Canberra Raiders call for new stadium rather than redevelopment

Raiders chairman Dennis Richardson said the government's infrastructure plan was a vision rather than a plan, but they would work with the government to make it happen.

And he backed ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr's preference for the capacity to be 30,000 - to take into account Canberra's predicted population growth.

Richardson said an enhancement of the existing Canberra Stadium wouldn't be cost effective and felt the best way forward would be to build a completely new stadium.

One of the options in the government's sixth-and-hopefully-final feasibility study, announced on Thursday, was to build a new venue on the eastern side of Canberra Stadium.

That would allow the Raiders, ACT Brumbies and potentially A-League teams to continue to play home games at the existing ground without needing to find a new home or play in a building site with reduced capacity.

Richardson pointed out Canberra Stadium wasn't initially built as a rectangular stadium - it was an oval with an athletics track around it.

That made further refurbishments unlikely to provide modern, high-standard facilities - like those at the Sydney Football and Parramatta stadiums.

He agreed with the government's acknowledgement that Canberra Stadium was "no longer fit for purpose".

"We hope the outcome of the feasibility study is a commitment to a new stadium," Richardson said on Friday.

"We will work with the ACT government with the feasibility study and ... hopefully in the development of a new stadium.

"Quite obviously refurbishment of the existing stadium would raise real questions about the impact on game day and the fan experience.

"It would raise questions about the capacity. In an ideal world we would look to a new stadium.

"Whatever new stadium is built will need to serve the city for the next 40 years.

"So it will clearly need to be a new stadium rather than an enhanced stadium.

"There's a limit to the amount of lipstick you can put on any pig."

Richardson said the Raiders would address the possible need for an alternative venue if that need arose.

That would be the case if the government opted to knock down Canberra Stadium in one go and then rebuild it - rather than build a new one next door or opt for a staged rebuild.

But he said the capacity needed to be 30,000 to allow for Canberra's projected growth.

The population's predicted to climb to 784,000 by 2060, while the Raiders were looking to grow their current membership base of 21,000 to 30,000 over the next five years.

He pointed to Raiders co-captain Jarrod Croker's 300^th game as an indicator of what future capacity would be needed.

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"I think the Chief Minister is right in looking at a stadium of around 30,000. I think a stadium of 22-24,000 is too small," Richardson said.

"Take Jarrod Croker's 300^th game a couple of weeks ago. There were over 21,000 fans there.

"Project ahead 20-30 years when Canberra has a lot more people. A similar game is going to draw somewhere between 28-30,000."

The government's infrastructure plan seemed to finally end the hope of a new stadium in Civic.

Rather than be disappointed, Richardson preferred to look ahead and make the new stadium happen instead.

"We don't really have a plan at this point, we have a vision. That vision envisages a new stadium being built by 2033," he said.

"If we stick to that timetable we'll have a new stadium about 20 years after the very first feasibility study was conducted.

"This is not a time for disappointment. This is a time where we've got to put our shoulder to the wheel with the ACT government in giving substance to the vision.

"It's one thing to have a vision. It's another thing to add substance to it. And we're about substance."

NRL ROUND 18

Saturday: Canberra Raiders v Gold Coast Titans at Canberra Stadium, 3pm.

Raiders squad: 1. Sebastian Kris, 2. Albert Hopoate, 3. Jarrod Croker (c), 4. Matt Timoko, 5. Jordan Rapana, 6. Jack Wighton, 7. Jamal Fogarty, 8. Pasami Saulo, 9. Zac Woolford, 10. Joe Tapine, 11. Hudson Young, 12. Elliott Whitehead (c), 13. Corey Horsburgh. Interchange: 14. Tom Starling, 15. Emre Guler, 16. Nick Cotric, 17. Ata Mariota. Reserves: 18. Brad Schneider, 19. Danny Levi, 20. Matt Frawley, 21. Xavier Savage, 22. Peter Hola.

Titans squad: 1. AJ Brimson, 2. Alofiana Khan-Pereira, 3. Brian Kelly, 4. Aaron Schoupp, 5. Phillip Sami, 6. Kieran Foran, 7. Tanah Boyd, 8. Moeaki Fotuaika, 9. Sam Verrills, 10. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, 11. David Fifita, 12. Joe Stimson, 13. Isaac Liu. Interchange: 14. Jayden Campbell, 15. Erin Clark, 16. Jaimin Jolliffe, 17. Chris Randall. Reserves: 18. Iszac Fa'asumaleaui, 19. Jojo Fifita, 20. Kruise Leeming, 21. Klese Haas, 22. Jacob Alick.

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