Construction begins on Brookvale Oval Centre of Excellence

Construction on the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Centre of Excellence at Brookvale Oval has officially commenced.

Sea Eagles Chairman Scott Penn was at Lottoland to "celebrate the turning of the soil" at the ground's northern hill, which will become a 3,000-capacity grandstand.

The $33 million upgrade at the Northern Beaches venue, which is considered one of the worst in the NRL, will install state of the art facilities including a gym, food outlets, disability access, and female changing rooms. The playing surface of the stadium will also be upgraded.

Penn said the Sea Eagles were "super excited to be able to share this facility with the community.

"The Sea Eagles are such an important part of the Northern Beaches fabric. We love being out in the community. We love being part of the Northern Beaches.

"Being here, in our heartland, right in the middle of Brookvale, you're going to be able to see [the Sea Eagles players] on a regular basis."

The upgrade was funded by the NSW State Government (contributing $20 million) and the Federal Government ($12.5 million), with the club making a $600 thousand contribution to the project.

Construction is expected to complete in time for the 2022 NRL season and lead into an eventual redevelopment of the ground into an all-seater boutique venue, as part of the league's plan to prop up miniature Bankwest Stadiums across Sydney that would service all teams in the city.

New grounds in Campbelltown, Penrith, Belmore, and southern Sydney were also suggested.