Peter V’landys has admitted the NRL would be interested in buying Leichhardt Oval.
The Tigers’ iconic home is facing an existential crisis, with the club given 90 days after fighting the NSW government over stadium funding.
The Tigers will play five of their 12 home games this season at Leichhardt Oval, but have long had concerns about the conditions and facilities at the hallowed inner west ground.
And the head of the ARLC, V’landys, has said news corporation who would intervene if the opportunity arose.
“If they wanted to give us Leichhardt Oval, we would be interested, absolutely,” V’landys said.
Peter V’landys has insisted the NRL would be interested in saving Leichhardt Oval
Tigers’ spiritual home under threat amid stadium funding dispute with NSW government
He also rejected NSW Premier Chris Minn’s argument that funding for Leichhardt Oval is a “donation”.
“It’s not a handout at all,” he insisted.
‘We pay rent to rent the land and we are paying it.
‘It’s a situation between landlord and tenant.
‘Everyone forgets that they are the owners and we are the tenants.
“They can get their money back by charging whatever they charge.”
On Monday, Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson and Inner West Council mayor Darcy Byrne joined forces to call for Leichhardt Oval to receive 10 per cent of the funding allocated to the Penrith stadium upgrade by the government of New South Wales.
The Panthers’ BlueBet Stadium will receive a $309 million facelift in 2025 that will expand the ground’s capacity to 25,000 with an all-new West Stand and a renovated East Stand.
The Tigers, who have also hosted home games at CommBank, Campbelltown and Accor stadiums in recent years, have not yet committed to playing in any stadium beyond 2024.
Richardson threatened to remove the Tigers from Leichhardt entirely if the request was not met, having moved South Sydney’s home games from Moore Park to Homebush during his time in charge of that club.
But on Tuesday, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns pointed to the state’s financial situation as reason for blocking the Tigers’ bold request.
“I appreciate that (the Tigers) have to make a decision about their club and where they will play their home games,” Minns said.
‘But we, as everyone knows, have $180 billion worth of debt in New South Wales.
“We have enormous pressure on the hospital system, the educational system and, on top of that, we are implementing the largest public transportation projects in the history of the state.”
Leichhardt Oval’s status as a part-time NRL venue also influenced Minns’ decision.
This season, the Tigers will play five of 12 home games at Campbelltown Sports Stadium, one at Scully Park in Tamworth and one at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane as part of the Magic Round.
“I don’t have any extra dollars right now to pump into Leichhardt Oval, particularly as Tigers games are split between those two stadiums (Campbelltown and Leichhardt),” Minns said.
‘My real fear is that we put money into Leichhardt and the next week they say we now need the money for Campbelltown.
V’landys said he would be willing to help if the NRL is invited to do so.
“These things have to be perfectly balanced and I would love to have extra income to pump into a suburban stadium right now, but I don’t.”
When asked about Richardson’s pleas to the Minns government, Panthers coach Ivan Cleary defended the allocation of funding for the Penrith stadium.
“Everyone is fighting for political money,” he said.
‘We’ve had to work long and hard for ours and we’re happy to have it (an improved stadium), and our community deserves it.
‘I’m not saying your (community) doesn’t either. What I do know is that in Leichhardt I get the feeling that everyone loves it just the way it is. Maybe they should keep it that way.’
Sydney FC’s A-League Women team is the only other professional sports team to regularly play home matches at Leichhardt Oval.
The AAP understands that Sydney FC does not have a formal agreement to continue playing at Leichhardt beyond this year, but is privately hopeful of staying for the 2024-25 season and would be in favor of any improvements to the ground.
State of Origin Under 19 matches are also scheduled to be played in Leichhardt this winter, as well as other semi-professional football and rugby league matches.
But the improvements are less pressing for those tenants; The only non-NRL event Inner West Council hopes to attract more than 7,000 people to Leichhardt this winter is a GPS rugby match between St Joseph’s College and St Ignatius College.