Tuesday looms as D-Day for Leichhardt Oval. Wests Tigers officials will meet with representatives from Leichhardt Council to discuss the use of the ground.
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Its future remains uncertain after Balmain were forced to hand over their lease to Leichhardt Council as their financial struggle continues. The council has since taken charge of the ground, which is supposed to host four NRL games this season.
Wests Tigers will need to agree to council's new lease in order to remain at the ground. The Tigers are due to host Canberra there on April 19. Tigers boss Grant Mayer has stated the club will not pay any extra to use the ground.
Leichhardt mayor Rochelle Porteous said the lease conditions will be unchanged.
"We are not proposing to change anything except ensure the maintenance of the ground is at its optimum level for NRL games," Porteous said. "Everything is proceeding as per normal, that's our intention."
It costs the Tigers almost $70,000 to play a game at the venue while they are paid about $100,000 per game to take matches to ANZ Stadium. Leichhardt Council will take hold of the lease until October, costing them $300,000.
"Wests Tigers have assured us on a number of occasions that the four games are locked in for this season," Porteous said. "We will be progressing with that. We've been doing different upgrade works on the oval and ensuring everything is in place to make sure games run smoothly."
Wests Tigers have no intention of taking over the lease from the council. Mayer has confirmed the Tigers will certainly play their round-seven clash against the Raiders at the venue but refused to commit long-term to the club.
Porteous hopes Balmain will reclaim the lease before the start of next season.
"We are wanting to see Balmain take the lease back as soon as they are financially able to do so," Porteous said. "In the interim we are paying the bills. We see ourselves as taking over the management of Leichhardt Oval because Balmain Tigers were struggling financially. We see this as very much an interim solution."
Leichhardt councillor Darcy Byrne will formally propose at council that Wests Tigers be offered a 10-year agreement to play at Leichhardt Oval, with very limited or no hiring fee at all to ensure matches remain in Balmain's heartland.
