End nears for suburban NRL grounds

[carcharias]

f**k somebody tell this docile merkin that people don't want to
go to the SFS or Homebush .

It takes too f**king long to get there and home for us.

No matter how fancy the plastic seat is or how modern the urinal is
it still won't make me want to sit in traffic for 6 times longer than i do now.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

:lol: I'm sure Penrith fans would sign up in droves to watch their team play at Parra Stadium.

 

[gronkathon]

People suggesting moving to Parra stadium should really look at the ill fated Sydney Tigers experiment to see how utterly geniused the idea is

 

[CrazyTiger]

People suggesting moving to Parra stadium should really look at the ill fated Sydney Tigers experiment to see how utterly geniused the idea is

Balmain weren't winning at that time (as you well know). The Sydney Tigers experiment
doesn't confirm anything other than crowd support goes down when you lose consistently
and that people aren't going to go and watch shit being dished up because the facilities
are supposedly fantastic.

If Balmain had been winning the experiment would have been far more interesting.

 

[CrazyTiger]

f**k somebody tell this docile merkin that people don't want to
go to the SFS or Homebush .

It takes too f**king long to get there and home for us.

No matter how fancy the plastic seat is or how modern the urinal is
it still won't make me want to sit in traffic for 6 times longer than i do now.

I think you meant senile not docile. After 15000 posts pining for WA and superleague I
get the impression the dude listens to no one.

 

[firechild]

It reinforces he idea that no matter how great the stadium is and how many plastic seats are available, people will only go if a) the distance is not all that great and/or b) your team has a reasonable chance of winning. Fact is roughly half of the Sydney clubs on average will miss the 8 each year and for those teams in those years playing out of a large distant stadium adds absolutely no value. For those teams that do have some success, large stadiums MAY add some benefit when playing other Sydney teams. Manly played the Cowboys in a final last year (and also in 2010) and while the number of Manly fans that turned up was disappointing, there was basically zero Cowboys fans. If Cowboys fans don't come to Sydney to see their team play in a final, I think it would be pretty safe to suggest even less turn up for a regular season match. I'm all for clubs moving games if/when necessary but the fact is very few matches currently played at Suburban grounds would draw a crowd any larger if played at a large stadium.

 

[Perth Red]

It reinforces he idea that no matter how great the stadium is and how many plastic seats are available, people will only go if a) the distance is not all that great and/or b) your team has a reasonable chance of winning. Fact is roughly half of the Sydney clubs on average will miss the 8 each year and for those teams in those years playing out of a large distant stadium adds absolutely no value. For those teams that do have some success, large stadiums MAY add some benefit when playing other Sydney teams. Manly played the Cowboys in a final last year (and also in 2010) and while the number of Manly fans that turned up was disappointing, there was basically zero Cowboys fans. If Cowboys fans don't come to Sydney to see their team play in a final, I think it would be pretty safe to suggest even less turn up for a regular season match. I'm all for clubs moving games if/when necessary but the fact is very few matches currently played at Suburban grounds would draw a crowd any larger if played at a large stadium.

The self fulfilling prophecy

 

[Dogs Of War]

Not sure why the sharks and dragons don't look to consolidate to one ground, which I then would think could get a lot more govt money. Yeah there is a natural hate between the teams, but really going forward they have more chance together to get a decent 25k stadium happening which should more than suffice.

 

[CC_Roosters]

Being realistic here for a moment. I cant see a stadia solution being too far from what we currently have and the present media reports are IMO off-season exaggeration to fill the papers. At no point did the report mention subrurban grounds could no longer be used or would be cut off completely from public funding, rather that major upgrades wont be coming except for public stadia

We have a major city with distinct regions stretching from the coast to the mountains and equally far north and south. Plus unlike Melbourne we have teams associated with these regions many of which lie on the extremity of the metro area. By chance a few of these areas are very fast growing, so i feel suburban stadia upgrades are justified here

Therefore, as was mooted last season i can only see a situation where the major derbies and various other marquee games are moved to Allianz/upgaded Parra/ANZ. Suburban grounds around sydney will still play a major part in the NRL. Can we really see Penrith, Brookvale and Kogarah being scrapped?? The ARLC are smart they know Manly are all that lies between the harbour and Newcastle so they wont be going anywhere so i suspect Brookvale will get appropriate funding from the ARLC and that matched by gov't to make it a viable community and a higher proportion of seats.

Leichhardt should receive similar smaller scale treatment (more of a tidy up than anything) but any more than the current 4 games would be a step back IMO. Changing my mind from an earlier i post i would like to see 6 @ C'Town, 4 @ Leichhardt and 2 @ Allianz. The increase at C'Town is necessary to justify funding, which i think it needs to cover the seating and improve corporate ammenities

The games new found riches are the X-factor here, just look at what the AFL have done for Australian stadia with their riches.

Ideally by 2020

Kogorah- current capacity, extension of covered area 5/6 games
Penrith- acheive/start creating a bowl type stadium by closing off ends. Boost capacity where possible. 12 games
C'Town- see above, small boost in capacity? 6 games
Leichhardt- see above 3/4 games
Brooky- 22/23k capacity, 2/3 covered seating. Retain at least one hill. 10 games
Parra- 30k all seater, covered. Perhaps replicate Dunedin with the roof? 10 Parra, some sydney derbies?
Cronulla- seem to have a plan. Would be good to get 25k boutique stadia, mostly seated. 11 games

 

[carcharias]

Not sure why the sharks and dragons don't look to consolidate to one ground, which I then would think could get a lot more govt money. Yeah there is a natural hate between the teams, but really going forward they have more chance together to get a decent 25k stadium happening which should more than suffice.

Good idea
That seems to have worked with Israel and the Palestinians..

 

[Loudstrat]

Good idea
That seems to have worked with Israel and the Palestinians..

:lol:

 

[seanoff]

The document that outlines the strategy, pics for anyone who doesn't want to read through it

http://www.communities.nsw.gov.au/assets/pubs/corporate/NSW_stadia_strategy_2012.pdf

Yep

LOL, those stadium rankings are a joke.

according to that, Brookvale and Liechardt are on the same level as AAMI Park in Melbourne and Skilled in the GC. :lol::crazy: PLEASE.

 

[Stagger Lee]

Not sure why the sharks and dragons don't look to consolidate to one ground, which I then would think could get a lot more govt money. Yeah there is a natural hate between the teams, but really going forward they have more chance together to get a decent 25k stadium happening which should more than suffice.

Ok I will bite just for the fun of it. ;-)

Kogarah is not Saints to sell and if they moved to a redeveloped shark park who would pay for that redevelopment? Saint George could not afford too and neither could the Sharks. Goverment funding would only be given to the Kogarah ground IMO due to the following.

It is a lot more accessible to the rest of Sydney than the swamp
It is the only multi function ground suitable for cricket and AFL
The lack of other grounds south of the M4 corridor

So what is in it for the Saints?
A fully developed 35,000 stadium permanent home

So what is in it for the Sharks?
A fully developed 35,000 stadium permanent home that they would actually have more say in than the Saints because if they sell their old swamp ground (and no longer being paupers means they would get an awesome deal for it) Using that money to contribute to the new stadium in a way that suits them and would leave an investment fund of tens of millions that really would be 'rivers of gold'

Actually given the investment from the Sharks the Kogarah ground may actually be seen as their home ground and they would have first call on days /times for matches :shock:

But now back to the real world ..... fkn no chance of it happening :lol:

 

[innsaneink]

I think you underestimate the effect of the weather on crowds at LO where the hill turns into a quagmire when it rains

I was at that game, and was shocked at the size of the crowd, but to describe it as "drizzly" is an understatement.. it basically rained most of the day...

I dont think its just Sunday arvos where they get good crowds... For instance, they got 18,000 on a Monday game at LO in 2011 on a fine June night against Newcastle.. I doubt that would have happened at any or their other grounds....

Im aware of the slip n slide at LO.....it really wasnt such a wet day, it started to get heaviest at kick off.

Cambo srtruggles on a Mon nite, not easy for many trying to get from the city (50km) in time for kick off,....compared to Leichhardt, which is just across the bay the latter much simpler

 

[Stagger Lee]

Oh and I forgot to add ....
So what is in it for the Sharks?

Access to an awesome trophy room ..... just in case, one day ...

 

[Loudstrat]

Looking at those stadia stats, its obvious that NSW is blessed with more accessable facilities than any other state (yes, I realise they are all Sydney stadia apart from Hunter, Wollongong and [I assume] Canberra). We also have more than half the capacity of tier 2 stadiums as well. Each person in NSW has 1/3 MORE chance of being catered for than Queenslanders or Victorians. It proves that the f*ckwits demanding a 3 stadium policy based on Lang Park and AFL in Melboring are pushing in fact for lower crowds.

I guess thats why more Sydneysiders per head of population go to the footy than Brisvegans!

 

[franklin2323]

:lol: I'm sure Penrith fans would sign up in droves to watch their team play at Parra Stadium.

Parking is a nightmare. You train it you miss your train a lovely 20 odd min wait.

I would go to games but they would be rare prob a handful a year.

 

[Tyler Durden]

all part of the big empty cold stadium plan...

stop spending on sydney suburban grounds, sydney clubs have to move away from their heartland into big empty cold stadiums and share with other sydney teams. fans are so pissed off, they head to the pub to watch it on foxtel instead of travelling half a day to the big empty cold stadium. crowds and memberships of sydney clubs nosedive, sponsors start to leave, sydney clubs will have to relocate out of sydney or probably look to merge with the other teams that are in a similar position having also moved into the big empty cold stadium. or they can look forward to playing Newtown at henson park in the NSW Cup.
less sydney teams through reloacation, mergers or going broke means the ARLC can bring in new iinterstate teams, and only have to fund 16 teams.

 

[gallagher]

all part of the big empty cold stadium plan...

stop spending on sydney suburban grounds, sydney clubs have to move away from their heartland into big empty cold stadiums and share with other sydney teams. fans are so pissed off, they head to the pub to watch it on foxtel instead of travelling half a day to the big empty cold stadium. crowds and memberships of sydney clubs nosedive, sponsors start to leave, sydney clubs will have to relocate out of sydney or probably look to merge with the other teams that are in a similar position having also moved into the big empty cold stadium. or they can look forward to playing Newtown at henson park in the NSW Cup.
less sydney teams through reloacation, mergers or going broke means the ARLC can bring in new iinterstate teams, and only have to fund 16 teams.

Yeah, the two teams that have moved to the empty cold stadium are really struggling. I give the dogs 6 months max untill they merge with penrith or relocate to Adelaide,

 

[Loudstrat]

Yeah, the two teams that have moved to the empty cold stadium are really struggling. I give the dogs 6 months max untill they merge with penrith or relocate to Adelaide,

Scoff you may, but the reality s that one has forsaken any evidence of junior development, and the other is on Ebay.