FORMER long-serving Group 4 and Country Rugby League official Frank Fish is disappointed the West Tamworth Leagues Club board wants to build a motel on Scully Park but he can see why.
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Fish, a Group 4 president for a decade before retiring a few years ago, would love to see Scully Park retained.
Wests Entertainment Group, the owners of the club and football field, has a DA before Tamworth Regional Council to build a motel/function centre on Scully Park.
Building a motel on the iconic ground would be a disgrace, Fish said, but it would not be happening if “the league had done the right thing”.
“If the NRL and CRL had done the right thing and played more games there we wouldn’t be in this position,” Fish said.
“The ground can hold 8000 to 10,000 but the games have been going elsewhere.
“They had a couple of games at Coffs and were flat out getting 2000. They took one to Albury and got 1000.
“I don’t blame Wests for building a motel there.
“They’ve got a business to run. Tamworth must be crying out for motels, I suppose.”
Fish, who lives in Narrabri but has been working in Walgett for three years, thinks the NRL, CRL and Group 4 have a little “to answer for”.
“Wests have given them plenty over the years.
“They’ve sponsored our Group 4 competitions. The y have allowed us to have meetings there without asking for anything in return. They’ve sponsored many things.”
He believes the NRL, CRL and Group 4 could have done more to provide rugby league games and attract people to Scully Park and the club to make it much more profitable for everyone.
He’s hoping the Wests board might change its mind about where it builds the motel and retains a ground that, he thinks, could be upgraded and host many more international, NRL, Country representative and local Group 4 games.