Businessman Tony Shepherd wears two hats, as chair of the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust and chair of the AFL's newest team, the GWS Giants.

As boss of the Trust, he has won a major victory by the NSW Government's decision to begin work on Allianz ahead of ANZ.

Wide-ranging: Tony Shepherd wears two hats, as chair of the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust and chair of the AFL's newest team, the GWS Giants. Credit:Ben Searcy

Top ranking NRL executives fear he will win a second victory, should an incoming Labor Government cancel plans to begin work on the redevelopment of ANZ stadium, leaving it shaped friendly for AFL games and that code's expansion in Sydney's west.

However, Trust sources insist Allianz, which is 12 years older than ANZ, has significant upcoming compliance issues, particularly with safety. Furthermore, building ANZ first would cause greater disruption in the building phase, forcing too many teams to be homeless and the city losing more events.