2007 Crowd Watch

[Lockyer4President!]

Sydneys grounds may have more work to do, but we're heading in the right direction.......

Is everyone relocating to Homebush?

 

[Copa]

Ahh its no surprise, teams are notorious of crowd 'cutting' early in the season. Cutting 1-2K here and there which then amazingly make an appearance in the crowd numbers for some of the 'less-appealing' games.

Both the Warriors and Storm know that they can draw some pretty woeful crowds, so both are most likely cutting now which they will use later.

FMD....

How funny is that..

 

[McCrud]

We should re-instate a new version of Arko's old 'criteria' - say, Sydney club crowds have to be at a season average of 10,000 or larger - or you get the chop or you get relocated.

That's obviously a very simplistic idea but I think the NRL should introduce some minimal standards, even as a means of shaming clubs into ramping up publicity or cutting ticket prices slightly.

If clubs fall behind minimal standards consistently for a number of years, then the NRL can take action.

The game is not expanding - figures like Round One 2007 show it is regressing.

It would be better for the code as a whole to have crowds of similar sizes in WA, Central Coast, NZ even - anything other then what is happening in Sydney at the moment.

 

[Timmah]

I'd welcome a CC team with open arms... Cronulla are an ideal candidate IMO.

 

[mark123]

It must be done, yet no one will do it,

You dont like it, yet you must think about it,

You despise those who tell you, yet it offers the game a ray of hope.



You must have less teams and make more improvements to your stadia and auxiliaries.


This will allow the media to focus on the remaining teams further than already.

In qld, the broncos/cowboys/titans are anylised and followed around, are more well-known and familiar, AND have more star-status than most sydney players could ever hope for.

The Broncos for instance play out of a great stadium that has public transport integration along with a buy a ticket/ get public transport free package.

They fill the papers, and the focus is on THEM.

The people want them, the people know them, the people see them, the people love them, and the people dont feel "vague" toward them, like the things sydney players/teams may experience. In brisbane the broncos (yes, and Lions) entail a potent, tailored experience to the masses. Established players are known stars to the local millions. More so than what reaches inter-state.

You want to create some RL fever....you cut teams down, and improve everything else

Thats stadia, marketing, public transport, game day experience, you name it, whatever it is, improve it.

Then you will see crowds and dollar signs. League must be a more efficient machine.

 

[McCrud]

I'd welcome a CC team with open arms... Cronulla are an ideal candidate IMO.

Agreed.

 

[Lockyer4President!]

I'd welcome a CC team with open arms... Cronulla are an ideal candidate IMO.

I think everyone can see that except Sharkies and Bears supporters.

 

[t-ba]

Le Kook: Some Valid points in your response to my post, which of course have precisely jack sh*t to do with your original incindiery post! Failing a 10k crowd tommorow at Aussie Stadium, the attendance record will be met and passed, and the 'clowns' in Sydney will have contributed 40,000 to it, which, if you look at RL's history in Sydney, is above average for three fixtures in the city...There's no denying that there are issues with attendence, but it seems that Queenslanders, who only recently drew simply disgraceful crowds for their premier club in a region of 3 million people, really enjoy putting the boot into Sydneys crowds of late.

It's absolutely great that Queensland draws good crowds these days, but rather than shooting off at the mouth about Sydney, educate yourselves on the market and consider the reasons. I'd imagine if the Titans were into Season three and the Broncos had committed their near ingrained ritual of post season Hari Kari, the QLDers on this board wouldn't have 90k worth of fans to crow on about.

It's fair enough to bag Sydney IMO because of the poor crowds that we have seen dating back to last year's finals series and Tri-nations. Those crowds were poor as well. It's ingrained.

That's not ingrained...It's a pretty recent trend. Ingrained would be the god awful crowds the Giants/Seagulls/Chargers drew for a decade.

Hang on, I thought Sydney was 'RL heartland'?

It is, and you can't base Sydneys heartland credentials on two matches in remote parts of Sydney, with poor infrastructure links in terrible weather. Neutrals haven't got out to either ground in great numbers ever, and the fixtures themselves were not attractive at all. There are some issues besides the rain themselves.

It's Round One of the NRL season, look at the population of Sydney, the history of RL in Sydney and tell me those crowds are ok.

Do it. Crowds in the First Round at Brookvale or the Swamp have never been particularly superb in the first round. The conditions didn't help either. Manly and Cronulla's home crowds have never been particularly superb.

If those crowds had been 15,000 to each, it may have been somewhat acceptable, but Cronulla was not even close to that figure. Very poor.

No doubt. But there's more to it than 'clowns' in Sydney 'ruining' the precious attedance record!

 

[Timmah]

Then why doesn't that farker Singleton invest in the Sharks?!??!?!?! :crazy:

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Then why doesn't that farker Singleton invest in the Sharks?!??!?!?! :crazy:

Then he'd have to replae all the seats at his stadium so that they say Sharks instead of Bears.

 

[t-ba]

I think everyone can see that except Sharkies and Bears supporters.

Narkiness aside, Cronulla wouldn't be alive if it weren't for NSWRL and News Corp Charity. They're a poorly positioned club that should have been let off the life support back in the 1980's.

That, and either us (Manly) or the Roosters are the next logical cantidates for culling...

 

[Lowdown]

What's the population of Cronulla?

Versus the population of the Central Coast market?

I'm intrigued with an idea of the Central Coast Sharks? Or Maybe the Makos?

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Narkiness aside, Cronulla wouldn't be alive if it weren't for NSWRL and News Corp Charity. They're a poorly positioned club that should have been let off the life support back in the 1980's.

That, and either us (Manly) or the Roosters are the next logical cantidates for culling...

I can't see Manly getting moved, they're the only team left in northern Sydney.

 

[TheBourbonBeast]

My solution:
Every sydney team needs to relocate to homebush.
Play all games back to back on a sunday.
Free beer all day.


But sydney siders would still find something to whinge about and not go.

Sydney is no longer the heartland of rugby league. That time has passed. The true beating heart of RL is now south east QLD.

Sydney is drifting further and further away from the rest of australia. It is the new LA.

 

[aarondoyle]

What's the population of Cronulla?

Versus the population of the Central Coast market?

I'm intrigued with an idea of the Central Coast Sharks? Or Maybe the Makos?

Sutherland Shire - 200k
Central Coast - 300k

Stats from Wikipedia so a good guide, but wouldn't put my house on it.

 

[Timmah]

We'll have the Sharks... I can forgive 40 years of failure if it means my region gets the team it deserves.

 

[Gibbo]

Keep in the mind the Broncos got about 17k to their first ever game against Manly in 88 and the Crushers attracted 23,000 against Canberra in 95.

Titans are well in front in that regard and now hold the biggest opening crowd for a debut club in the history of the game.

St George Illawarra had 104 000 odd for their debut ;-) Extenuating circumstances though i.e. not really a new club, double header etc etc

 

[t-ba]

I can't see Manly getting moved, they're the only team left in northern Sydney.

It didn't stop the NRL from allowing Manly to merge with Norths AFTER the club had secured a license, thus cutting down the Number of games played in 'Northern Sydney' to six. The NRL certainly didn't stop the Sea Eagles discussing the potential relocation of the Northern Eagles to the Gold Coast with Conrads back in 2002.

The Sea Eagles are the only team on the Northern Beaches. The North Shore and the Hills District has no team, and the two areas are culturally alien to one another. 'Northern Sydney' might exist on a map, but it consists of three areas that might as well be in different states. Manly is looking at atleast a generation or two before we can expect to draw support from the region, because, even though they mightn't be RL followers, they sure as hell hate Manly's guts across the Spit Bridge. I fear unless the club gets its house in order and finds finances beyond Max's charity, we're looking in trouble some time in the medium term future.

Which is, of course, the problem with looking at Sydney as one big market. Compared to Brisbane, which is largely a homogenous patchwork of working class, middle class and white collar suburbs sprinkled into one another, Sydney is divided into a number of well defined areas that it can be argued are culturally self contained, and except for their link to the CBD, could well be regarded as independant cities. When a team goes, the fans aren't going to magically start supporting another Sydney club. Like North Sydney fans, they'll end up at following another code. It's a risky proposition.

 

[yakstorm]

Crowd for Monday Night Football - a respectable 24,127 despite pouring rain....

Hmm a few clubs will need to ask the question how come despite the weather this game could still draw a reasonable crowd?

 

[mattyg]

Coz the ground at least has a roof around the whole thing, even though it doesnt cover many seats. Toyota Park etc. would be lucky to have 2,000 seats under cover. Brookie is probably even worse.