South Sydney coach Jason Demetriou has urged the NSW government to approve their move to Allianz Stadium, which will host its first NRL game next month.
South Sydney coach Jason Demetriou is urging the NSW government to reconsider its decision to block the Rabbitohs' move from Accor Stadium to the newly-constructed Allianz Stadium.
The state government spent over three years redeveloping Moore Park's Sydney Football Stadium, which will host the Sydney Roosters, Sydney FC and NSW Waratahs home games, as well as concerts and international sporting fixtures.
The stadium officially opens later this month and the Rabbitohs and Roosters will contest its first NRL game on September 2.
But despite the stadium's proximity to south Sydney, the Perrottet government has not approved the Rabbitohs to host home fixtures there.
South Sydney are currently the only side playing all of their Sydney home games at Homebush's Accor Stadium, with former tenants Wests Tigers, Canterbury and Parramatta now taking fixtures to CommBank Stadium in Parramatta.
Demetriou called on the government to give the Rabbitohs similar privileges, saying Allianz Stadium made more sense as a home ground.
"It's a stadium that's built in the heartland of South Sydney," he said.
"The bottom line is we're a big club that deserves to be playing in big stadiums. They've just built an $800 million stadium right in our backyard so I think it's common sense that that's where we would play.
"Our fans and supporters would love to have a venue closer to home and I know the players would be excited about it as well."
Demetriou said he was unfazed by reports the Rabbitohs would be without a home ground for 2023 if they chose to back out of Accor Stadium but admitted he and the playing group had little say in the matter.
"I don't think that's anything we need to worry about just yet," he said.
"We have no control over it. I don't as a coach and I know the players don't as players but they're excited about playing there in round 25.
"There is a genuine excitement to play there. Sharing (the stadium) with the Roosters and having 20 games there a year would be outstanding for not just us as clubs but also the NRL."
