Dragons to call Telstra Stadium home

St George Illawarra will move their Sydney home games to Telstra Stadium for the 2008 NRL season due to re-development works at their Kogarah base.

The Dragons will play at least six matches at the former Olympic venue, while also maintaining their current deal to play six games at Wollongong's WIN Stadium.

They will be the fourth team to call Telstra Stadium home, Wests Tigers, South Sydney and the Bulldogs already playing their games at Homebush.

As part of the move, the Dragons will be compensated by Telstra Stadium, the money sure to go some way towards easing the financial strain caused by the St George Leagues Club's decision to cut $2 million funding for next season.

"The decision to move our Sydney home games from Kogarah in 2008 was not an easy decision," Dragons chief executive Peter Doust said.

"Kogarah is very important to the Dragons but the decision was made for the future, to allow for an even greater OKI Jubilee Stadium to be developed for 2009 onwards."

The NSW government has provided a $7 million grant for the refurbishment of the western grandstand, but it falls short of the amount required to complete the project.

"We have been in negotiations with the state government for further funding," Doust said.

"Of course there is the possibility that additional funding will not be granted in which case redevelopment of a lesser scale will take place."