Paul Crawley
The Daily Telegraph
February 27, 2013 12:00AM
South Sydney's Michael Crocker and Nathan Peats promoting the No Bullying message at South Sydney high school yesterday. Picture: Mark Evans Source: The Daily Telegraph
MICHAEL Crocker reckons South Sydney have a side capable of going all the way in 2013 - and off the field, the Rabbitohs are already well in front.
In the countdown to tonight's NRL season launch, the Souths skipper has delivered long suffering fans a message of hope that this could be the year the Pride of the League finally ends that premiership drought.
Souths haven't won the comp since 1971 - but asked yesterday if they had a team capable of taking the title, the veteran enforcer said: "I believe we do, yeah.
"We are definitely in a better position than last year.
"We know we have the people, it is just a matter of doing it each week."
One thing Crocker can count on is Souths having more support than any NRL rival.
Across the board NRL club membership is up by a massive 18 per cent on this time last year - and the Rabbitohs are leading the way with 22,003 members.
It wasn't so long ago NRL clubs treated membership drives as an afterthought - but in the wake of the poker machine tax it's fair to say members have become the financial lifeblood for most clubs.
"We used to earn about $330,000 a year from membership five years ago," Souths boss Shane Richardson said. "Now we are bringing in over $3.5 million.
"On top of that we probably do around the $2.5 million in merchandise and of that nearly 65 per cent directly comes through our members and our internet."
That's $6 million a year members are bringing in for the Bunnies - and that's not even taking into account the crowd figures that have increased dramatically directly through membership numbers.
"This is a mistake people make, they think success builds membership. Well, we have proven that to be wrong," Richardson said.
"Up until last year we had only made the finals once since 1989.
"It's about the feeling you give them, the culture you create."
Richardson can't believe some clubs are yet to jump on board the membership bandwagon.
"You have to throw yourself completely into it,' he said.
"You can't half get committed, you can't get half pregnant. You have to be fully committed to it or otherwise it just doesn't work."
The Broncos have the second most members heading into 2013 (17,561) followed by the Dragons (16,314) and the Knights (14,213).
But Richardson knows there is still work to be done to rival the type of membership numbers some of the AFL clubs have.
Collingwood last year had 72,688 members while the Sydney Swans have 27,592, up by more than 7000 on this time last year.
Even AFL new boys Greater Western Sydney currently have 10,261 members, more than double what they had last year and embarrassingly also more than NRL rivals the Wests Tigers and the Panthers.
In 2007 Souths had 9,350 members - in 2013 they are targeting for 25,000 members.
Richardson said: "People used to say to me when I joined the club: 'Where are all those Souths fans?'
"Well, they are back and they are actually real and they are spending money."
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...mbership-numbers/story-e6frexnr-1226586362211
