2026 Crowd Watch

[marlins2.0]

Would be great to first get an upgrade to lang park making it 65k in the next few years. Once that happens, we get Accor rebuilt to be a 75k rectangular stadium with a roof. In that 2-3 years it being built the grand final shifts to the upgraded Lang Park.

Hopefully within this timeframe we can also get a new Canberra Stadium and the proposed upgrades to WIN and Brookvale.

Only the sharks would be left with a truly sub par stadium. Somehow if they can get some funds to upgrade it a bit at least making it 16-18k would be ok - and they should also move a couple games to Allianz and Gosford.

Saints move Sydney games to Allianz. Tigers move a couple big games to the new Accor.

HBF and Port Moresby to 27-30k all seaters.

Mt Smart gets an upgrade to 30k

Following this plan it sets us up to be able to push for 25k+ crowd averages.

Timeline:
2030 - Lang Park 65k
2031 - New Canberra stadium 27k
2031 - Upgraded Brookvale 24k
2031 - Upgrades to Shark Park 18k
2031 - New stadium introduced with NZ2: One Nz stadium
2032 - Mt Smart upgrade 30k
2033 - Rectangular Accor 75k
2033 - Upgraded WIN 24k
2034 - Upgraded HBF 27k
2035 - Upgraded Port Moresby 30k

This would help achieve:
- Broncos averages above 45k
- Canberra 22k average
- Manly 22k average
- Sharks 16k average
- Dragons 23k average (inc a few big Allianz games)
- Bulldogs regular 35k+ average
- Tigers 25k+ average
- Bears 24k+ average (including a big Optus stadium / Allianz home game)
- PNG 25k average


if Storm averages get to 25k, Newcastle 25k, Warriors 27k, Cowboys 24k.. We would get to a 25k+ average

Mt Smart won't be getting an upgrade. Auckland Council care about one ground, and that's Eden Park.

They've been talking about building a purpose built rectangular ground in Auckland CBD for 20 years and they keep shelling out cash for Eden Park.

Mt Smarts latest upgrade was the Eastern stand years ago. Nothing since and it won't happen. The same scaffolding in the South stand has been there since March 10 1995, all be it configured a little differently at times.

 

[i0Nic]

Mt Smart won't be getting an upgrade. Auckland Council care about one ground, and that's Eden Park.

They've been talking about building a purpose built rectangular ground in Auckland CBD for 20 years and they keep shelling out cash for Eden Park.

Mt Smarts latest upgrade was the Eastern stand years ago. Nothing since and it won't happen. The same scaffolding in the South stand has been there since March 10 1995, all be it configured a little differently at times.

If that’s the case and it doesn’t happen then the solution would be for Warriors to move either fully or at least their big games to Eden Park

 

[i0Nic]

The alternative is to go fumble style and move Manly, Dragons, Sharks to Allianz. Souths split their games 50/50 with new Accor and Allianz. Tigers move to new Accor.

It just becomes a lot more boring this way. Like the fumblers who play half their games at one stadium.

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

Have you seen property prices in Redfern or maroubra

Exactly, it`s called `gentrification` and they ain`t likely to be Souths supporters, they`ve moved there, Souths supporters have been forced out a generation ago, hence the dispersed nature, I remember it was one of the main stated reasons for moving to Accor, `our fans are in the western suburbs now`.

 

[Wb1234]

Exactly, it`s called `gentrification` and they ain`t likely to be Souths supporters, they`ve moved there, Souths supporters have been forced out a generation ago, hence the dispersed nature, I remember it was one of the main stated reasons for moving to Accor, `our fans are in the western suburbs now`.

They moved to Accor only bc of the 100k a game they were guaranteed from th stadium owners vs paying horrible rent at the sfs.

There was a study after that a lot of members were from Sydney’s west but that’s not why they moved

Re souths fans moving out of the area have a look at their grand final parade outside souths juniors

When they move back to the area their crowds will be massive

That’s one area of Sydney which knows who their rugby league club is

And I would say a big chunk of their fans from the west would go to Allianz games that don’t go now to Accor

 

[Barney Stubble]

Canberra Stadium sales map for tonight (Maroon indicates sold/off-sale). Shame this game is on a Thursday night, if it was a Saturday or Sunday, a lot of Bulldogs fans would have travelled down for it, as it stands, I'm thinking 15-16K.

View attachment 110768

unfortunately
thunder rumbling around Belconnen atm , & some thick black clouds forming
raining heavily about 15kms to the east as well

might be a wet one

Edit:

pouring right now in Bruce

 

[yakstorm]

unfortunately
thunder rumbling around Belconnen atm , & some thick black clouds forming
raining heavily about 15kms to the east as well

might be a wet one

Edit:

pouring right now in Bruce

That's unfortunate. I just saw on the Ticketek map that both GA areas are sold out, so the lower bowl would have at least been full of the weather had stayed fine.

 

[Barney Stubble]

Crowds not too bad considering the monsoon

I'll say 13000 odd

 

[drcmuch]

13,723 in Canberra (ABC radio)

 

[League Unlimited News]

 

[Raiders_Premiers]

wrong thread

 

[mccarthyj367]

13,723 in Canberra (ABC radio)

6/7 years ago this would have been 6k at Canberra in those conditions. Every one of those fans deserves a pat on the back.

 

[RedVee]

They deserve a medal

 

[Barney Stubble]

The Raiders didn't lose any fans tonight , were dumb , but brave...
hopefully the suns shines at home next Sunday V the Sharks & they get a big turnout

 

[marlins2.0]

If that’s the case and it doesn’t happen then the solution would be for Warriors to move either fully or at least their big games to Eden Park

Will never happen. Isolates Warriors core fan base in South Auckland. Current location is perfect as it serves as the midway point between the South Western and Southern motorways, and the South Eastern isn't too far away either, making it easy for South and West Aucklanders to travel, particularly on Friday nights where traffic is diabolical - particularly in winter.

There are certainly folk from the Shore who make the trip over the bridge, but they get shafted regardless of whether it's at Eden Park or Mt Smart.

Downtown makes sense as you have public transport from all directions (trains from south and west) and bus lanes from the north over the bridge. Time has shown that will never happen though. f**k they're still debating what to do at Western Springs with the speedway, another 20+ year debate!

 

[drcmuch]

13,723 last night, highest Thursday crowd in Canberra, though only the 5th ever (that I could find).
From 42 (non-covid) seasons the Raiders have 9 season averages higher than that, 33 lower.
Record average is 17,392 in 1994.
Good start for 2026.

 

[Desert Qlder]

Would be great to first get an upgrade to lang park making it 65k in the next few years.

Timeline:
2030 - Lang Park 65k

This is simply not happening.

The Queensland Government is building a new oval stadium for other sports and that's it.

People need to get it out of their heads.

 

[i0Nic]

This is simply not happening.

The Queensland Government is building a new oval stadium for other sports and that's it.

People need to get it out of their heads.

The qld premier said that lang park will get an upgrade before the Olympics though

 

[Desert Qlder]

The qld premier said that lang park will get an upgrade before the Olympics though

lol it's as good as done then.

 

[Cumberland Throw]

How is storm tickets looking ?