The famous home of the Wests Tigers, Leichhardt Oval, is in need of an overhaul and faces an uncertain future.
The team’s huge victory over Cronulla on Saturday night drew a large crowd, but it also cast doubt on Leichhardt’s long-term future as an NRL site.
As it stands, the Tigers are only committed to playing there until the end of 2024, leaving the door open for further games at Campbelltown Stadium or CommBank Stadium next year.
“Leichhardt is nowhere near the standard – it might be the eighth wonder of the world, but even the pyramids get cleaned and upgraded every now and again,” he went on to say.
“At the end of the day, the Leichhardt and Campbelltown councils must understand that we are only there for one year; we require some assurances.
“Let’s be brutally honest: look at all the great NRL clubs. Where does Melbourne Storm play? At an excellent stadium. Where do the Roosters play? Where do the Souths play? Where does Parramatta play? Penrith is having a beautiful new stadium built.
“You may anger a few people, but it must be in the best interests of the club’s growth. If you do not think
However, the lack of corporate hospitality and overall amenities provided has led Richardson to question if it can continue to host first-class matches.
“We will play at the most commercially viable ground to grow our 30,000 members, to grow the ground corporately,” he went on to say.
“We got 300 corporates on Saturday night, and we could sell 700. We will play where we believe we can help the Wests Tigers grow.
“That is a decision we will make based on the economics of the club.”
Prior to the round three victory over Cronulla, the venue was also given a two-year extension to hold NRL games due to safety concerns.
