon millions have been spent on new stands.No on complained. 2) Large amounts of taxpayers money have been spent on SA/WA/ViC/NSW/ Qld AFL stadiums and you don't blink an eye. 3) Rectangular stadiums tre for the benefit of 3 codes ,and EPL/Gridiron plus entertainment not just the NRL. 4) the expansion of the MCG has a lot to do with benefitting the AFL.To pretend it's not so, indicates you have a blinkered view of Govt monies expended. 5)Whilst you bag the the NRL for benefiting ,you ignore the other codes. You ignore the billions of taxpayers' money spent on AFL stadiums, nothing wrong with Govts doing so,so don't bag codes you dislike for benefitting also. 6) GWS dudded the Blacktown council and Stage Govt on original intentions.Costing millions in fact.They made a commitment ,they reneged on it.If the NRL did that in Perth,they'd never get State Govt money. 7) Now I understand your code wants the Vic govt to spend $300m on the precinct around Etihad stadium.Nothing to se here. The only thing that brings me to tears,( in fact tears of laughter) is reading some of your agenda driven spin, and lecturing NRL about what they are entitled ,oblivious to what your tribe has secured.You should send an invoice in to Gil each month, fro services rendered. BTW I suggest most NRL fans are happy at least for ANZ to be what it was intended to be(rectangular),many would have been quite content with the SFS being refurbished not knocked down .Guess what it was Shepherd (SCG Trust and GWS head honcho) ,and Ayres( who played AFL in the West Sydney),who pushed for the SFS knockdown.Some suggest they wanted the ANZ to remain oval.Gil's response to ANZ was interesting and hardly enthusiastic. You are doing the usual making ridiculous assumptions . Last para, seriously mate ,are you really aware of what codes use these stadiums ? The ANZ and SFS stadiums will be getting 4 times the usage than the SCG does for the Swans by football codes.And heaven knows how many more than Spotless.Who spend 4 games in Canberra ,apparently part of West Sydney.Gteting large sums from the ACT Govt taxpayers. For a start Tigers/Souths/Dogs are committed to ANZ,SOO at least once PA,Grand Finals and semi finals/Bledisloe cup/EPL games /Gridiron. The SFS Roosters/Waratahs/Sydney FC,and Cronulla have indicated once the SFS is complete they may well take a couple of games there for their fans' comfort.St George ditto especially ANZAC day clash. May I make a humble suggestion,DO YOIUR HOMEWORK and do something about the unease you feel when other codes get benefits.Their fans are also taxpayers and the clubs will be paying decent rents to stage games there. BTW you have zero idea what the effect will be financially for the NRL.In fact they'd earn more staging NRL grand finals in Brisbane and/or Melbourne No one's complaining ,you're the one popping in here because it somehow makes you uncomfortable.Your evangelising is blatant.