‘Worst professional sporting ground in the nation’: But Cronulla free to host final in week one

Their stadium has been dubbed “the worst professional sporting ground in the nation”, but Cronulla will be free to remain at home should they earn the right to host a game in week one of the NRL finals.

A series of disturbing images that appeared in this masthead at the start of the week revealed how badly Sharks Stadium needs a multi-million dollar makeover.

Water that pools at the bottom of stairs whenever it rains, the roof over the main grandstand that leaks, temporary fencing and toilets, as well as endless metres of extension leads to help vendors operate, are just some of the sad scenes that greet fans whenever they watch their beloved Sharks in action.

Cronulla CEO Dino Mezzatesta says the club’s stadium needs a $180 million cash injection to deliver a state-of-the-art facility with a 23,000-strong capacity.

In the meantime, Mezzatesta said the venue was more than safe to host NRL games, including a potential elimination final in September.

The easy option would be to force Cronulla up the road to Allianz Stadium, or even Parramatta’s CommBank Stadium, but the NRL’s rules state clubs are free to play out of their own backyard in week one. The NRL has the right to move clubs to bigger venues in their respective cities for weeks two and three of the finals.

“If we’re good enough to qualify for a home final in week one, it will be here at Sharks Stadium,” Mezzatesta said.

“The ground has met all the requirements to host NRL games, and it will be no different for the first week of the finals.

“We can seat around 15,000 fans, which is actually up on last year when we could accommodate around 13,000 fans.

“Every other club has received some sort of funding for stadium upgrades or a Centre of Excellence, but we have received nothing. We’ll keep making the argument we deserve funding like everyone else.

“But for now, this is what we’ve got, this is where we’ll keep playing, and this is where we will play in week one if we have to host.

“Rival fans might complain that there isn’t enough room to get in. But we still think it’s an amazing experience, and you’re so close to the action – how many stadiums are there where you can say you are this close to the players?”

The Sharks were stunned by bitter rivals St George Illawarra on Saturday, but host the Gold Coast on Saturday, followed by the bye, Newcastle at home, then the Bulldogs. They remain a chance to sneak into the top four.

Sharks Stadium, however, remains an issue for Cronulla, with Mezzatesta lobbying local, state and federal government for funding. Penrith are awaiting the completion of their new $309m stadium, while the Wests Tigers received $40m to refurbish Leichhardt Oval.

On Tuesday, Cronulla announced they would host a round of the Supercross Championship in October, which they hope becomes a regular event, along with plans to stage music festivals, once facilities are upgraded.

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