Campbelltown can offer the NRL and the Wests Tigers the best deal for a booming future MACARTHUR CHRONICLE CAMPBELLTOWN SEPTEMBER 09, 2014 11:04AM SHARE Campbelltown Sports Stadium offers space for future development. Picture: STEPHEN MARLEY Campbelltown Sports Stadium offers space for future development. Picture: STEPHEN MARLEY Liverpool and North Ryde might have admirable facilities to offer the Wests Tigers as a new base but they don’t have Campbelltown Sports Stadium. Campbelltown and the Macarthur region can offer the joint-venture club purpose-built stadium facilities with road and rail transport, training areas and administration space if it needs to move from Concord Oval. The Leumeah stadium has space for future development, the Macarthur region will have a population of around 600,000 in 25 years and the region has a flourishing rugby league culture and junior competition. It is about time we had an NRL team based in one of Australia’s fastest growing areas. The A-League has expanded into western Sydney with the Wanderers and the AFL with the Giants. The NRL is foolish if it continues to ignore the booming Macarthur region. Former Western Suburbs Magpies chairman and Marsdens Law Group senior partner Jim Marsden personally invited NRL chiefs to the region earlier this year to showcase our community and all it has to offer the sport. But there is still no commitment from the NRL or the Wests Tigers on shifting back to Campbelltown. David Nofoaluma scores for the Tigers during the NRL round 16 game between the Wests Tige David Nofoaluma scores for the Tigers during the NRL round 16 game between the Wests Tigers and the Canberra Raiders at Campbelltown Stadium. Picture: MARK EVANS Campbelltown Council general manager Paul Tosi said the club could be accommodated immediately if it opted to move to our region. With Concord Oval’s future uncertain as the State Government proceeds with the WestConnex project, the Tigers’ 30 players and 50 staff will have to look for a new administration and training centre. Last year the Macarthur Chronicle reported Tigers chief executive officer Grant Mayer had held discussions with Ryde Council on a possible move to North Ryde. In today’s Campbelltown edition, Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun confirmed he had offered the Tigers the use of the new $43 million Carnes Hill sporting and community hub. “Liverpool Council is enthusiastic about increasing the involvement of the Wests Tigers in the regional capital of Sydney’s great south west,” he said. The Tigers have the chance to restore faith in the “Wests’’ part of the joint venture. If the Tigers turn away from this rugby league heartland, already disappointed over the lack of games here, local support for the club will hit rock bottom. If the club returns, the NRL has the opportunity to develop the code in a booming growth area and establish a successful future base. It seems an easy choice to me. Follow Mandy Perrin on Twitter and Facebook.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Sep 2014 11:32:33 +0000
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