Locker Room: ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr heads to America on venue fact-finding mission

Andrew Barr has jetted to the United States to see some of the best indoor venues in the world as the Canberra venue debate rages on.

The ACT Chief Minister will visit "several cultural and live performance venues" on a fact-finding mission expected to cost about $55,000 for Barr and his delegation.

Canberra is without a premier indoor venue and is struggling to keep up with major arenas in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth in the race to secure high-profile sporting events.

With the city even falling behind the likes of Newcastle, Townsville, Gold Coast and Geelong, Canberra needs action.

Barr has flagged plans to build a $250 million pavilion in the city by 2030, and a $500 million stadium at Bruce by 2033 to make Canberra an attractive destination for events.

So we've updated his itinerary with some must-see venues to help turn Canberra into a destination worthy of marquee sporting fixtures and concerts.

Madison Square Garden is the home of the New York Knicks, New York Rangers and was once considered the mecca of boxing that hosted Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier's "fight of the century".

Then there's the home of LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers - which houses two NBA teams and an NHL franchise - and Brooklyn's billion-dollar Barclays Center, the home of the Brooklyn Nets.

If we're talking stadiums, California's 70,240-seat SoFi Stadium [which can be expanded to 100,240 seats] is the most expensive in the world with a cost of $8.6 billion.

While Barr has visited stadiums in Singapore, New Zealand and around Australia, it is unclear if he will take a glimpse inside the home of Super Bowl LVI.

Barr said last week a new stadium in Canberra would hinge on the future of the cash-strapped ACT Brumbies.

But the venue debate rages on with Senator David Pocock calling for a revival of the abandoned city to the lake plan, which includes turning Parkes Way into a tunnel, selling new land for sustainable housing and building a multi-purpose stadium for sport and events in Civic.

The phones have gone cold, the clock is ticking and hope for Canberra's A-League dream is fading.

Time is running out for Canberra A-League bid directors to find investors to bring a men's A-League team to the capital amid fear the Australian Professional Leagues will turn away.

APL bosses initially wanted an investor by June 30, only to push that date back to the end of September.

A-League boss Danny Townsend has made it clear officials would begin to look elsewhere if they couldn't lock in a deal by then.

Bid director Michael Caggiano has been elusive in recent months with supporters still in the dark about whether Canberra has found the investors to secure an A-League team.

The 2023-24 season starts on October 20. A similar kick-off date next year would mean bid directors now face the daunting task of building an entire elite men's program within the space of 12 months.

The uncertainty is already having an impact on Canberra United's women's team given Capital Football still hold the licence to the club.

Capital Football has axed the Canberra United academy program in a move that has sparked "grave fears" for the future of the ALW club.

The backlash has filtered through to Capital Football, the ACT government and the APL and even sparked calls for an overhaul of the board and chief executive Ivan Slavich.

Canberra's brightest young talents will now play and train with Capital Football's NPLW clubs while also attending additional talented sports program training sessions during the week.

The argument from Capital Football insiders is the shift will lift the standard of the Canberra club competition - but critics fear the city's ALW team has lost a critical part of its framework.

And the Dally M NRLW captain of the year is ... Simaima Taufa. And? Anyone else?

You've got to wonder how Zahara Temara felt when Taufa was crowned the competition's captain of the year at the Dally M awards on Wednesday night - because the Canberra Raiders duo are co-captains.

Taufa beat Georgia Hale from the grand final-bound Gold Coast Titans and Brisbane veteran Ali Brigginshaw to win the award, before recognising Temara in her acceptance speech.

"I honestly didn't really think I would get this. First and foremost, Zahara Temara, this is both of ours," Taufa said.

"As a co-captain, I share a lot of the burden and a lot of the responsibilities with her."

He might be one of Canberra's favourite sons but Patty Mills is "riding the wave" with Brisbane as the Broncos chase their first premiership in 17 years.

Which is why the NBA championship-winning guard will be up early to watch the NRL grand final on Sunday, all the way from his new home in Atlanta.

Mills - who once brought the NBA trophy to ACT Brumbies training at Canberra Stadium - witnessed Brisbane's preliminary final win firsthand before flying back to America for a fresh start with the Hawks, where he finally landed after being traded three times in 10 days in July.

"I was born in 1988 just like the Broncos and I've been riding the wave ever since," Mills said on Nine's coverage.

"A lot of ups and downs, this is such a proud moment this year has been for me watching from afar this year, so to be here in person is awesome, it's great.

"Looking forward to next year actually, if I can get to Vegas and watch the boys ... I'm going to find a way to be there, that's for sure."

Mills might do it tough if he wants to see the NRL's season opener, because Atlanta's road trip to face the Brooklyn Nets is likely to clash with the Broncos' Las Vegas sojourn.

Wouldn't Dermott Brereton and Ricky Stuart have some stories to tell over a long lunch and a beer or two.

On a day the eyes of the rugby league world descended on Randwick Racecourse for the Dally M awards, Stuart was lunching with the GWS Giants.

The Canberra Raiders coach was a guest at the Giants' grand final lunch at the National Arboretum, where five-time premiership-winning Hawthorn great Brereton was a guest speaker.

Brereton and host Jim Wilson made a point of welcoming Stuart to the lunch, which Giants officials say is even bigger than their pre-grand final event in Sydney.

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