Campbelltown Stadium will become the new home of the Penrith Panthers until at least Round 9 of the NRL.
The Panthers were originally expected to play out of Bankwest Stadium once the season resumes next week, but will now join the Dragons, Tigers and Raiders at Campbelltown.
The NRL will use six venues from Rounds 3 to 9 before reassessing the situation – Campbelltown Stadium (Panthers, Dragons, Tigers, Raiders), Bankwest Stadium (Eels, Bulldogs, Rabbitohs, Sharks, Roosters), Central Coast Stadium (Knights, Warriors, Sea Eagles), Suncorp Stadium (Broncos, Titans), QCB Stadium (Cowboys) and AAMI Park (Storm).
Acting Chief Executive Officer Andrew Abdo said the strategy was designed to ensure all venues provided the safest possible environment for players and staff, based on the NRL’s strict biosecurity protocols.
“The competition will begin with a consolidated approach to venues. Each venue requires customised infrastructure to meet our strict biosecurity requirements. We’ve adopted a phased approach for venues should restrictions be eased in the future,’’ he said.
“We’ve chosen three consolidated venues for clubs in and around Sydney to ensure there are no double headers at venues and in different parts of the region to meet the geographical challenges we face.”
