How to fix Monday Night Footy

[Perth Red]

Play them in perth every week, I'd go!

 

[nrlnrl]

I agree, it should be set out before the season starts, I don't think Monday nights work all the time, with rep games etc it gets in the way a bit. I would rather have Mondays played in 16 rounds so every team has one home Monday night game, allocated before the season starts. This would mean that 10 rounds would have no Mondays.

Eg this year rounds 9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,( all the rounds around rep time ) and round 26 would miss out.

On the non monday rounds I would like to see a 3pm Sat afternoon fixture, or 12pm Sunday for Warriors home games.

I don't agree on the centralised grounds, not everyone lives near the city. People are not going to travel into the city with their family from outer suburbs, game finishes at 9 - 9.30, then walk or bus to central, train home in bed sometime around midnight. Not going to happen on a schoolnight.

The attraction for Friday & Sat nights is that people don't have to get up for work the next day and the kids don't have school. Also a great way to unwind at the end of the week or kick off a big night, start at the footy and then kick on elsewhere. You also have the office workers who stay back for drinks after work and then go off to the footy. You don't get that for Monday nights.

I don't see bigger crowds for Monday as opposed to what you could get on a Sat or Sunday afternoon but am happy to put up with it if it means more $$$ into the game from Fox. Still doesn't mean I'm likely to go to the games.

Of all the concepts mentioned so far, this makes the most sense to me.

A balanced approach that sees each team with only 1 home game on MNF would work with a "fully predetermined" draw that should be introduced in 2013 with the new tv deal ( rather than the current lopsided one )ie - days are allocated for all 26 rounds before the start of the season.

It would have a flow on effect to other days as teams have their games spread around, rather than being dictated by the tv schedule.

 

[macavity]

What about regional area's getting Monday Night Football?

nice in theory - however most true regional areas would need to draw from a very large catchment area to make it work - meaning Monday would be a horrible day to do it.

ANZ, SFS, I don't care - it just needs to be made an event, instead of a pox on all our houses.

oh, and no way are they getting rid of it, hence the suggestion that we make the best out of a bad situation.

 

[yakstorm]

Due to the kick off times of Monday Night Football and just the fact it is Monday, clubs that host these games need to be limited to teams which have venues that are easily accessible.

So that more or less limits it to AAMI Park, Canberra Stadium, Suncorp Stadium, Leichhardt, SFS and ANZ.

Newcastle doesn't work because a lot of people in Newcastle work in Sydney, or live all over the hunter. Townsville is an obvious no go with their fans being all over Northern Queensland, and then venues like Penrith, Campbelltown, Brookvale and Cronulla all being near inaccessible for anyone coming from the CBD on a Monday night.

Parramatta is in the maybe pile, as sometimes it is possible to get that far west, and sometimes you should just give up. Also there are enough people who work around the Parramatta area who can be lured to a game.

By focusing on those raised 6 venues, and then throwing in Parramatta around School Holidays, I think that would go a long way to helping improve crowds at Monday Night Football.

The next thing that obviously needs to be looked at is the type of game played on the Monday night. Roosters v Cowboys is not an appealing game to a fan of the Roosters, let alone a casual fan, so why put it on the worse night of the week for fans to attend?

Matches should be appealing enough, that with a competitive price and promotion that fans are encouraged to go.

Teams should also look to target students for Monday night games, I know the Knights did a Student promotion for their MNF match against Manly with a $10 ticket, and they got 14K to the match, which was a strong crowd for where the Knights were on the ladder, the weather conditions, the fact it was on Monday, and when compared to other crowds the club had during this year.

Uni/TAFE Students, whilst they don't have a large disposable income are possibly the easiest group of fans to go out and do something social on a Monday. I know thats generalising a little bit, but I'm sure a lot of people when they think back to their late teens, early 20's would agree.

The next thing worth considering when working out what to do with Monday Nights is to find out why it works in Canberra? The Raiders have had some of their best crowds for the past 3 seasons on Monday nights, regardless of the opposition, it clearly is a concept, especially early in the season, that works well down there, so what do they do that's so special?

 

[super_coach]

I like the idea of taking Monday night to our regional centres. Kill two birds with one stone, put some life back into the grass roots and life back into MNF. It would take some work with team sponsors etc

 

[RLS]

Heard an idea like this on the radio today, his idea was to select a country area, spend a bit of money bringing the field etc. up to scratch, and playing all Monday night football there.

The idea is to help country football, with the country area changing every year, his reasoning was that Monday night football is only a TV game so the crowd numbers are only secondary.

 

[SEAT 1A]

I'm not a huge fan of MNF, as it's start of the working week, most of the games have been played and if it's s**ty night I couldn't be bothered to get excited. I only listen to the game if the Dragons are playing however, listen to neutral teams over the W/E.

Look forward to FRI night to watch/go as it's the start of the W/E for 9 to 5er's.

MNF should be targeting team with larger memberships. I went to the Manly game as I have paid for the game and thought it was going to be a good game even with a few Manly players out. Congrat's to the Manly supports that got to the game.

The NRL could also schedule 2 team that are geography close to each other to allow both supports time to get to the game. I also agree that it should start at 730PM.

 

[docbrown]

I think they should introduce Thursday night football instead. I'm much more likely to attend knowing the weekend is just around the corner!

Thursday I think was discussed but the competing entertainment options - movies, concerts, television, shopping - probably killed it.

Still I think its worth a trial. I think more people would attend a Thursday game than a Monday one. The key thing for Fox is to spread out viewer appeal for the product over more days than just the back to back weekend options.

I'd also like to see more Sunday night games when the Monday is a weekend. Sunday 7:30pm.

They'd draw a bigger audience and crowd than a normal Saturday game, as it feels like a special event. The networks should even broadcast the biggest ones as a special event, kind of like the Thanksgiving Day classics in the NFL.

Imagine something like an Easter Sunday or Queen's Birthday Eve blockbuster. It'd kill the ratings.

 

[Eels Dude]

Heard an idea like this on the radio today, his idea was to select a country area, spend a bit of money bringing the field etc. up to scratch, and playing all Monday night football there.

The idea is to help country football, with the country area changing every year , his reasoning was that Monday night football is only a TV game so the crowd numbers are only secondary.

That would be a very costly exercise though. The NRL can't afford to just chuck $50million every year to upgrade a certain country football field. If they can get into a position to afford that then the cash should be used for expansion and developing suburban grounds that are going to be used for ther NRL for more than one year.

 

[PaulyTom]

Get rid on monday night game.

Lets for a Super Sunday, 1200 ,2 @ 1400 and 1600 game. So 4 games on a sunday.

It would be good to head to a pub watch the 1200 game then to the 1400 game to watch your team and then back to the pub to watch the 1600 game.

Happy days...

I'm not keen on Monday night games and neither are the fans. Sitting at home is not the same.

 

[cleary89]

Uni/TAFE Students, whilst they don't have a large disposable income are possibly the easiest group of fans to go out and do something social on a Monday. I know thats generalising a little bit, but I'm sure a lot of people when they think back to their late teens, early 20's would agree.

Really? I have like 400 a week to blow on pointless stuff like food and alcohol. Most people I know are pretty similar.

 

[macavity]

One more time for the slow:

They.

Will.

Not.

Get.

Rid.

Of.

Monday.

Night.

Football.

MNF is a ratings winner. It is good for Foxtel/News Ltd. It isn't going anywhere. Even when we renegotiate the TV deals, even if Foxtel don't get the game, it is too valuable a slot for the NRL to get rid of it. The game is set up for TV. They don't give a crap about spectators at the ground. Ratings rule.

I would love another Sunday game too, and that might happen if we expand - but this thread is about how to make the best of a bad situation - how to fix MNF.

Not to go all Timmah on you, but posts saying we should get rid of it aren't really contributing to that topic.

 

[oldmancraigy]

Monday = good for TV dollar, so I'm all for it.

PERHAPS they could start the match at 7.30pm - that might make a little bit of a difference.

But I think the thing that will make the biggest differences for crowds (across all days) is to SCHEDULE THE SEASON IN ADVANCE.

Plan out rounds 1-26 without any 'help' from 9 or Fox, and then they can show the games that fall on their days. And by doing this they could ensure that all teams get a 'fair go' with MNF - and could also ensure that nobody has to play Friday night one week, then wait until a Monday the following.

 

[boonboon]

Personally I think the best option is this
Monday night games are not played in Sydney unless it is a long weekend
Melbourne schedule all their home games as Monday night - having lived in Melbourne there is great ground access and it means we are not competing with AFL
Canberra in the same way schedule all their games on a MOnday night as well as it is again an easy ground to access and an easy city to get around - again I lived there for 7 years and know what I am talking about

This means that it becomes an event in these cities, it means you are not competing with the AFL in Melbourne or the RUgby in Canberra or with other teams as a large % of people in Canberra support other teams and hence watch their own teams rather then go to games

You could cater for these teams and specialise in making them events and then occasionally on long weekends have a big game in Sydney

What do people think ? As I said I have lived in Canberra and Melbourne and now live in Sydney and I think given the disperse spread of people in Sydney and bad transport that Monday isnt a good option

 

[nrlnrl]

Personally I think the best option is this
Monday night games are not played in Sydney unless it is a long weekend
Melbourne schedule all their home games as Monday night - having lived in Melbourne there is great ground access and it means we are not competing with AFL
Canberra in the same way schedule all their games on a MOnday night as well as it is again an easy ground to access and an easy city to get around - again I lived there for 7 years and know what I am talking about

This means that it becomes an event in these cities, it means you are not competing with the AFL in Melbourne or the RUgby in Canberra or with other teams as a large % of people in Canberra support other teams and hence watch their own teams rather then go to games

You could cater for these teams and specialise in making them events and then occasionally on long weekends have a big game in Sydney

What do people think ? As I said I have lived in Canberra and Melbourne and now live in Sydney and I think given the disperse spread of people in Sydney and bad transport that Monday isnt a good option

:shock::?#-o

 

[jasonstevenswedgie]

I think they should introduce Thursday night football instead. I'm much more likely to attend knowing the weekend is just around the corner!

Thursday night is hockey night in the states and canada and it has sellouts and huge ratings.

Lets for a Super Sunday, 1200 ,2 @ 1400 and 1600 game. So 4 games on a sunday.

It would be good to head to a pub watch the 1200 game then to the 1400 game to watch your team and then back to the pub to watch the 1600 game.

Happy days...

you could still do this and have monday, thursday and friday games

one game thurs night 730 kick off
one friday night 730 kick off
one monday night 730 kick off

Two games Saturday 4 and 730 kick off

Supersunday 12, 2, 4, 6.

Television stations to bid on individual games

Requires 18 teams though.

 

[Eels Dude]

Personally I think the best option is this
Monday night games are not played in Sydney unless it is a long weekend
Melbourne schedule all their home games as Monday night - having lived in Melbourne there is great ground access and it means we are not competing with AFL
Canberra in the same way schedule all their games on a MOnday night as well as it is again an easy ground to access and an easy city to get around - again I lived there for 7 years and know what I am talking about

This means that it becomes an event in these cities, it means you are not competing with the AFL in Melbourne or the RUgby in Canberra or with other teams as a large % of people in Canberra support other teams and hence watch their own teams rather then go to games

You could cater for these teams and specialise in making them events and then occasionally on long weekends have a big game in Sydney

What do people think ? As I said I have lived in Canberra and Melbourne and now live in Sydney and I think given the disperse spread of people in Sydney and bad transport that Monday isnt a good option

You see the thing is clubs don't schedule their own games. The broadcasters negotiate with the NRL to do so. Either way I don't think it's fair Raiders and Storm fans should be playing so much monday night footy while Sydney clubs don't have to.

 

[forestfan]

New Zealand warriors could host a game or 3

never been on MNF tihs season or last

 

[Eels Dude]

New Zealand warriors could host a game or 3

never been on MNF tihs season or last

No doubt due to the fact that due to the time difference the game would be shown at 5pm Australian time, so Fox wouldn't be stupid enough to schedule a Warriors home game for that timeslot.

 

[bartman]

How to fix Monday Night Footy?

Ditch it, imo. Replace it on Fox with a weekend highlights show and/or panel discussion. Put the extra game on in another timeslot - Saturday 3pm and get rid of the touch foo.. er, I mean Toyota Cup.