NSW Government refuses funding request for Leichhardt Oval upgrade

Ongoing requests by the NRL’s Wests Tigers and Sydney's Inner West Council for funds to upgrade the ageing Leichhardt Oval have been dismissed by NSW Premier Chris Minns.

Criticised for its crumbling and inadequate facilities and concessions, the Inner West Council has been campaigning for funding for a redevelopment of the venue for several years while the Wests Tigers - who will play five of their 12 NRL home games this season at Leichhardt Oval - have threatened to leave the venue at the end of the year.

The venue has insufficient change rooms to host NRL men's and women's double-headers, regularly features some of the NRL's longest queues for refreshments and has ageing corporate and media facilities in comparison to other Sydney stadiums.

On Monday, Tigers Chief Executive Shane Richardson and Inner West Council Mayor Darcy Byrne banded together to request Leichhardt Oval receive 10% of the $309 million funding allocated to the upgrade of the Penrith Stadium committed by the NSW Government.

The Tigers, who finished last the past two years and have also hosted home games at CommBank Stadium, Campbelltown Sports Stadium and Accor Stadium in recent years, have yet to commit to any home ground beyond 2024.

Richardson threatened to move the Tigers out of Leichhardt altogether if the request went unfulfilled, having relocated South Sydney's home games from Moore Park to Sydney Olympic Park during his time in charge of that club.

However, speaking yesterday, Premier Minns pointed to the NSW's post pandemic financial situation as grounds for blocking the request to fund Leichhardt Oval, commenting “I appreciate that (the Tigers) have got to make a decision about their club and where they play their home games

"But we, as everybody knows, have got $180 billion worth of debt in NSW.”

Leichhardt Oval's status as only part-time NRL venue is also reported as having influenced the  decision.

Facing significant public debt when it entered office in March 2023, the current NSW Government shelved plans for venue upgrades and rebuilds beyond projects already committed to.

However, after his attendance at the NRL season opener at the roofed Allegiant Stadium in the USA city of Las Vegas earlier this month, NSW Sports Minister Steve Kamper brook ranks to revive plans for the construction of a roof at Accor Stadium, a project likely to cost more than $240 million.

Inner West Council has previously referred to Leichhardt Oval as the ‘eighth wonder of the world’.

4 Pines Park
In other Sydney stadium news, local media are reporting that the Manly Sea Eagles are planning to partner with UFC for an upgrade at their 4 Pines Park home venue in the Sydney suburb of Brookvale.

The club are reported to have held talks with the UFC over an alliance that could culminate in the stadium being turned into a modern 20,000 seat venue with a roof.

It is understood the cost of the project could be as much as $300 million.

Image: Leichhardt Oval. Credit: Inner West Council.