EnergyAustralia Stadium nearing completion for first game

Newcastle Knights fans will have their first look at the new Eastern Grandstand at EnergyAustralia Stadium this Sunday when the Knights play their first home game of the season against the New Zealand Warriors.

More than 150 workers are on the site today as work continues on the installation of the seating, bar, kitchen and canteen facilities as well as the fit out of the corporate areas.

Hunter ISC Trust President Ted Atchison met with contractors this morning and said they are still on track to deliver seating in 75% of the upper deck and 90% of the corporate area for Sunday's match. With all seating in the lower concourse available the capacity in the Eastern Grandstand will be more than 10,500.

Mr Atchison said those patrons that sit in the new stand on Sunday will be impressed with what the Trust has been able to delivery courtesy of the financial support of the NSW Government.

"The new Eastern Grandstand is an outstanding facility and once completed will rival anything you will find in metropolitan areas," Mr Atchison said.

"We have had a number of groups through to inspect the grandstand over the past three months, and already the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive."

Patrons in the Eastern Grandstand will have an uninterrupted view from all seats in the upper, corporate and concourse levels and the new corporate facilities will enable the Knights and other venue hirers to take corporate hospitality to a new level.

Contractors will continue work on the site over the next month and more seats in the upper deck and corporate level will progressively become available at each of the Knights upcoming home games.

The project is due for completion in mid-May. The official opening of the new Eastern Grandstand will take place on the weekend of 3-5 June when the Knights take on the Brisbane Broncos.

Mr Atchison said that given the weather conditions the contractors have had to endure over the past six months, he is happy with the progress that has been made.

"In total we have lost around six weeks work due to rain, hot weather and high winds which had an impact on what was a tight construction schedule," Mr Atchison said.

Knights' patrons who have purchased tickets in the upper deck of the new Eastern Grandstand for Sunday's match are encouraged to access their seats from the Stadium's southern gate.

Knights CEO Ken Conway said that tickets sales for Sunday's game were going well. General admission and Eastern Grandstand tickets are still available and can be pre-purchased from the Knights Kingdom Supporters Store, NIB Retail Centres or other Ticketmaster 7 outlets.