New South Wales has recently seen a new Premier come into office in Dominic Perrottet.

A new Premier being elected always comes with one question for Rugby League fans in particular, and that is what will they do to improve the game’s facilities, namely stadiums?

Perrottet has recently spoken to the Daily Telegraph about exactly that, with the Premier revealing that $8,000,000 has been put towards building a development strategy to redevelop one suburban ground by the end of 2023, with Perrottet assuring the public that his government is focused on keeping New South Wales’ sports venues up to standard.

“As a diehard Wests Tigers fan, I appreciate there is nothing like watching a match from one of our iconic suburban stadiums,” the Premier said.

“We’re committed to revitalising sporting stadiums across Sydney to make sure they are match-fit for the community’s changing needs.”

Perrottet would then go on to explain what said redevelopments would look like.

“Any redevelopments would need to include the creation of multi-use facilities that benefit as many people and local communities as possible, and a final business case for the work would need to stack up before we’d consider going ahead,” Perrottet said.

The Daily Telegraph would also speak to Australian Rugby League Chairman Peter V’Landys on the importance of suburban grounds.

“Having families in Sydney attend suburban grounds is imperative to the future popularity of the game,” V’landys said.

“That’s what tribalism is about, suburban grounds have an important role to play and should be upgraded for today’s entertainment venue standards.”

Brookvale Oval and BlueBet Stadium are believed to be the top contenders for the redevelopment, with widespread reports earlier this year that the home of the Panthers would be demolished and rebuilt at the end of 2022, with the new stadium to be not too dissimilar from CommBank Stadium, so expect Penrith Park to get the nod.

While Brookvale Oval could also use a facelift, a new stand is already currently being built at the ground, with it yet to be seen if the NSW Government will provide more funding for further redevelopment.

The news that the New South Wales government is investing in suburban grounds confirms that they will still be a part of our game for years to come.