Shane Risby, 23, of Jubilee Avenue, and a 15-year-old girl were charged with arson after lighting a fire that destroyed one third of the grandstand belonging to Waratah Sports Club on November 30, 2019

The fire also destroyed training equipment, marquees, sports uniforms and other items belonging to Orange City Junior Rugby Union Club that were stored underneath the grandstand.

According to police, Risby, the girl and two boys met at North Orange Shopping Centre at 11.30am and walked up to Pride Park.

Later on, Risby threw a recycling bin against a railing on the grandstand, he damaged the railing and the yellow lid broke off the wheelie bin.

Risby then leant the bin lid on an angle against a crate that was next to the grandstand wall and he set a shirt on fire underneath the lid.

One of the other boys who was in the grandstand saw the fire but by the time he ran down to stomp it out, it had already burned through the bin lid.

NSW Fire and Rescue who extinguished the fire, although the grandstand sustained significant fire, smoke and water damage. Police also attended and stopped Risby and the girl about one kilometre from the fire but let them go.

Risby was arrested and charged on December 3.

Solicitor Nico Rump said he spent about five months in custody, not consecutively, after he was refused bail, released and jailed again in relation to the arson.

Risby initially pleaded not guilty but changed his plea in March, which magistrate David Day took into account when he handed down the jail sentence with a 12-month non-parole period.

Risby will appeal the severity of that sentence in Orange District Court but Mr Day refused to grant him bail on Friday and said he thought it would be unlikely for Risby not to be given full-time jail and he would not have long to spend in custody before the appeal is heard.