Titans all for a new ground

GOLD Coast Titans boss Graham Annesley has thrown his support behind the push for a boutique stadium, even if its chief use in an NRL sense could be restricted to the preseason.

The Titans have spent the past two pre-seasons on the road, playing trials at Darwin and Palmerston North last year and Toowoomba and the Sunshine Coast in February.

Annesley indicated the type of 5000-seat arena that Sports Gold Coast is campaigning for could work well for bringing NRL rivals to the city during trial season.

“The Titans aren’t actively involved in that proposal, however we are very supportive of additional sporting facilities being developed on the Gold Coast,” he said.

“Whilst a 5000-capacity venue wouldn’t be suitable for our regular-season competition games, it would certainly be beneficial to potential trial games and state league teams and so forth.”

Annesley said various factors played a role in deciding where to take trial matches – noting there was no “one size fits all answer for it” – but said it was only two years ago that Gold Coast hosted South Sydney at Pizzey Park.

The former NSW Minister for Sport and Recreation added that a boutique stadium was an important asset to any big city’s sporting scene.

“I think all major cities – and we would like to think that the Gold Coast is a major city, being the sixth-largest city in the country – need a range of different venues to cater for different levels of sporting activities,” Annesley said.

“We’ve obviously got two major stadiums in Metricon and Cbus and additional facilities for rectangular sports of a smaller capacity will only add to the city’s infrastructure and ability to attract events.”

Tweed Heads Seagulls chief

IT WOULD CERTAINLY BE BENEFICIAL TO POTENTIAL TRIAL GAMES AND STATE LEAGUE TEAMS AND SO FORTH

executive Paul Stephenson is keen to see the venue established at the southern end of the Coast and said Piggabeen Sports Complex could even be upgraded to suit.

The 2007 Intrust Super Cup premiers are currently in the process of securing grant funding to improve their facility.

“We can’t wait. We need to improve our situation now, and considerably,” Stephenson said.

“That’s not to say that what we’re doing down there at Piggabeen can’t be extended as well and made into something like that.”