Why would the media NOT pick up on a rugby league tournament in which 2 games out of 28 were being played in the biggest rugby league market on the planet? If they hadn't it would be a massive problem because it would prove no one gives a f**k about the RLWC.
I don't 100% agree with everything you say, but you've nailed the point, as well as the ones below
They won't even be half filling "suburban shitholes" they'll be half filling regional athletics facilities instead. And for double headers as well.
When they fail to sell thousands of tickets because of double headers in small regional stadia and quarter finals in non-RL playing areas the economics of the situation might not seem like such a winner. Not to mention the bad PR in Sydney and NSW that has already put people off the tournament and IRL in general. The flow on effects of that to sponsorship, TV ratings and ticket sales to the two games in Sydney might make the economics of it seem rather poor indeed.
But in any case the genius who orchestrated it can wash his hands of it now that he's walked or got himself sacked for unprofessional behaviour.
People should look at Barlow Park and The ground in Darwin before bagging out Stydney grounds
This
If a CEO can't stand by his decisions, namely:
a) A highly controversial draw
b) Abusing people who dare question it
Then he shouldn't be CEO.
If he got fired he's an idiot, if he quit he's a coward. Which is it?
This x 100
Only negative is that a SF is not hosted in Sydney
But what do exoect when a RLWC is spread throughout the rest of Australia and the Pacific
Profit was more important and growing the game in regional ateas
Sydney has shown time and time again its lack of interest for international RL
As adamkungl and others have stated, the issue goes beyond the typical "Sydney being shafted due to their lack of support of international RL" argument:
- Other areas of NSW have been shafted. Easy for Sydney-hating jerks like Perth Red to say absolute tripe such as blame the NSW Government; you voted for them (which I and many others here didn't, you imbecile!). The fate of other potential venues in NSW should've never rested in the hands of state governments, which is a failing on the behalf of Brown for allowing this in the first place. As much as us from NSW love our rivalry with QLD, it is also a complete utter joke that even South-East Queensland - another RL heartland - will not see any World Cup action until the semi-finals. So, only 4 matches in Sydney/Brisbane. Could you only imagine 4 out of 31 matches in the 2021 UK RLWC held in the Manchester/Yorkshire regions?
- Playing Australia vs England at AAMI Park. Yes, the Perth Red argument is that it will sell-out, look and sound good on tv, but neglecting the fact that playing one of the marquee matches of the tournament in a 30k stadium is the epitome of selling yourself short, lack of ambition and aiming the bar low, which has become synonymous with the rugby league administrators (especially in Australia) for many years. This match deserved far better than that. Considering that it initially was proposed to be held at the MCG before Cricket Australia stepped it and didn't allow it, going from the MCG to AAMI Park is incredibly disappointing. Etihad in Melbourne had the right capacity for the match. Considering this corresponding fixture at Etihad in 2008 got 36k on a Sunday night (which didn't finish until close to 10pm) at a time when the reputation of RL in Australia before that World Cup was shaky (I did a longer post on this earlier in the thread) and there was a massive gulf in the playing talent between the squads, there's absolutely no doubt this time around Etihad could definitely got 50k+, and what a huge boost and publicity for the tournament that would've been to get off to such a start. England have come a long way since 2008 when we spanked them 52-4, and with Wayne Bennett as coach would've given the marketing/advertising committee something to work with.
- Playing the NZ vs Samoa and semi final in 25k seat Mount Smart Stadium instead of Eden Park. Again, like the Australia vs England point made above, another classic example of selling the tournament short. If the Warriors NRL club side have racked up 35k+ at Eden Park in the past, and NZ narrowly edged out Samoa when they met in the Four Nations tournament a couple of years ago, this fixture definitely could've got 40k+.
- Minimisation of travel. Another failing of Brown. Group B matches should've been all played in New Zealand, and don't understand the logic of having the other three teams travel back and forth between NZ and Cairns. Also, as an Aussie, even I can see that England have been screwed majorly, having to travel from Melbourne to Sydney to Perth to Melbourne (most likely for their Q/F) to potentially Auckland for their semi-final to potentially Brisbane for the final. That....is just insane, when you consider that NZ will barely travel much, playing all their matches in Auckland/Christchurch/Hamilton/Wellington until the final (in Brisbane, if they make it).
- A missed opportunity not capitalising on the ethnic bases in Australia. Games like France vs Lebanon could've sold out and got close to 20k in places like Campbelltown or Kogarah (Parramatta Stadium won't be available at the time), rather than in Canberra where it will struggle to crack 10k.
- Double headers. Yes, if it was at a larger venue such as Wembley and Cardiff in 2013, I could understand. But to play three of them, let alone in sub-25k stadia such as Perth and Townsville, and 15k Barlow Park athletics ground in Cairns is a joke. The only way the tournament organisers could still save face now that Brown is gone (and before tickets go on sale in October) is to take 3 of those 6 matches elsewhere to venues that don't have matches.
The scheduling of the venues clearly wasn't thought through properly and although it is good that places like Perth and PNG will be hosting matches this time around, the scheduling of other matches could've been much better
