The hits keep coming for NSW opposition leader Michael Daley after Channel 9 took the dramatic step of taking a public stance on the raging Sydney stadium debate.

After a turbulent week in which Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) chairman Peter Beattie threatened to sell the NRL grand final to a rival state, Daley’s counter-proposal to the NSW Government’s $1.5 billion stadium strategy came under fire again on Monday when Nine came out swinging in favour of Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s plan to re-build Allianz Stadium and upgrade ANZ Stadium.

It comes after Daley announced recently Labor will scrap the Government’s stadium plans if elected on March 23.

However, Allianz Stadium’s $730 million re-build in association with the SCG Trust is scheduled to commence before NSW goes to the polls.

Daley’s declarations means the NSW Government will have violated the existing Memorandum of Understanding between the NRL and the NSW Government for the NRL grand final to be played in Sydney for the next 25 years.

media_camera The grand plans for Allianz Stadium and the SCG.

Daley has since denied Labor’s move would jeopardise the NRL grand final’s future in Sydney, despite Beattie last week reportedly meeting with Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones to discuss hosting future NRL grand finals in Brisbane.

High profile SCG Trust member Alan Jones last week accused Daley of “breathtaking ignorance”.

NSW Rugby chief executive Andrew Hore also criticised Daley’s failure to communicate his plans to key NSW stadium stakeholders, including the NSW Waratahs.

Now Nine has joined in.

“Sydney is a world class city that needs world class stadia,” Nine CEO Hugh Marks said in a statement.

“The NRL is NSW’s premier sporting competition and needs modern facilities to continue to grow and thrive. Parramatta and the Greater West will be well catered for with the new Western Sydney Stadium to open early next year.

media_camera NSW Labor leader Michael Daley isn’t backing down either.

“Central Sydney also requires the same level of modern well equipped facilities to service the North, South and East of Sydney. Nine wants to showcase NRL as a great national sport and we can only do this with the best stadia as the setting.”

Daley responded to the widespread public criticism by declaring he won’t be “bullied or intimidated by the NRL”.

“If Todd Greenberg and his mates decide to take the Grand Final out of Sydney then it is on him,” Daley told Fairfax Media.

“They are going to have to explain to their loyal NSW fans why they are taking the game out of the state.”

Beattie has since insisted it is no empty threat that the NRL will move the season’s September finale interstate.

“Of course we are serious when we say we will take the game elsewhere,” Beattie told The Daily Telegraph.

“Kate Jones asked me if this was a genuine option and I said it was.

“We have to do what’s best for the game and the fans. And we will do that”.

Originally published as Nine wades into NRL Stadium wars