The Game Future NRL Stadiums part II

[Perth Red]

If you are moving the bigger games it leaves the smaller drawing games, Very likely those same games draw the same at the bigger grounds

stats would suggest not, and that's where you have to incentivize for the lower drawing games. Dynamic ticket pricing, bring a mate for $5, $50 family pass, get in free to warriors games if you have a kiwi passport etc etc

For sure games against less fashionable interstate clubs aren't going to draw like a game against a local rival but that shouldn't mean you accept playing them in a sub standard venue in front of tiny crowds, and lets be honest drawing sub 10k for a game in a top tier competition is pss poor by anyone's standard. To get the avg up you have to maximise the big crowds and minimise the small ones. We don't do either very well at the moment a lot of the time.

If an NRL club cant draw 14-15k home based fans should they be in the NRL? 15k home fans, and 5-10k away fans against other Sydney clubs doesn't seem an unrealistic target to aim for.

 

[Colk]

I think there is an argument for Cronulla and Manly, they aren't well supported outside their immediate community and getting to Commbank or SFS isnt the easiest trip for where their fanbase is, especially with the KO times we put on clubs.

5 really top notch stadiums for Sydney is about right number. SFS, Commbank, Penrith, Northern Sydney Stadium (could be used for Union as well) and Southern Sydney stadium (could be used by a future A league franchise as well). Only caveat would be NSW Govt take over ownership. They should not be pouring big money into properties owned by someone else imo.

Well that is their problem. Cronulla and Manly have long had small supporter bases and they have done very little about it. If you want to look at this optimistically this might be their opportunity to do something proactive about it.

Also, there are always solutions. Better scheduling. Double headers.

 

[Iamback]

There are a few solutions to these problems.

Schedule double headers at the bigger stadiums such as SFS
Play lower rating games at suburban venues and the big games at bigger venues

Double headers have issues. Things like What sponsors get what corporate box, Where do members of the respective teams sit? So you could probably do a couple. Good Friday would work as a double header with the 6pm Friday game though.

That is probably the one area that needs to be worked on

 

[Iamback]

stats would suggest not, and that's where you have to incentivize for the lower drawing games. Dynamic ticket pricing, bring a mate for $5, $50 family pass, get in free to warriors games if you have a kiwi passport etc etc

For sure games against less fashionable interstate clubs aren't going to draw like a game against a local rival but that shouldn't mean you accept playing them in a sub standard venue in front of tiny crowds, and lets be honest drawing sub 10k for a game in a top tier competition is pss poor by anyone's standard. To get the avg up you have to maximise the big crowds and minimise the small ones. We don't do either very well at the moment a lot of the time.

If an NRL club cant draw 14-15k home based fans should they be in the NRL? 15k home fans, and 5-10k away fans against other Sydney clubs doesn't seem an unrealistic target to aim for.

By that criteria. There would be no Professional Rugby Union or League in the world

 

[Colk]

Double headers have issues. Things like What sponsors get what corporate box, Where do members of the respective teams sit? So you could probably do a couple. Good Friday would work as a double header with the 6pm Friday game though.

That is probably the one area that needs to be worked on

I agree there are some challenges with it but it might be a good idea to bring a festival like atmosphere which will in turn encourage greater attendances.

 

[Iamback]

For comparison the Top Rugby Union comps averages

Biggest average attendances in European rugby this season - top 20 revealed

Here are the stats that highlight which clubs are attracting the biggest crowds in European football at present. There are a few surprises!

www.ruck.co.uk

Compares to NRL

 

[Iamback]

I agree there are some challenges with it but it might be a good idea to bring a festival like atmosphere which will in turn encourage greater attendances.

RL does need more events that is the one area the game can improve crowds on, Not this warped view that every single game will draw 20k. simply not viable but get 2 or 3 games of 30k, which allows for games in regional venues or suburban lesser drawing games

 

[Wb1234]

Sports Minister says "range of options" on table for stadium, as Labor demands more detail on project

Penrith's most respected local news service. Local newspaper and online news outlet.

westernweekender.com.au

Looks like Penrith is in doubt

labor will not be supporting stadia spending

 

[Wb1234]

Back in the 60 we had a match of the day at the scg on Sunday afternoon.

crowds were massive

that’s what they should be doing for Allianz

a Sydney derby every week on Sunday arvo

that’s the only way moving games from suburban grounds could work

 

[Perth Red]

There are a few solutions to these problems.

Schedule double headers at the bigger stadiums such as SFS
Play lower rating games at suburban venues and the big games at bigger venues

problem is the suburban venues are getting so poor that they need a lot of money spending on them, a lot more than the $250mill the NSW govt doesn't want to pay for 3 of them, and there's six of them currently in use. So even if they use them for some games they still need a lot of work to be fit for purpose. Which no one wants to pay for.

 

[Perth Red]

Sports Minister says "range of options" on table for stadium, as Labor demands more detail on project

Penrith's most respected local news service. Local newspaper and online news outlet.

westernweekender.com.au

Looks like Penrith is in doubt

labor will not be supporting stadia spending

Not surprising given even members of our own sport started questioning it! We are so dumb and self-centered at times.

 

[Iamback]

Sports Minister says "range of options" on table for stadium, as Labor demands more detail on project

Penrith's most respected local news service. Local newspaper and online news outlet.

westernweekender.com.au

Looks like Penrith is in doubt

labor will not be supporting stadia spending

Was always going to be the outcome

 

[Colk]

problem is the suburban venues are getting so poor that they need a lot of money spending on them, a lot more than the $250mill the NSW govt doesn't want to pay for 3 of them, and there's six of them currently in use. So even if they use them for some games they still need a lot of work to be fit for purpose. Which no one wants to pay for.

The only one we would be talking about here is Shark Park and they own their own stadium. Brookvale is at least serviceable (sure it could be better but the new stand should give them some leeway)

This whole ringing hands over stadiums is literally only for Cronulla and Manly. There’s nothing wrong with Penrith’s stadium as is whilst the rest of the clubs could play in shared stadiums all the time.

 

[Colk]

The only one we would be talking about here is Shark Park and they own their own stadium. Brookvale is at least serviceable (sure it could be better but the new stand should give them some leeway)

This whole ringing hands over stadiums is literally only for Cronulla and Manly. There’s nothing wrong with Penrith’s stadium as is whilst the rest of the clubs could play in shared stadiums all the time.

Actually the Dragons as well. Wollongong (in particular) and Newcastle would be the stadiums they should focus on to be frank.

 

[baselinepanther]

Not surprising given even members of our own sport started questioning it! We are so dumb and self-centered at times.

how can parrotturd claim 300 million for some stadiums benefiting 3 clubs could be better spent , but the same amount for one club isn't ?
hes an idiot , & this was being rightly pointed out

it was a pork barreling exercise from the start , & the new sfs not far behind it

if the labor govt won't fund stadiums then firstly the NRL will seek & be paid compensation for the breach of the original agreement for homebush , & the NRL GF will be purchased each year for a premium if its to be held in Sydney ..

 

[Perth Red]

By that criteria. There would be no Professional Rugby Union or League in the world

nonsense, there are only a few places in the world rugby league or union are the #1 sport, and thats Sydney and Brisbane for league and NZ for Union. Everywhere else they are in second, third or fourth tier compared to other sports comps in their cities.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Unless for example Sydney NRL clubs are going to become as big as European soccer clubs and build their own stadiums then there is very little choice other than shared stadiums.

Also, I think people sometimes underestimate the problems with upgrading these stadiums.

Firstly, the facilities of some of these suburban stadiums are so far behind the times. Even if you did upgrade say Leichhardt it would still not really be suitable. For example there is just not enough parking and you have very little corporate facilities. So essentially you are putting lipstick on a pig. Shark Park and a few other are the same, albeit they are slightly better than Leichhardt.

Secondly the stadiums and surrounding areas are just not big enough. With these facilities, in order for it to actually work, you would need to knock the whole thing down, rezone the land and make them bigger. That’s not going to happen.

Thirdly, people argue against shared stadiums because of accessibility, yet having stadiums in outer suburban areas, particularly when the city is so difficult to get around, is even worse for accessibility. Unless transport becomes so much better in Sydney (a lot is being spent but the whole plans won’t be finished for another 15-20 years) than surely having stadiums in areas accessible to the most amount of people makes so much more sense than having them in inaccessible areas. How many people outside of Cronulla are going to Shark Park for example?

Shared stadiums make sense. Have the majority of the games played at SFS and Commbank with Penrith playing at Bluebet and Manly at Brookvale. That’s manageable. It’s also a lot easier to negotiate upgrades if and when you require due to shared tenancy. Also you could look at a stadium in SW Sydney when the airport brings in massive growth in those areas.

I think a good compromise could be localised modern stadiums that can be shared. Simply moving everyone to two grounds like in the AFL isn't the RL solution

 

[Perth Red]

The only one we would be talking about here is Shark Park and they own their own stadium. Brookvale is at least serviceable (sure it could be better but the new stand should give them some leeway)

This whole ringing hands over stadiums is literally only for Cronulla and Manly. There’s nothing wrong with Penrith’s stadium as is whilst the rest of the clubs could play in shared stadiums all the time.

Penriths capacity and stadium quality is limiting their growth. They are at capacity of where they can be with that ground. We keep hearing their region is growing, having a better stadium (and tbh I would have thought a $250mill 25k would have been adequate) can only help them grow beyond what they are now. Like I said with 6 clubs using the two Sydney stadiums and new 25k stadiums for Sharks, Manly and Penrith Sydney is set for the next 50 years.

 

[Perth Red]

how can parrotturd claim 300 million for some stadiums benefiting 3 clubs could be better spent , but the same amount for one club isn't ?
hes an idiot , & this was being rightly pointed out

it was a pork barreling exercise from the start , & the new sfs not far behind it

if the labor govt won't fund stadiums then firstly the NRL will seek & be paid compensation for the breach of the original agreement for homebush , & the NRL GF will be purchased each year for a premium if its to be held in Sydney ..

of course it was, but if an NRL club benefits enormously then better that than another sport! Sets another NRl club up for the next 50 years which the whole game should be happy about.
If we didnt have the dumbarse suburban strategy Vlandys sold the NSW Govt we would have enough to have built the next one at Manly. Other clubs to SFS and Commbank and that literally would have only left one club in Sydney to sort out for the next 50 years!
As it is we currently sit no better off than we were before all this began other than Parra and Roosters having nicer versions of what they had.

 

[Perth Red]

I think a good compromise could be localised modern stadiums that can be shared. Simply moving everyone to two grounds like in the AFL isn't the RL solution

which no one is suggesting, but Sydney only needs 5 quality stadiums, not 10 venues!