Peter V’Landys – Michmutters
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Peter V’landys vs Dominic Perrottet, Stadium funding, Leichhardt Oval, Tigers, Knights, Sharks, Panthers

The NRL are holding the NSW government to ransom over an $800 million promise by taking the Grand Final to Queensland as the Sydney stadium wars potentially head to the courtroom.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported the NRL will consider all options after NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet refused to commit funding to rebuild suburban stadiums after a handshake agreement, with flood reconstruction his main priority.

“I find it appalling that they’re using human tragedy of the floods to renege on an agreement,” V’landys, told the Herald.

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Perrottet’s decision sparked an angry confrontation with V’landys in Parliament, with the NRL now resorting to tactics that could lead to a legal battle over the future of Stadium Australia at Sydney Olympic Park.

A 2018 agreement reached by the then premier Gladys Berejiklian, stipulated the NRL grand final would stay in Sydney until 2042 as long as Accor Stadium at Olympic Park was reconfigured into a 70,000-seat rectangular stadium, which would cost taxpayers $800 million.

However, the pandemic caused the government to backflip on the plan and relocate between $250 to $350 million to upgrading suburban grounds in Cronulla, Manly, Leichhardt and Newcastle.

Leichhardt Oval will have to wait for redevelopment.Source: Supplied

While the plans to develop suburban grounds is not in writing and therefore not rubber-stamped, V’landys is adamant the original Sydney Olympic Park agreement still stands.

The Herald reported that V’landys and the NRL will now hold the government to their original Olympic Park agreement, which is in writing, despite their preference being to develop suburban grounds.

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Andrew Abdo the Chief Executive Officer of the National Rugby League and Peter V’landys the Chairman.Source: Getty Images

“When you consider the billions of dollars they spent in the recent budget, the amount they need to honor our agreement is insignificant,” V’landy’s said.

“We will press that they honor the original agreement, which will cost the NSW taxpayer more due to the way they have handled this.”

The NRL are exploring its legal options and have one of the country’s most respected barristers, Alan Sullivan QC on the case.

Perrottet released a statement saying the government were committed to upgrading suburban stadiums over a period of time, given the natural disasters and pandemic that remain a more pressing priority.

“The government has just received the Floods Inquiry Report, which will likely require a significant cost to the taxpayer, and I note right now there are still 1,366 people without a home in NSW due to flooding,” Perrottet said.

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NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet.Source: News Corp Australia

“It should come as no surprise that my top priority is therefore supporting those devastated by the major floods across NSW.”

The development has forced the NRL to consider taking the Grand Final to Queensland in response to the NSW government failing to honor their agreement.

“Everything is now back on the table,” V’landys said.

“It will be a board decision, not mine.”

Sports Minister Stuart Ayres labeled plans to take the Grand Final to Queensland “an extraordinary move”.

“We’ve got to make sure that we make investments that are in the best interests of the people of NSW,” Ayres said.

Madge’s take on Tigers coaching plan | 02:04

“It just might mean that we have to wait a little bit longer before we can spend additional money on those venues.”

The government will put on hold plans to develop Leichhardt and Newcastle stadiums, but are committed to a new venue at Penrith, which has angered Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis, who blasted the government for their change of policy on developing suburban stadiums.

“The government’s management of its stadiums policy from the outset has been amateurish and embarrassing,” Hagipantelis told the Herald.

“I assume if the state government is to backflip on its commitment to fund suburban stadiums, then the $300 million committed to the Penrith stadium can now be better utilized for schools and hospitals?

“It would be outrageous for Penrith to retain its stadium for the obvious political benefit of its local member.”

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Rugby league boss Peter V’landys accuses Dominic Perrottet of making excuses in stadium backflip

Rugby league boss Peter V’landys has accused the New South Wales Premier of using “human tragedy” to renege on a handshake agreement to revamp suburban stadiums.

V’landys is threatening to move the NRL Grand Final from Sydney as a result, saying the sport had been “strung along” by the state government for three years.

He says Premier Dominic Perrottet this year promised to upgrade local grounds across the city as part of a deal to keep the game’s showpiece in the Harbor City until 2042.

“We shook hands. We looked each other in the eyes and we did a deal,” V’landys told Nine radio this morning.

“He said, ‘You don’t need to have it in the budget, I can do it outside the budget’. And he reneged.”

V’landys claims the deal included hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade aging stadiums in Manly, Cronulla and Leichhardt.

Mr Perrottet says circumstances have changed and his top priority is supporting people impacted by the state’s recent flood crises.

“Sydney will always be the home of rugby league,” Mr Perrottet said, and it would be on V’landys to justify to supporters any plan to move the competition decider.

two men in business clothes sitting on opposite lounges
Peter V’landys and Dominic Perrotte met to discuss the policy in April.(abcnews)

“The NSW government remains committed to upgrading suburban stadiums, however, following recent natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, it is appropriate that further investment in stadia is staged,” he said.

“The government has just received the Floods Inquiry Report, which will likely require a significant cost to the taxpayer, and I note right now there are still 1,366 people without a home in NSW due to flooding.

“It should come as no surprise that my top priority is, therefore, supporting those devastated by the major floods across NSW.”

Mr Perrottet said the government had spent and committed $1.8 billion on sporting infrastructure for rugby league clubs, including centers of excellence and three new stadiums.

“The new state of the art Allianz Stadium will open next month, Parramatta has a new, modern stadium and there is a commitment to build a new Penrith stadium so that the Western City has a world-class sporting venue,” he said.

“Sydney will always be the home of rugby league and, if Peter V’landys wants to take the Grand Final away from his home, then he can explain that to the fans.”

However V’landys hit back, accusing Mr Perrottet of making excuses for backing out of the deal.

“I used other excuses back then [in negotiations] to reduce the amount he was going to spend on these community assets,” he said.

“They’ve left it right until two weeks before we have to sell tickets to the grand finale.

“To use human tragedy to spin themselves out of it is unheralded in my eyes.”

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Sports

Tigers mid-season signings, Chairman Lee Hagipantelis, August 1 signing deadline scrapped, contracts, David Nofoaluma, Oliver Gildart, Storm Roosters, Peter V’landys

Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis has slammed rivals for “exploiting” the August 1 signing deadline after finals contenders raided the merger club’s outside back stocks.

Bellamy’s Storm signed flyer David Nofoaluma, while the Roosters acquired English import Oliver Gildart’s services for the remainder of 2022.

While Hagipantelis agrees there are some benefits of letting players go on short-term loans — he believes clubs should have to look within for recruits to replace injured or suspended squad members.

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“My personal view is I am not a fan of the transfer system this late in the season, I agree with Peter V’landys that it is there to be exploited,” Hagipantelis said on Fox Sports News.

“The intentions when it was introduced were all very altruistic to assist during the Covid pandemic, but it has gone further than that now.

“And if there is one thing that NRL clubs are good at doing, that is exploiting the rules.

“I think that this late in the season, clubs that are struggling for reasons of injury or suspension should look to themselves, it is a test of their own resilience and their depth.

“I am not in favor of the top four or top eight teams cherry-picking from the bottom eight to enhance their prospects of a premiership, they should be relying on their own assets.

“But as I say, the rules are there to be exploited.”

‘Can’t be repaired’ – Are Manly split? | 03:58

Hagipantelis was also asked how he thinks the fans have reacted to the club allowing players to leave for the remainder of 2022 — revealing the overwhelming response was positive.

“I think it has been understanding, I think people understand that there is a forensic and financial advantage to an NRL club in this loan system,”

“There can be advantages to the player as well to experience an alternate reality and then come back, David Nofoaluma is a perfect example.

“I know David personally, I think it will be very good for him to get away from Sydney to play in Melbourne and in all likelihood play in the finals.

“He is very keen on coming back to the Wests Tigers with that experience under his belt, we see how David plays when he plays for Samoa when he has something to play for.”

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The Daily Telegraph’s Buzz Rothfield revealed on NRL360 ARLC chairman Peter V’landys was set to move to August 1 deadline back to its original June 30 date.

In 2020, the cut-off was moved to assist teams stuck in Queensland fill their squads without reserve grade competitions taking the field.

NRL360 co-host Paul Kent was “disappointed” the NRL didn’t have the foresight to shift the date back, labeling it an “oversight” from powerbrokers.

“The whole thing is a win for common sense, it needed to happen, I am disappointed it was allowed to happen this year, I think it was an oversight that they have allowed it to happen,” Kent said.

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“The fact is, this is wrong for so many reasons this August 1 deadline, it is allowing teams to troubleshoot their rosters.

“The part of the game’s appeal is your 30-man roster gets you through the season, and it is the attrition and the endurance to last the season and to get to the finals in a good state of fitness.

“If you can’t do that for whatever reason… so be it, but that is a part of the magic of this competition.”

Fox League’s James Hooper agreed, explaining clubs making late-season signings “cheapens” the values ​​that NRL clubs have stood for.

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It has long been the attitude of the rugby league fraternity that your roster is what you have to work with for that season, and if replacements are needed they came from reserve grade.

Now clubs are able to cast an eye across the competition and cherry pick the best players from teams who will not be playing football finals.

“For a game that has been founded on tribalism, it just cheapens that whole concept because for the weaker clubs, what does it say for their fans,” Hooper said.

V’landys moves transfer deadline | 03:02

“They don’t get anything out of the fact that the strong clubs sit back and know the deadline is looming, know they have got time.

“Look at the Storm, how many players did they go after from Reece Walsh to Adam Doueihi… the list went on.

“That can’t be sitting well with the clubs down the bottom of the ladder.”

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“For those middle teams… they get no benefit out of it, and I actually believe they are harmed by it because they can’t troubleshoot,” Kent said.

“The middle teams are not attracting players and they aren’t loaning players because it is just too tight, they need all hands on deck.

“They were being impacted, it was basically strengthening the top four teams who have the ability to go and pick the eyes out, as has happened, of the bottom four teams and just target their better players.”

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NSW Sports Minister says moving NRL grand final from Sydney would be ‘extraordinary’ move

NSW Sports Minister Stuart Ayres says it would be “extraordinary” for the NRL grand final to be moved from Sydney over a row about upgrades to suburban stadiums.

The NSW government’s decision to back out of plans to upgrade several suburban stadiums across Sydney put it at odds with Australian Rugby League Commission (ALRC) chair Peter V’landys.

Mr Ayres attributed the financial impact of the recent flood crisis for the decision not to proceed with funding the agreement.

Mr Ayres, speaking from the rebuilt Sydney Football Stadium on Tuesday, said the government had spent more than $1.5 billion on sporting infrastructure since 2014.

That figure includes the $828 million redevelopment at Moore Park, the $300 million CommBank Stadium at Parramatta and funds for ground upgrades and centers of excellence, he said.

He said projects such as those “massively benefits the NRL”, and he was sure the grand finale would stay in Sydney.

“I think if the NRL walked away from the home of its sport here in NSW, the state that the grand final has always been played in, with the exception of the COVID grand final from last year, that would be an extraordinary move,” Mr Ayres said.

“I’m very confident that the NRL will keep the grand finale here in NSW. They know it’s the right thing to do.”

Stuart Ayres looks to the sky with a grandstand behind him
Sport Minister Stuart Ayres says the government has made big commitments to stadiums in Sydney. (AAP: Bianca De Marchi)
A large blue and white grandstand with pristine grass before it
Allianz Stadium has been rebuilt at a cost of $828 million.(AAP: Bianca De Marchi)

Mr V’landys has lobbied the state government to pay for the upgrade of heartland grounds including at Manly, Leichhardt, Cronulla and Penrith.

It is understood Mr V’landys used the threat of moving the NRL’s decider interstate as a bargaining chip during a meeting with the government in April.

Asked when leaving that meeting if the grand finale would stay in Sydney, he said: “At this stage, yes.”

There has only been one year when the premiership was not settled in Sydney — that came in 2021 when the game was moved to Brisbane due to COVID-19 restrictions in NSW.

Mr Ayres today said the government would honor its commitment to build a new stadium in Penrith, his home electorate, as the development also formed part of its three cities plan for Sydney.

“We also know that we’ve always got limitations on what we can do,” he said.

“We are continuing our engagement with the NRL. We want to be able to upgrade suburban infrastructure but we want to be able to do that when the fiscal capacity of the state allows for it.”

The Australian Rugby League chairman speaks at an NRL media conference.
ARLC chairman Peter V’landys has pushed for investment in suburban grounds.(AAP: Joel Carrett)

The Minister said the government was facing huge costs associated with the recovery effort from NSW’s devastating floods, which ranged from the state’s north to Sydney.

He said a similar decision was made at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when a planned rebuild of Stadium Australia was shelved.

“We’ll continue to talk with the NRL about what we can afford to do. But we’ve got priorities and we’ve gotta make sure we stick to those,” Mr Ayres said.

“These are the tough decisions governments have to make.

“It just might mean that we have to wait a little bit longer before we can spend additional money on those venues.”

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Manly Sea Eagles player split, Manly seven, Pride jersey, Round 21, Des Hasler, Daly Cherry-Evans

There is reportedly a divide in the Manly dressing room between the players who played in the Pride jersey and the seven stars who boycotted their crucial loss to the Roosters.

The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield believes there is a lingering resentment between the players that played and those that chose to put their beliefs ahead of the team’s final aspirations.

“I think there is a split,” Rothfield said of the playing group on NRL 360.

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“I think the players that took the field cannot understand why the other seven didn’t.

“I think the meeting yesterday cleared it up a little bit, but you can’t repair a split of this magnitude with a bandaid in a 45 minute meeting.

“I think when something as drastic as this happens when seven men pull out of a finals crunch match over a view and an opinion and the other guys are totally on the opposite side.

“They put their views and opinions ahead of a finals berth almost.”

Paul Kent also believes there is a split between the Manly seven and the owner who incorrectly said they would backflip on their stance in time for next season.

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Daly Cherry-Evans and DesHasler.Source: News Corp Australia

“What about the owner coming out and saying the players had gone back on what they originally intended, which they have heavily refuted,” Kent said.

Braith Anasta agreed with Rothfield that as a player he would be frustrated with the seven players who put their beliefs above a goal the team has worked for since pre-season in November.

“I agree with and I’m just thinking now as a player the majority of the playing group you train from November all the way through,” Anasta said.

“You put your body on the line every week. You put your heart and soul into it. You make sacrifices every single day.

“These players have got a few teammates who have made a different decision than the rest of the team and it can cause a divide and it seems to be that way.

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Jake Trbojevic and Manly players process the loss to the Roosters.Source: Getty Images

“It could derail their season. We spoke about it before the game that it could happen and it is possibly happening right now.

“There are no winners and losers here. The fact is it doesn’t matter what they are arguing over or have a split of opinion over. It can cause a divide and it seems to be causing a divide.”

The Daily Telegraph’s Dean Ritchie has no doubt there is a rift between the seven players and the rest of the squad and it will take time to heal the wounds of the last week.

“There is divisions at Manly and anyone who tells you there is not telling a fib,” Ritchie said on The Big Sports Breakfast.

“The players that played were dirty on the players that didn’t play.

Sea Eagles players at training.Source: News Corp Australia

“They are trying to sort it out and understand each other’s religious beliefs and views, but there is a division there.

“You speak to one player and he will say we can move forward from this and you speak to others who say this is going to take a lot longer.”

Laurie Daley questioned how both sides of the split can come together with no common ground on the issue.

“You have got two parties that don’t agree and you talk about finding common ground, but where is the common ground in this?” Daley said.

How long will Carrigan get for hip drop? | 03:22

“There is no giving,” Ritchie replied.

“Both sides are quite staunch in their views. The players are dirty the others didn’t play and the seven players are saying, we are not backing down.

“To be fair to them they have been staunch from the beginning and have stuck tight through a lot of criticism, so they are not clearly going to apologize.

“I don’t know how one meeting is going to fix this problem at Manly.”

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Categories
Sports

Manly Sea Eagles player split, Manly seven, Pride jersey, Round 21, Des Hasler, Daly Cherry-Evans

There is reportedly a divide in the Manly dressing room between the players who played in the Pride jersey and the seven stars who boycotted their crucial loss to the Roosters.

The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield believes there is a lingering resentment between the players that played and those that chose to put their beliefs ahead of the team’s final aspirations.

“I think there is a split,” Rothfield said of the playing group on NRL 360.

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“I think the players that took the field cannot understand why the other seven didn’t.

“I think the meeting yesterday cleared it up a little bit, but you can’t repair a split of this magnitude with a bandaid in a 45 minute meeting.

“I think when something as drastic as this happens when seven men pull out of a finals crunch match over a view and an opinion and the other guys are totally on the opposite side.

“They put their views and opinions ahead of a finals berth almost.”

Paul Kent also believes there is a split between the Manly seven and the owner who incorrectly said they would backflip on their stance in time for next season.

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Daly Cherry-Evans and DesHasler.Source: News Corp Australia

“What about the owner coming out and saying the players had gone back on what they originally intended, which they have heavily refuted,” Kent said.

Braith Anasta agreed with Rothfield that as a player he would be frustrated with the seven players who put their beliefs above a goal the team has worked for since pre-season in November.

“I agree with and I’m just thinking now as a player the majority of the playing group you train from November all the way through,” Anasta said.

“You put your body on the line every week. You put your heart and soul into it. You make sacrifices every single day.

“These players have got a few teammates who have made a different decision than the rest of the team and it can cause a divide and it seems to be that way.

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Jake Trbojevic and Manly players process the loss to the Roosters.Source: Getty Images

“It could derail their season. We spoke about it before the game that it could happen and it is possibly happening right now.

“There are no winners and losers here. The fact is it doesn’t matter what they are arguing over or have a split of opinion over. It can cause a divide and it seems to be causing a divide.”

The Daily Telegraph’s Dean Ritchie has no doubt there is a rift between the seven players and the rest of the squad and it will take time to heal the wounds of the last week.

“There is divisions at Manly and anyone who tells you there is not telling a fib,” Ritchie said on The Big Sports Breakfast.

“The players that played were dirty on the players that didn’t play.

Sea Eagles players at training.Source: News Corp Australia

“They are trying to sort it out and understand each other’s religious beliefs and views, but there is a division there.

“You speak to one player and he will say we can move forward from this and you speak to others who say this is going to take a lot longer.”

Laurie Daley questioned how both sides of the split can come together with no common ground on the issue.

“You have got two parties that don’t agree and you talk about finding common ground, but where is the common ground in this?” Daley said.

How long will Carrigan get for hip drop? | 03:22

“There is no giving,” Ritchie replied.

“Both sides are quite staunch in their views. The players are dirty the others didn’t play and the seven players are saying, we are not backing down.

“To be fair to them they have been staunch from the beginning and have stuck tight through a lot of criticism, so they are not clearly going to apologize.

“I don’t know how one meeting is going to fix this problem at Manly.”

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