The Manly-Penrith game would have drawn a bigger crowd at Penrith, but of course it was Manly's home final. The Sharks match likewise, and it was their home final. The NRL should consider using Penrith, Cronulla and maybe Wollongong/Kogarah in week 1 where it is considered these grounds would draw a better crowd than the bigger joints. Not Brookvale though, it is just a shithole.
Its a f**king final! Get the f**k out there! It was once the norm that finals matches were centralised and fans turned up. I'm all for finals being played at home venues, but until they make them all seater and have a capacity greater than 30k, then the major venues it should be. The game should be striving to be greater.
Playing these matches at SFS or Homebush Bay Oval (if Penrith or Parra host them) gives the match a finals vibe.
The shit crowds are due to more than Manly, Penrith and Cronulla fans avoiding the city. There are multiple issues which have festered and created apathy among supporters.
The NRL schedule with too many games at fan unfriendly times.
The inconsistency in officiating and the constant reviews which keep stopping the game rather than allowing it to move along.
The regular season dying once Origin begins.
Too many games which means matches aren't an event.
There are more, but basically there are a myriad of problems with the game, and most of them were caused by the NRL spreading their legs wider than a king cross whore for the broadcasters. The extra coin they got was always going to be a slippery slope to dwindling crowds. Make it easier for merkins not to attend, then the routine sets in.