What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

2018 Crowd Watch

Desert Qlder

First Grade
Messages
9,081
If it was 1993 then I would say 35k on a Sunday arvo at the SFS.

The 'home final' is a modern notion and a crutch.

Once upon a time all finals were played at the central stadium and there was no fuss. That figure your quoting is highly optimistic though, 25k at best.
 

CC_Roosters

First Grade
Messages
5,221
How far? Lol
Cronulla to allianz less than 30km. Such hardship!

Train lines to Central as well. It's the flagship finals series and a sudden death knockout so you would thin with both teams in with a shout of winning no to mention an interchange of players between squads this past 5 years that some sort of rivalry would be there. But no the fans of the game ley it down most of alt
 

Cumberland Throw

First Grade
Messages
6,442
Something is to be said for the old days of guarenteed scheduling of the nrl finals ...

Back in the 90s it was a set schedule of games at sfs in September

This led to a lot of sporting and social clubs actually organising months out bus trips and social club events around the finals

I went to a lot back in the day .. with parents work functions etc ..

It didnt matter a shit who was playing .. the games all got 30k plus no matter what

North's v Newcastle got 35k ..

Brisbane v illawarra got 34k

It didn't matter who was playing ..

There were neutrals... We have killed the neutral fan in RL ..
 

Billythekid

First Grade
Messages
6,560
Two of the games smallest clubs playing nowhere near their home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on a Friday night. I expected about 17k.

Sydney is not Melbourne, it’s a bitch to get anywhere, and the majority of the games fans live in the West. Hopefully we get the big Sydney clubs seeing some success soon, and failing that we play these fixtures at the new Western Sydney Stadium.

Doesn't explain why the swans got 40K last week. I guess their fans all conveniently live right next to the stadium.
 

Cumberland Throw

First Grade
Messages
6,442
Let's go suburban finals for 5 years..

Really kill off the neutrals .. really grind them into Dirt.. hey if they die even better ..

Them 3 years later.. he lets go back to centralised stadiums...

Oh we only get 17k a game ..
 

ReddFelon

Juniors
Messages
1,485
How many NRL teams are in Sydney?

The City of Penrith has a population of 196,000. Sutherland Shire has 218,000. I'm not dumb enough to assume that everyone in these places is a fan, but surely there's enough Sharks and Panthers fans that they could've at least hit 25k for a knockout final.
 

PARRA_FAN

Coach
Messages
16,988
Something is to be said for the old days of guarenteed scheduling of the nrl finals ...

Back in the 90s it was a set schedule of games at sfs in September

This led to a lot of sporting and social clubs actually organising months out bus trips and social club events around the finals

I went to a lot back in the day .. with parents work functions etc ..

It didnt matter a shit who was playing .. the games all got 30k plus no matter what

North's v Newcastle got 35k ..

Brisbane v illawarra got 34k

It didn't matter who was playing ..

There were neutrals... We have killed the neutral fan in RL ..

Good point about the neutrals.

Back in the 90s you mentioned those crowds, I mean the Brisbane Illawarra game got almost double tonight, a non Sydney game. I remember the big hype about the Raiders Bears match and everyone's second favourite team were the Bears but they still liked the Raiders.

Ok times have changed however we are trying to go back to those times. Understandably the NRL wants the finals at bigger venues rather than suburban grounds. Then week 2. Big crowds at Allianz or ANZ for the finals. Unfortunately it seems the people running the game are doing SFA about it.

How will they react to a crowd figure of 19,000 in Week 2 of the finals?

I don't know whether this game could've been advertised enough or whether they should go back to the Saturday/Sunday matches for weeks 2 and 3.

That might be better but with current TV deal it aint gonna happen.
 

Brutus

Referee
Messages
26,174
Something is to be said for the old days of guarenteed scheduling of the nrl finals ...

Back in the 90s it was a set schedule of games at sfs in September

This led to a lot of sporting and social clubs actually organising months out bus trips and social club events around the finals

I went to a lot back in the day .. with parents work functions etc ..

It didnt matter a shit who was playing .. the games all got 30k plus no matter what

North's v Newcastle got 35k ..

Brisbane v illawarra got 34k

It didn't matter who was playing ..

There were neutrals... We have killed the neutral fan in RL ..

Brisbane v Manly 38,432 in 93
Even Broncos v Storm at the SFS in 1998 got over 20,000 on a Sunday

Bring back Sunday finals footy.
 
Last edited:

Pedge1971

First Grade
Messages
5,898
Something is to be said for the old days of guarenteed scheduling of the nrl finals ...

Back in the 90s it was a set schedule of games at sfs in September

This led to a lot of sporting and social clubs actually organising months out bus trips and social club events around the finals

I went to a lot back in the day .. with parents work functions etc ..

It didnt matter a shit who was playing .. the games all got 30k plus no matter what

North's v Newcastle got 35k ..

Brisbane v illawarra got 34k

It didn't matter who was playing ..

There were neutrals... We have killed the neutral fan in RL ..

This. The scheduling really f**ks the country people who come to town for the weekend. They were 10 to 15k of a 30+k crowd in the day.
 

insert.pause

First Grade
Messages
6,446
The City of Penrith has a population of 196,000. Sutherland Shire has 218,000. I'm not dumb enough to assume that everyone in these places is a fan, but surely there's enough Sharks and Panthers fans that they could've at least hit 25k for a knockout final.
And the game was played in neither.
 

Billythekid

First Grade
Messages
6,560
It was a stupid comparison.

It's a perfect comparison. You say Sydney is too difficult to get around and therefore crowds are shit. Yet here we have a team pulling a 40K crowd right in the middle of Sydney.

Oh but I forgot people from the shire and Penrith have to drive to the game or catch the train and that's just too much. Apparently swans fans all live right next to the SCG.

Don't bother bringing up the pathetic excuse that Sydney has more NRL teams. You were blaming Sydneys poor transport for the crowd. We've seen time and time again that when an event is actually worth going to Sydney will draw a good crowd.

Panthers vs Sharks wasn't an event people cared enough to go to. That's the problem, not Sydneys transport infrastructure.
 
Top