2017 Crowd Watch

[insert.pause]

Pity we don't have more stadiums like AAMI park, don't need big crowds to look good on tv, very deceptive ground.

 

[Raiderdave]

the days of broadcasters screwing our game around are coming to an end
from next year when the NRL controls our draw ( within the present kickoff time schedule) last nights game won't be on a thursday night next year
it'll be a friday or sat night & instead of 16K
it'll be 20K plus .. maybe even 25K with no AFL around.the way it should be.

ch 9 can be content with games of far less calibre for their stupid 8pm thursday time slot
& if its an eastern seaboard 6pm friday game , foxtel will get the number 8 ranked game for that if that time slot survives til then.

 

[BuffaloRules]

16K is pretty good on a Thursday night....

Highlights that the NRL stuffed up only playing one game in Melbourne when they had some clean air before the start of the AFL season...

The Round 1 game against the Dogs should have been played there....

 

[Marley]

The NRL have the advantage of starting before the AFL season. Don't know why they don't fixture more games in AAMI Park in prime time slots. A Friday game could've seen 18K+ as there is literally no AFL this weekend (whether practice match or otherwise).

 

[Canard]

16,332 (that's what I think I saw on the big screen)

16,334 to be pedantic

 

[Marley]

Storm needs 20k +tomorrow

Billy's back
Heaps new members
First home game
CBD Stadium
Grand finalists
Biggest rivals
No afl

The biggest problem for the NRL is that there is hardly any promotion for the Storms in Melbourne. Casual sports fans in Melbourne see it as "what will I do this weekend with no AFL on"

Had it have been promoted everywhere that Billy was back, more people would've gone. I mean that is probably one of the only Storms player that the casual Melburnian knows about.
We literally get more promotion for the newly structured netball competition down here.

I am fairly new to the NRL (used to watch with a passing interest a while ago before the Storms were stripped of their titles), but got into it a bit recently because of Thurston and the Cowboys winning that epic grand final. I literally had no idea that Billy was back, or that the Storms played yesterday night. I expected it to be on either Friday or Saturday as I try to see what is going on in sport.

I remember back in the day when Melbourne was buzzing for the Storms in the mid 00s, the games between Melbourne and the Broncos were hyped up because of the rivalry. I think interest kind of died after they were stripped of their titles and the NRL have done little to win back the fans.

 

[Canard]

To back up Marley's anecdote most of the Melbournites in my office asked "So has it started already?" And were shocked when I said it was Round 3.

 

[Marlins]

Pity we don't have more stadiums like AAMI park, don't need big crowds to look good on tv, very deceptive ground.

When the new parramatta, HomeBush & NQLD stadiums are built we should get better attendances. We already have AAMI park, Suncorp, McDonald (Newy) all we need then is brand new SFS, 25k stadium out at Campbelltown for WTs and Canberra stadium and we would be set.

 

[Billythekid]

Good crowd. Could have been 20K+ in almost any other timeslot. Hopefully that's a sign of good things for storm crowds this year, if they can get 16K+ on a Thursday night hopefully they can do better in good timeslots.

 

[Valheru]

I agree with those who have already said the NRL (and people who constructed the season draw) missed an opportunity to play 2 Storm home matches in the first 3 rounds with no competition from the AFL, as well as scheduling them in a better timeslot (Saturday night or Sunday arvo).

Also, I can't believe the Sharks have 5 consecutive home matches. That's nearly half of their season quota. That has surely got to be a regular season record in the history of NSWRL/ARL/NRL. I know some teams have had 4 in a row (e.g. Newcastle Knights in 1999 and 2016), but don't recall anyone having 5.

The roosters also have 5 home games straight during this season. Two of them aren't at the SFS but the NRL weren't to know that when building the draw.

As I said earlier in the thread, it seems a lot of teams have home or away streaks of 4+ this year. I don't know if they are using a new algorithm to build the draw this year but barring stadium availability no team should have more than 3 in a row with 2 being ideal.

 

[Marley]

To back up Marley's anecdote most of the Melbournites in my office asked "So has it started already?" And were shocked when I said it was Round 3.

Yep this. Many Melburnians just assume that NRL and AFL start at the same time.

I personally said to myself that I will watch more NRL games this year instead of just the usual grand final. Because I am not used to following NRL, I keep forgetting about it because there is next to no promotion to remind me. I usually remember on a random Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday to check the scores. It's not like you'll have many conversations about NRL.

It makes me wonder whether the NRL even care about a side in Melbourne while the AFL compromises the whole competition to keep the Sydney teams relevant.

When push comes to shove, Melburnians will sit and watch even a good NRL game if the right level of promotion and hype is given to the event. It's sport after all and Melbourne is crazy about sport. Especially when it comes to rivalries. The biggest example is Stage of Origin matches. Brought it to Melbourne and it sold out Etihad with a crowd of 56K and of course the 91K crowd at the MCG. Shows that there is a base.

For the Broncos to come here before the AFL season pretty unannounced with Billy coming back is pretty disappointing.

Having Melbourne play one or two matches a year against a rival with the right level of promotion at Etihad or even the MCG will instantly see more people attending.

 

[Perth Red]

It's a shame the nrl didn't put $1mill into marketing the game down there, $1mill into the vrl and just give storm $2.5mill extra a year instead of $4.5mill.

Decent crowd, for a Thursday night.

 

[Russell Crowe's Band]

I agree with those who have already said the NRL (and people who constructed the season draw) missed an opportunity to play 2 Storm home matches in the first 3 rounds with no competition from the AFL, as well as scheduling them in a better timeslot (Saturday night or Sunday arvo).

Also, I can't believe the Sharks have 5 consecutive home matches. That's nearly half of their season quota. That has surely got to be a regular season record in the history of NSWRL/ARL/NRL. I know some teams have had 4 in a row (e.g. Newcastle Knights in 1999 and 2016), but don't recall anyone having 5.

gotta be cos of construction etc

weird draw though

 

[carcharias]

It's a shame the nrl didn't put $1mill into marketing the game down there, $1mill into the vrl and just give storm $2.5mill extra a year instead of $4.5mill.

Decent crowd, for a Thursday night.

A one team state against the broncos tcould only get 16k to the game.
Perfect weather.
With no other game all weekend and first game of the year.
Plus the return of Billy Slater.

We are one pissy little area of Sydney , surrounded very well supported teams and got 2/3rds of that crowd in the rain against the same opposition.
Same timeslot and competing with 4 other Sydney games on the same weekend.

All things considered that was a pretty average crowd last night I reckon.

 

[papabear]

A one team state against the broncos tcould only get 16k to the game.
Perfect weather.
With no other game all weekend and first game of the year.
Plus the return of Billy Slater.

We are one pissy little area of Sydney , surrounded very well supported teams and got 2/3rds of that crowd in the rain against the same opposition.
Same timeslot and competing with 4 other Sydney games on the same weekend.

All things considered that was a pretty average crowd last night I reckon.

Thursday night crowd of 16k is pretty average?

Compared to your piece of shit mob its a great crowd.

 

[Burns]

Any idea on Warriors game tonight being played in Dunedin? (should say Bulldogs seeming it's their home game I suppose)

 

[Panther91-03]

I think if we had stadiums like Forsyth Barr Stadium at penrith, brookevale, canberra, cronulla, leichhardt and kogarah. Crowds and weather wouldn't be a problem

But that will never happen

 

[carcharias]

Thursday night crowd of 16k is pretty average?

Compared to your piece of shit mob its a great crowd.

Not when you factor in all the reasons why they should've got more
FTR
My shit mob won the comp and there were less Melb supporters at the grand final than there was there last night.

 

[Emu01]

We need a couple of stadiums like this one in Sydney.

 

[moffla]

FTR
My shit mob won the comp and there were less Melb supporters at the grand final than there was there last night.

What a silly argument and it really doesn't make your point.
It cost me $600 to get to Sydney and back for the GF last year with no public holiday in Vic the next day. Not as simple as a train ride from the shire. I don't think too many storm supporters were in the a position where they could afford it.