sport, raiders, canberra raiders, raiders, nrl, nrl nines, act government, nines, todd greenberg, don furner

The ACT government has rejected the chance to host the NRL Nines, saying it's too expensive and they'll instead put their money on the high-flying Green Machine. They held talks with the NRL last year about potentially hosting the revamped tournament at Canberra Stadium in 2021, after it made it's return in Perth on Friday following a three-year hiatus. While the government felt it was too pricey, it's believed the NRL also harboured concerns. They were worried about an aging Canberra Stadium's ability to host an event like the Nines. All 16 NRL teams and the four NRL Women's teams compete at the event, which is crammed into two days of non-stop action. There's a belief within the NRL that Canberra would be able to attract more rugby league events if they had a new stadium. The Canberra Times revealed last week the ACT government were undertaking a $200,000 feasibility study to determine whether Civic was the best location for a new venue. The Anzac Test between Australia and New Zealand in 2017 was the last rugby league event Canberra Stadium hosted - outside of NRL finals. Perth Oval's the venue for the return of the NRL Nines, beginning with round-robin games on Friday and culminating with the grand final on Saturday night. The event started out as the Auckland Nines and spent four years in the New Zealand city before getting put on the backburner after 2017. MORE CANBERRA SPORT It's second coming will kick off the 2020 NRL season in Perth, but where it will be held next year is still up in the air. The Nines have been shopped around to various states and territories, but the ACT said it was out of their price range. Chief Minister Andrew Barr's government will instead direct any additional funding for the code to the Raiders. The Raiders are flying high going into the 2020 NRL season, having fallen narrowly short in last year's grand final. It's seen expectations go through the roof for the Green Machine with the government also wanting to climb on board. They're currently in discussions with the Raiders over their performance and stadium agreements. The Raiders have sent a young squad to Perth for the Nines. Elliott Whitehead was one of the few senior players making the trip west and he'll captain the side, although Nines coach Andrew McFadden said he might not have much game time. "A number of governments have been provided with a proposal around the potential hosting of the NRL Nines tournament," an ACT spokeswoman said. "The cost of the proposal is significant and likely to be unaffordable at this time. "The ACT government will instead direct our additional funding for rugby league to the Canberra Raiders." NRL NINES Friday: Canberra Raiders v Gold Coast Titans at Perth, 9.15pm. Saturday: Canberra Raiders v South Sydney Rabbitohs, 3.55pm.

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