Smith indicated on Friday the suburban grounds would be retained as training facilities and perhaps to host the odd game – "from time to time it's great to recognise where we come from" – but with the government's investment contingent on content being guaranteed, most games will be held at the new stadiums.

"I think you can never lose sight of the spiritual homes," Smith said. "The stadium policy, the strategy that we worked on with the government for many, many, many months sees the spiritual homes protected so the high-performance centres would stay in the suburban areas close to the fans and close to the community.

"But what we'll be able to see is consolidation over time. This is a 10-year plan. We'll be able to see consolidation over time into world-class rugby league stadiums and that's got to be fantastic for fans.

"The fact you've got the venues in the right place, the transport infrastructure with roads, the facilities that people can enjoy, which means when you get there you're not queuing for hours to get out of a car park, you're sat in a comfortable seat ... it's a contemporary experience at a world-class venue."

Smith had pushed for a 65,000-seater stadium at Moore Park, but maintained a new stadium on the site with a capacity of between 50,000 and 55,000 was "absolutely perfect".