Wests Tigers ask fans to stand to boost Campbelltown Stadium capacity for Broncos clash
Get on your feet Wests Tigers fans – it’s standing room only. Literally.
Wests Tigers are planning to cram up to 2000 extra fans into a bulging Campbelltown Stadium for Saturday night’s NRL blockbuster against reigning premiers Brisbane to accommodate surging interest in the high-flying joint venture.
The club will ask supporters on the stadium’s eastern and western hill areas to stand rather than sit, enabling another 1300 fans into the big game.
And another 500 spots will become available given Channel 9 – whose commentary team use a large marquee on the hill – won’t be covering the game.
Wests Tigers management believe asking fans to stand for a Saturday night game, kicking off at 7.35pm, is a reasonable request.
The club wouldn’t consider asking fans to stand on the hill for a Sunday afternoon game, given officials consider that timeslot family friendly.
The extra room will push the ground capacity past 17,000. Wests Tigers’ 42-22 win over Newcastle at Campbelltown on Sunday pulled a crowd of 15,221.
The crowd surge continues a wave of momentum for a Wests Tigers side remarkably sitting equal first alongside Penrith on the NRL competition table after six rounds.
“There was a lot of people seated on the hill (against Newcastle),” said Wests Tigers chief executive Shaun Mielekamp.
“We will ask everyone to stand up, which is more appropriate on a Saturday night than on a Sunday afternoon for families.
“So we can maximise our opportunities on the hill, we will need people to stand as we can get as many people into the ground as we can for what will be a blockbuster match.
“It’s a little bit different (to the Newcastle game) but we will get a bigger crowd and are definitely expecting a sellout. Our aim is to get 17,000.
“Because it’s not a Channel 9 game, we will also be able to get another 400 to 500 people in through the extra space on the hill because we don’t have those broadcast requirements.
“Internally, everyone is really focused on making sure that this weekend is the best game we have had at Campbelltown. There is still lot of work to do but we are really excited to get 17,000 at Campbelltown.”
Wests Tigers have won four from five games this season and have secured three successive victories over Warriors, Parramatta and Newcastle.
The infighting and drama among the club’s board during summer seems long forgotten.
Wests Tigers will start the game as $1.55 favourites, according to TAB, with Brisbane the $2.45 outsiders.
“There’s no doubt it has been a great start to the season but we want to keep focused on the here and now and use all the old cliches about ‘one game at a time’,” Mielekamp said
“(Winning four from five) is a great place to be and those that have been around successful clubs know how important it is to get that balance right. You can’t bottle (excitement) but can’t totally let it off the leash.
“We want to keep everyone focused on doing what did to get us going well – that’s really important.”
After Sunday’s 42-22 win over Newcastle, Wests Tigers skipper Api Koroisau said: “We’re a new team this year and we have standards we want to hold. We can win games, but there is also work to do behind the scenes.
“It’s been hard times in the past and obviously we started the season off well."
