PARRAMATTA have rejected a bid to play their 2019 home games at the new $300 million Western Sydney Stadium (WSS), throwing the NRL draw into chaos a week before its release.

The sensational move was announced a letter to Eels members, with club CEO Bernie Gurr explaining he refuses to sign the ‘unacceptable’ commercial deal.

VenuesLive, the operator of the stadium, and the Eels have been negotiating the deal for six months, but Gurr said the current proposal was compared with other offers being received by the NRL and other sports, and accepting the deal would adversely affect the club.

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Although Parramatta had been told to expect their first home game at former Pirtek Stadium site in Round 6, the NRL will now be forced to mark the draw with ‘TBC” for all of the Eels’ home game venues. The draw is still expected to be released next week.

In the letter to fans, Gurr said: “As it stands today, the club has been offered commercial terms by the stadium operator that are not acceptable to the board of the Parramatta Eels Club or the Parramatta Leagues Club.

Therefore, when the NRL draw is released in the near future, the venue for the club’s home games in 2019 will be marked as “TBC” (to be confirmed).

“Our view that the current proposal is unacceptable has been confirmed after an extensive six-month due diligence process conducted by myself and other members of the management team. The due diligence process has included the engagement of a reputable consulting firm. Together we have benchmarked the commercial terms of the current offer against offerings currently being received by NRL and other sports at a range of stadiums across multiple states of Australia.

“The current proposal if accepted would adversely affect the ability of our club to invest in our football department including our NRL team and our junior elite football programs.

“The current agreement at ANZ has adversely impacted the club financially and we are not prepared to accept a new agreement that will continue to impact the club negatively for the next 25 years.

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“The club will also not compromise on key areas that are important to our members and supporters such as:

— Affordable food and beverage pricing and options

— A clear public transport plan for WSS to enable members to attend games smoothly

— Reasonable event costs to ensure affordable pricing for members and casual ticket holders

— Expanded opportunities for our corporate partners to help drive revenue for the club

— Better technology to enhance game day experience

“In the interests of arriving at a fair and reasonable deal, we are continuing our discussions with the stadium operator in an attempt to resolve this matter quickly so that our members and supporters have a clear understanding of the WSS schedule for 2019.”

On the club’s website, Gurr said the club has played home games on the site since 1947 and expects to do the same in 2019 once a fair agreement was reached.