Hang your head Sydney

[Brutus]

Less than 25,000 to the Test is terrible.
Sydney should not get the final and should not get the World Cup final either.
Well done to those who did go and battle the rain. I would have been there if I didn't have to work and it would have been a 5 hour trip there and 5 hours back. Why a city of 4 million can't top 25,000 in the self appointed rugby league capital of the world is beyond belief.
Oh and by the way Sydney is a sh*thole too.

I agree with everything you've said there Mr Langlands Park, expect for the Sydney being a sh*thole bit. Most of Sydney is a sh*thole except for the Eastern Suburbs and the Northern Beaches.

There can be no excuse for the "home of rugby league" to get such a poor crowd such as that. I would love to see the ANZAC Test alternate between Brisbane and Melbourne every year from now on where international league is appreciated more. You get the feeling that Sydney people and the media, led by the Telegraph, only give a rats about the NRL.

 

[Brutus]

My guess is that News Limited would hate to see international rugby league take off because it would take some of the gloss off their pay tv driven NRL comp.

What a joke.

 

[carlnz]

You were making good ground up until then.
Its absurd to kill off Test football in Sydney for two seasons because, by your assessment, a crowd of 25,000 isnt big enough.

No because in two years they havent broke the 30,000 mark while Melbourne has and Brisbane will for the thrid time in three matches in two weeks.

Close, but not accurate. In particular, Auckland had 17,887.

The original gate at Mt Smart, Auckland, for game one was also disappointing, but the NZRL hs released a revised figure of 20,000, which meets expectations.

 

[Brutus]

International games should be the promotional vehicle used in Melbourne and other non NSW/QLD capitals, not Origin. And they should be treated like Origin and given the same backing and promotion by the league. But Origin itself is NSW vs QLD and it's just not realistic to expect fans outside these states to keep turning up year after year to watch two essentially "foreign" teams. You can't expect someone to develop a life long passion for the game watching two teams that they can't identify with. It's just a novelty. I think that as Australia's biggest city, Melbourne certainly has the right to demand an annual Rugby League showcase match. But it needs to be something the local fans can identify with and become passionate about. IMHO it should be the Kangaroos.


Leigh

You have made some fantastic points there Leigh. They have been my thoughts for a long while. We packed Melbourne grounds out for Tests against the Poms and Kiwis in the early 90's and it beats the life out me why we haven't taken Tests back there until this year. Give the Victorian people something they can identify with, not bloody QLD and NSW.

 

[Willow]

Carlnz's comments as you say though have been backed up by your stuff.co.nz link which sourses from the nations newspapers.

Yep, except I had to find it.

For my purposes, it doesn't prove anything until we get an accurate figure from the reported source. Austadiums may have to update their website.

After all this chest beating and predictable Sydney bashing, next Saturday's crowd in Wellington will want to be a humdinger. ;-)

 

[ali]

Was the crowd figure a victim of the Aussie media berating the Poms from the moment they stepped off the plane ? It's ok to try and talk up the TN but to try and humiliate the opposition even before a ball is kicked is shameful . Aussie got what Aussie deserved on and off the field .

In my opinion yes. The media is to blame for the poor crowd.

 

[Willow]

No because in two years they havent broke the 30,000 mark while Melbourne has and Brisbane will for the thrid time in three matches in two weeks.

Sure, but you're proposing killing Test matches in Sydney for the best part of two years. I can't agree as its a little exttreme. IMO, no perception of over exposure can justify it. And besides, its not going to happen.

The original gate at Mt Smart, Auckland, for game one was also disappointing, but the NZRL hs released a revised figure of 20,000, which meets expectations.

Already discussed and SOURCED between salivor and me. For other purposes, I'm going to ask the NZRL for confirmation (and an exact figure) as the Austadiums website seems to have missed it.

 

[langpark]

With 4 million residents and 9 NRL teams, 25k is embarrasing and disgraceful

 

[salivor]

Yep, except I had to find it.

For my purposes, it doesn't prove anything until we get an accurate figure from the reported source. Austadiums may have to update their website.

After all this chest beating and predictable Sydney bashing, next Saturday's crowd in Wellington will want to be a humdinger. ;-)

The award for LU's best google searcher is in the mail Willow. You seem to have a hard time accepting 20k, I hope you do follow up with the NZRL on this life and death matter.

Wellington will deliver, I don't know many people who aren't going, the first battle has been won of actually making sure people know it's on. I'd be dissapointed if we don't fall somewhere in the 20-25k mark. But in a city with zero league presence and a population of 160k, we won't beat ourselves up if we fall a couple of 1000 short of Sydney's crowd. You know Rugby League heartland Sydney with a population of 4 million, that only 0.625% of whom could be bothered getting out to support their supposed number 1 game.

 

[Willow]

The award for LU's best google searcher is in the mail Willow.

As long as its not in NZ dollars, I'll be over the moon.

You seem to have a hard time accepting 20k,

Not at all. Didnt I just say Austadium may have to change their website? To reiterate, for my purposes, anonymous forum posts relating to approximate revised figures need checking.

I hope you do follow up with the NZRL on this life and death matter.

Yeah sure Jezza... and I trust this gripping episode won't let it keep you awake at night.
And again, for my purposes, it has to be accurate. Did you want me to go into more detail as to why... or will you accept it as too boring to elaborate on?

 

[Misty Bee]

even if the poms didn't win tonight, Brizzo would be near capacity. After tonight it'll be a sellout, no doubt. Brizzo ppl are not as fickle as Sydney and they'll make the bloody effort to support all levels of league.

Are they the same 'Brizzo ppl" that only populated the LAST pommy game at Suncorp with 12,000?

BTW, you can't hold the finals at Suncorp - it's the Broncos home ground you know ;-)

 

[salivor]

As long as its not in NZ dollars, I'll be over the moon.

You thought it'd be monetary? Ah well, hmm now this is awkward, umm I don't know how to make this easy on you but umm it is just ahhh a ahhhh a certificate. I'm sure you could get a cent or two recycling it,

Not at all. Didnt I just say Austadium may have to change their website? To reiterate, for my purposes, anonymous forum posts relating to approximate revised figures need checking.

Oh won't someone please think of the children.

Yeah sure Jezza... and I trust this gripping episode won't let it keep you awake at night.
And again, for my purposes, it has to be accurate. Did you want me to go into more detail as to why... or will you accept it as too boring to elaborate on?

Oh I've already popped my box of nodose to ensure it does.

 

[Angry_eel]

Most of Sydney is a sh*thole except for the Eastern Suburbs and the Northern Beaches.

Nope, Those are the sh*tiest parts of sydney.

 

[Gibbo]

i noticed noone supported australia on a whole.

everyone booing mason, parra fans booing Lyon, people ripping into gasnier when he got injured.

very club centric the sydney crowd was

I think this is a significant problem. Watching the Melbourne test there was lots of Australian flags, jerseys and general green and gold paraphenalia in the stands. Watching last night there was the odd flag or two, couple of jerseys-not exactly a sea of green and gold.

 

[Misty Bee]

I reckon 25K at SFS is ok. It's in line with international football in Australia since the early 1990's, and on a wet night in a stadium notorious for having a useles roof, no other League town would draw more.

Dissapointing? Well, yes. Just as dissapointing as the poor crowds at Auckland, Melbourne and Christchurch. The latter 2 should have had the benefit of the 'event' syndrome. Melbourne should have gotten 40k +, given the hype that went into it, and the event status. Christchurch should have done better too, whose entire population lives within 20 minutes drive from the ground.

The 17k crowd at Auckland (20k sounds awfully rounded up to me) was also sad, given that it's a regular test venue, and the first chance for Kiwis to see their ONLY EVER world champion side kick of their title deence, really, was appalling.

Thanks also Kiwis for the Grannygate farce, which paved the way for the negative publicity to comeout again.

Plus the form that the Poms showed leading into the game suggested that they would struggle in Group 3. They hardly enticed people out the door, did they!

Rest assured, though, that by the end of the series, Sydney will have drawn the biggest crowd. The SFS is not the easiest place to get to, and not attractive on a wet night.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Are they the same 'Brizzo ppl" that only populated the LAST pommy game at Suncorp with 12,000?

That was in 1999, the first time the Poms came here since Super League and no one even knew the game was on. In a fortnight we should get four times that.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

See they put the game at Aussie cause of the crowd last year at Telstra was ordinary. Now I hear people say it was too far or difficult to get to. I admit its the not the best ground to get to, but when you're at the ground watching football, its got the best atmosphere. Its the other way round with Telstra, best ground to get to, but not a good ground to watch football. Sometimes you just cant win with people in these sort of matches.

I just hope we reach that same level with Origin, we expect a great clash with Kangaroos. Now with in International game becoming more tougher, the games have been less predictable, isnt that we want to see. This series we've got probably the best players in the NRL in one team, yet still either get beat or win by a small margain. Just proves how closer its been in the last few years.

Players not only want to represent their country, but play in front of large crowd, especially at home. Australia have played in packed stadiums in England and NZL in the last few years, but silence a crowd when theyre at their best. Lets make them feel right at home when they score a try in front of a huge crowd. Imagine how those players felt in the Brisbane test this year, regardless of the result, it was nearly 50,000. We havent had a test crowd like that since the 1960s. Lets keep it going, and hopefully it'll happen in League heartland Sydney.

 

[deluded pom?]

So which 17 players have the dicks exactly:?

If I have to explain it ECT then it will lose the humour. Do your friends have to explain knock knock jokes to you as well?

 

[Misty Bee]

That was in 1999, the first time the Poms came here since Super League and no one even knew the game was on. In a fortnight we should get four times that.

The Poms and the Kangaroos play a test in Brisbane - it's televised, and no one knows about it????

Piss poor excuse.

 

[Lantana]

Surely, more internationals in Sydney, not less is how this will turn around.

There is no excuse for not going on Saturday night and it has been poor in the past but seriously Sydney has had two Kangaroo internationals in 5 years?

if you want to build support you don't take the game away, you increase it's frequency. Yes/No?

(Short term pain, long term gain)