In a further twist, the leadership coup that ousted Tony Abbott as Prime Minister raises questions about whether the Federal Government's $10 million commitment to Brookvale Oval still stands. Those developments, coupled with the game's investment shift to larger stadiums, raise fears about whether NRL fixtures will continue to be held at "Fortress Brookvale". There was an outcry over the state of the surface for a clash between Manly and Canterbury in March due to the sandy and patchy state of the field. No NRL matches were shifted while the pitch was re-turfed because a quirk in the draw ensured the Sea Eagles were on the road for the next series of games. But the club is aggrieved because lower-grade fixtures, two of them televised, were shifted. Warringah Council stated it has "successfully maintained Brookvale Oval to NRL standards for decades" and claims to have committed 900 man hours, mowed the surface 90 times and re-turfed 60-80 per cent of the field this year. "We've been supporting the Sea Eagles for decades and obviously want to see them stay at Brookie but it's not fair that they are ripping off ratepayers to stay afloat," said they mayor of Warringah Michael Regan. "Maybe the fans are right when they say that the NRL and the Penns' want to move to Gosford and are using Council as a scapegoat so they can blame us for the decision.

"The truth is, Warringah's ratepayers are effectively subsidising them by $600,000 a year already. If they don't pay their bills, ratepayers will have a massive Sea Eagles tax they never agreed to. "The club's solution to fund Brookie is two 30 storey towers on public parkland they don't own, that planning controls don't allow and infrastructure won't support. "They signed this lease and they need to pay their rent like everyone else - every mum and dad, every sporting group and every private business. "And they make substantial revenue out of the venue, maybe they need to cut their costs and be more efficient like every other business.' Manly officials said the hiring rates are not comparable to those of other clubs and claim it costs an average of $45,000 per game just to open the gates. Sea Eagles chief financial officer Neil Bare said the club had attempted to renegotiate a new rate with council as soon as there was an ownership change in the off-season, with a view to striking a deal that would extend beyond the current 12-month contract. "Brookvale Oval is our spiritual ground and we always want it to be that," Bare said.

"We know Warringah Council want to support the Sea Eagles and know we're an important part of the community. It's just arriving at something in the future that's sustainable for both of us. We just want a sustainable hire arrangement for the ground. Given how much we provide to the community in terms of over 700 hours of community-related visits, we provide more back than just a casual hirer. We think that should be heavily considered when we look at an arrangement going forward."