ST GEORGE Illawarra Dragons wants to extend their grandstand at Jubilee Oval, Kogarah, but the extensions won't substantially increase ground capacity.
Next season, the Dragons may have to look at moving a couple of their large crowd-drawing home games to larger grounds.
The Dragons were heavily criticised by Parramatta and sections of the media for not moving Sunday's home semi-final against the Eels to the 45,000-seat Sydney Football Stadium.
The Dragons want to continue to reward supporters with home games at Kogarah, but if coach Wayne Bennett's success continues with the Dragons next season, as expected, they must decide whether to press ahead for the extensions to the western side of the grandstand,
which has development approval.
The Dragons, who lease the ground from Kogarah Council, have applied for grants to build the next stage of their works, which are estimated to cost $6-$7 million.
A Kogarah Council spokesman told the Leader yesterday that a dual-level stand extension would only ``marginally'' increase the ground capacity of 20,750. "While providing more undercover seating for supporters and sponsors, the extension would also swallow
up some existing English Street concourse seating,'' the spokesman said.
Dragons CEO Peter Doust said the "dilemma'' for clubs such as the Dragons was trying to cater for home supporters, while knowing ``big games'' might require larger grounds to properly cater for home and rival club supporters.
"For the time being we've decided to reward our home supporters, especially after ploughing so much work into Kogarah,'' Doust said.
Since 2003, the Dragons and the council have been successful in gaining more than $24 million in grants, the bulk coming from state and federal governments, for works that have turned the old ground into a modern, boutique stadium.
In comparison, WIN Stadium, Wollongong, the Dragons' second ``home'' they lease from the Wollongong Sportsground Trust and with a similar ground capacity to Kogarah, still suffers from a dilapidated western stand
While 17,900 were at the Kogarah game last weekend, the return clash between the Dragons and Eels should attract closer to 20,000 for Sunday's semi-final.