South Sydney CEO Blake Solly seeks clarity from the NSW government after Allianz Stadium bid rejection.
South Sydney CEO Blake Solly has vowed to keep fighting and demanded clarification from the NSW government after the club's latest bid to move to the $828 million Allianz Stadium was knocked back. The Rabbitohs have long been campaigning to share the state's multi-million dollar stadium with fierce rivals the Sydney Roosters, who have been vehemently opposed to the move.
And on Tuesday, NSW sports minister Stephen Kamper delivered Souths a fresh blow, telling the club that a a full-time move back to the Moore Park venue was not financially viable and that they'd have to honour a contract with Accor Stadium that they signed until 2030. Souths agreed the lucrative long-term deal to play out of Sydney's Olympic stadium in 2006 when the club was struggling financially.
But Souths have been critical of the lack of atmosphere at Accor Stadium and the fact the venue is some 30km away from their supporter heartlands in Redfern and Maroubra. They've argued that the much closer, tax-payer funded Allianz Stadium would be a more ideal home, where they proposed to play nine games a season, as well as two at Accor and one outside of Sydney.