Eels Blogs

The moment you walk into western Sydney’s new super Stadium you realise it’s a game changer. Rugby league fans have never had anything like it.

Bankwest Stadium will hold 30,000 fans in state of the art conditions we’ve only previously experienced in the United States and Europe.

The Sunday Telegraphwas granted first access on Saturday, just three weeks before Easter Monday blockbuster between the Parramatta Eels and Wests Tigers.

THE VIEW

You’re that close you could almost chat to the wingers.

There is nothing like it at any venue in the southern hemisphere.

On the eastern side, front row seats are just five metres from the sideline.

It’s seven metres on the opposite side for the TV broadcast crews.

I sat in the top row. The view is absolutely sensational. You’re right above the action.

There’s not one dud seat. You can only imagine what the atmosphere will be like when it becomes a sea of blue and gold on Easter Monday.

THE FACILITIES

It’s so tempting these days to consume rugby league from the lounge room. Every game is on Fox Sports or Kayo.

No traffic hassles, parking costs, food queues, long lines to the toilets or expensive beers.

This stadium will make the game day experience worth getting back out to the footy.

There are barbecue areas and bars where you can actually sit to have a drink.

The general manager of catering, Andreas Breitfuss, is mindful of the costs.

“Our aim is to make food and beverages at the stadium as affordable as possible while also giving fans a greater choice with a diverse range of products,” he said.

“Fans are going to like what they see in terms of value. While Bankwest Stadium will feature all the footy food staples that fans demand in a major venue, we are planning a food and beverage range that reflects the diversity of Western Sydney and considers the changing tastes of consumers, with a focus on boutique beverages, including craft beers and ciders.”

THE PITCH

You could play lawn bowls on this grass and it makes Brookvale look like a cow paddock.

There are underground vacuum pumps that can immediately remove surface water after a heavy downpour. It’s all state of the art stuff.

There is even an underground heating and cooling system that is designed to control growing conditions all-year round.

I meet Graeme Logan, the original curator at Parramatta Stadium when it opened in 1986.

He’s the vice-president of the Australian Sports Turf Association and highly respected in the industry. He’s back here as the head curator.

“I remember my first day on the job at Parramatta Stadium in 1986,” he said, “We had the Queen coming out to open the new stadium and we had little more than two weeks to get a full cover of grass on the ground and establish it.

“We’ve been preparing this grass at our turf farm for many months and it will be in great shape for Easter Monday.

“It’s much more professional these days and expectations of the game-day surface are much higher, and this stadium will meet those expectations.”

THE CORPORATES

This is where the Parramatta Eels will have a huge advantage over their NRL rivals.

Already their revenue from corporate sales has increased by 300 per cent.

Most of the suburban NRL clubs rely on small local and medium size businesses.

Multinational blue chip companies are now coming on board at this new stadium to experience the world class facilities. Many of them have never been in rugby league before.

The Eels have sold out ever suite.

There is an even area where their guests can peer through a huge glass window to watch the players warm-up inside the sheds.

Inside the suites a touch of the button brings the sound and atmosphere from the stands into the room via an integrated speakers that can pick up the noise from anywhere in the ground.

THE MINISTER

Sports minister Stuart Ayres toured the Stadium with The Sunday Telegraph. This is his venture.

“It will completely change the spectator experience and set new standards,” Mr Ayres said, “Fans will experience it and want to come back for more.

“We have to keep challenging ourselves to step up with what we can offer people at the venues.

“Importantly it’s also a stadium that can make money for the clubs to reinvest back into their sports and communities. And that’s what we want … successful Sydney based franchises.”

THE DRESSING SHEDS

The players will love it on game day.

You feel like you are walking into locker rooms at Levi Stadium, the home of the San Francisco 49ers. They are at least three times bigger than Shark Park, Brookie, Leichhardt or Campbelltown.

There are four dressing rooms and eight TV screens in each one. Plus two huge warm up areas and a recovery room with ice baths and hot spas.

This is seriously NFL or English Premier League-type facilities.

THE MEDIA

Your columnist worked for several years at the old Cumberland Oval in the late 1970s.

The press box was a tin shed on a tower. We climbed up a ladder to get in.

I can remember one day Eel fans pelted us with empty beer cans. It used to shake in high winds.

The facilities now for TV, radio and print media are as good as anywhere in the world.

There is a lounge area like a five-star hotel.

Plus the best viewing experience in the country — just like the punters get.

# Venues NSW will host a fan and community open day at Bankwest stadium on Sunday April 14.