'We need it to survive': Las Vegas inspires Raiders' call for new stadium

He made the comments off the back of a visit to Las Vegas's Allegiant Stadium for the NRL's opening round there last weekend.

Furner wanted the Raiders to be one of the four teams to play in Vegas next year and will put in an application to the NRL in the coming weeks.

The ACT government has been talking about building a new stadium for the past 15 years, with the old Raiders headquarters in Bruce the latest preferred site.

The NRL got a crowd of about 40,000 into Allegiant Stadium, which holds 65,000, for their opening round double header last weekend.

It's the Las Vegas Raiders' home ground and was finished four years ago - with not only a roof but a retractable playing surface as well.

Furner said the sheer scale of the USA allowed them to make such impressive stadia, but it still sunk home how important facilities were.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr's conducting his seventh study into a new stadium, with the latest a technical-due-diligence on the old Raiders HQ at the Canberra Institute of Technology's Bruce campus.

Furner said facilities were crucial for all of Canberra's sporting teams - whether that's the Raiders, the ACT Brumbies, a new A-League team or a new Big Bash team.

It's believed a new A-League team is on the verge of being announced.

There's also a push for Canberra BBL and WBBL teams, with Cricket ACT chair Greg Boorer leading the charge.

Boorer's the chief executive of CDC - the Raiders' new jersey sleeve sponsor.

Furner said the Raiders would help Boorer bring a Big Bash team to Canberra.

He spoke to former NRL chief executive David Gallop when he was in Las Vegas for the opening round - Gallop's now on the Cricket NSW board and also the Venues NSW chair.

"I caught up with David Gallop over there," Furner said.

"Greg's very keen to get a Big Bash cricket team here in Canberra and I said we'll do whatever we can to help him because it's for Canberra."

Furner also renewed his call for a new stadium, with the government not expecting to complete one until 2033.

"Their facilities are amazing. If a cricket team comes to Canberra, a Big Bash team, and we and the Brumbies are to survive we need to have facilities. It brings people in," he said.

"That's what you get in massive scale over there. That's why we keep banging on about a new stadium. We need it to survive and we need it to thrive.

"We should build a nice new one here because it will sustain sport and us, and other codes, soccer, rugby union, for another 25 years."

NRL ROUND TWO

March 16: Canberra Raiders v Wests Tigers at Canberra Stadium, 3pm.