Titans limbo continues

No long-term deal in sight with stadiums taskforce investigation ongoing

THE Gold Coast Titans are stuck in home-ground limbo while the club waits for a State Government taskforce to resolve stadium cost issues.

The Gold Coast NRL team’s temporary lease agreement at Robina’s Cbus Stadium ended on April 28, meaning it will continue renting its home ground on an ad hoc basis until taskforce findings into Stadiums Queensland are released.

Titans CEO Graham Annesley, who has been in negotiations with the government, said the club would have to keep waiting until the task“Until

force completed its probe at the end of the year.

“We have two away games coming up, then we will be meeting with Stadiums Queensland in a few weeks,” Mr Annesley said.

then there is nothing in place.”

Despite previous pushes from the Titans to secure an affordable long-term deal with the government-owned stadium body, Mr Annesley said only short-term security could be expected.

“I suspect that while the taskforce is carrying out its work, our agreements will probably be continuing on short-term arrangements,” he said. “The arrangements we have had in place for the past three years are likely to continue for the entire taskforce period at this stage, but we are talking to the Government.”

Suffering from what it claims to be unsustainable stadium fees, the club has been unwilling and unable to sign a long-term lease on the 27,400seat Robina stadium.

The Titans rent is at around $110,000 a game at Cbus.

Gold Coast Suns chairman Tony Cochrane, who has been equally as vocal on stadium pricing, said the AFL side’s circumstances at Metricon Stadium had not changed since the taskforce was announced.

“We haven’t moved forward on negotiations,” Mr Cochrane said. “We are still waiting on the taskforce to contact us.

“We are waiting to hear from the review, which will be the third or fourth review we have been through.”

The office of Sport Minister Mick de Brenni would not comment yesterday on negotiations with the Gold Coast clubs, citing commercial in confidence.

However, the office said the taskforce had begun work, but would not be holding public meetings. Submissions would be accepted and could be sent to the Minister’s office.

Stadiums Queensland also refrained from commenting further on the talks, citing “commercial in confidence”.

The Opposition went on the attack again this week, accusing the government of mismanagement of sporting and entertainment assets.

Former rugby league referee and Opposition deputy leader Tim Mander told Parliament on Wednesday the situation was “beyond belief”.

“Queensland sporting teams – iconic sides – are threatening to leave these stadiums because it is becoming uneconomical for them to stay,” Mr Mander said. “We have a Sports Minister who would rather attack our sporting sides than support them.”