Roosters should be 20k, no excuses. To be nearly match by penrith who had nowhere near the success of the roosters is damming.
Penrith have always under performed in terms of members and attendances, but Mr Gould and co are building something great out West
To compare Easts to Penrith is a bit misleading and lacks understanding of the markets they're in. Both clubs have their strong points but they also have their challenges
Easts compete in probably the toughest area in the competition. The Eastern Suburbs is a tiny geographical area with the vast majority of the working class part annexed into Souths territory over the years. The only "working class" parts of Easts territory contain about 5 small suburbs. That's it. The other suburbs / harbour side suburbs are pretty much exclusive enclaves of the Wallabies or the national cricket side.
The Eastern suburbs are also considered heartlands of football (mainly the English Premier League if I'm honest but also the A-League), the AFL and Rugby Union in Sydney. The NRL is not a sport that enjoys majority support by any length. For the Roosters to have 15,000 is something of an achievement.
Penrith is a massive working class area where Rugby League is first and foremost the premier sport. But that doesn't translate into a massive supporter base for the Panthers. Many families in the area have moved there from other areas and brought their teams with them. Also Parramatta is equidistant to Blacktown which reduces the support in Penriths largest residential area without a team. Plus Blacktown has a lot of residents who are first generation immigrants that follow soccer from other parts of the World. Add to that the growing threat of AFL and the Panthers are doing a really good job to grow interest in their side.
tldr? Both clubs are doing really well with their recruitment drive and should be congratulated.
