Sydney risks losing the NRL Grand Final without a guarantee the NSW government will build more suburban grounds, James Willis has revealed.

The NRL had previously agreed to keep the Grand Final in Sydney until 2046, on the condition ANZ Stadium received an $800 million redevelopment.

The ANZ deal was cancelled due to COVID-19, with the NRL now requesting three to four suburban grounds be upgraded for the same price.

However, James Willis has revealed there is no written contract, and the NRL Grand Final won’t be secured until the NRL receives confirmation the grounds will be built.

NSW Sports Minister Natalie Ward dismissed suggestions the event could disappear from Sydney, telling James there’s “no way” it’ll move to the other capital cities in decades to come.

“They had a little go at it, they had a little taste … but that’s just once.

“We know suburban grounds are the lifeblood of our communities James, and we’re keen to develop those sporting infrastructure at every level.

“We’ve got some final business cases under way into that.”

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