2015 Crowd Watch

[killbill]

Though in the case of crowds the inferiority complex comes mostly from the AFL (at least in Australia), in almost all other areas the inferiority complex comes from RU, particularly when it comes to international competition and the growth of the sport internationally many RL people undersell RL because RL "isn't as big as RU'.

But to be fair multiple Unions across the world have successfully lobbied governments to consider RL as RU and thus under the Unions control in that country (at which point the Unions effectively kill RL in that country), a few even manged to get governments to ban the sport of RL outright. Hell in France they even joined the Nazis to stop the growth of RL.

So in some respects their fear (and the inferiority complex that acompanies that fear) of RU and it's power across the world is understandable.

Union looks like a game for the Hamptons kind of like Polo - a game for what we call the 1% over here

 

[dangerousdave]

Thanks - sounds like some of the football fans here like Greenbay or college like UT - is there nothing else to do in Melbourne that is GB's situation.

I would dare to venture that 90-95% of Pack crowds come from outside Green Bay.

As for Austin? Well it's kinda an enclave of civility in the great southern toilet bowl. It is a hub for arts, music, culture and nightlife

It is the monumentally successful Packers and Longhorn brands that put bums on seats, not the lack of options.

 

[Canard]

Do you guys seriously believe that that poster is from the US and/or has no prior knowledge of the game?That's a BS account if I ever saw one.

Some guy claiming to be from the US pops up on LU every year, with an incredible amount of understanding about the social and economic natures of the game.

He already knows about Vichy France:crazy: , savvy enough to put shit on Melbourne

Gimme a f**king break.

 

[killbill]

I would dare to venture that 90-95% of Pack crowds come from outside Green Bay.

As for Austin? Well it's kinda an enclave of civility in the great southern toilet bowl. It is a hub for arts, music, culture and nightlife

It is the monumentally successful Packers and Longhorn brands that put bums on seats, not the lack of options.

Dave I would agree with all that - a big deal what college you went to and the A&M and UT game is something you have to experience. Actually SWXSW is on right now - which has become a monster too.

 

[killbill]

Do you guys seriously believe that that poster is from the US and/or has no prior knowledge of the game?That's a BS account if I ever saw one.

Some guy claiming to be from the US pops up on LU every year, with an incredible amount of understanding about the social and economic natures of the game.

He already knows about Vichy France:crazy: , savvy enough to put shit on Melbourne

Gimme a f**king break.

What is this about - it is the members on here giving me the background and thank you. I see what you mean I am trying to learn more about Rugby League I am from the US and came across Rugby quite a few years ago and got back interested it after running into some Australians here and stumbled across this site after the new NRL season on Fox soccer Plus and reading up on Hayne. Vichy I learnt from these questions. If this is the response I see what many of you refer to. IS this how you make the game popular?

 

[Canard]

What is this about - it is the members on here giving me the background and thank you. I see what you mean I am trying to learn more about Rugby League I am from the US and came across Rugby quite a few years ago and got back interested it after running into some Australians here and stumbled across this site after the new NRL season on Fox soccer Plus and reading up on Hayne. Vichy I learnt from these questions. If this is the response I see what many of you refer to. IS this how you make the game popular?

Yeh sure mate.

I call bullshit.

PS Melbourne has a bigger population than every US city not named New York.

 

[killbill]

Yeh sure mate.

I call bullshit.

PS Melbourne has a bigger population than every US city not named New York.

Whatever you like - what is this about Melbourne why are you so on about it I don't believe I even mentioned it. I would love to know why it so offensive to you to be an American asking about Rugby League?

 

[Burns]

So, anyway, does anyone have any predictions about this week's crowds? Any idea how games are tracking?

 

[shaggs]

Yeah sharks vs Titans should get about 145 people of all the relatives of players turn up.

 

[betcats]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...e-rounds-of-2015/story-fnp0lyn3-1227277020004
NRL attendance figures have alarmingly slumped to their lowest level in 12 years in the opening three rounds of the premiership as disenchanted fans walk away from the game.

A combination of terrible refereeing blunders, exorbitant ticket prices, fans being locked out of a game, the inconsistency of the match-review committee and a lack of confidence in the game’s administration are being blamed for the dramatic slump.
NOT A WORD FROM LEAGUE HQ
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...sydney-nightclub/story-fni3fbgz-1227274940996

A small crowd on the hill for Manly’s clash against the Bulldogs. pic Mark Evans




Not since way back in 2003 have average attendances been so poor to start a season.
The saturation television coverage cannot be blamed because ratings are down more than 15 per cent on pay television and Channel Nine’s free-to-air Friday night ratings over the same period are down 3 per cent in Brisbane, but up slightly in Sydney.
A Daily Telegraph investigation has found that since former boss David Gallop’s last full year in 2011, the crowds have fallen by more than 2000 per game for the opening three rounds, a worrying slide of almost 12 per cent.
Even more concerning is the NRL had already played two of their biggest blockbusters this year — the Roosters v Rabbitohs in round two and the Broncos v Cowboys last Friday night.
The fact there was inexplicably no season launch in S

Jamal Idris scores a try with entire seating bays empty in the background.



ydney to raise public awareness and excitement is also a factor.

Refereeing blunders are seen as a major issue and are happening in every game.
It’s just that coaches are now muzzled and banned from talking about it.
Boom Panthers winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak scored a spectacular try against the Roosters on Monday night, only to have it incorrectly ruled no-try.
Racing personality and lifelong fan Ron Dufficy summed up the mood of fans over the decision, tweeting: “Pathetic. That will do me. Losing interest in this great game.”
The video refs responsible, Shayne Hayne and Luke Patten, have both retained their positions for round four despite the terrible blunder.
The NRL’s strategic plan revealed by the independent commission back in 2012 predicted a growth in average crowds to 20,000 over a full season.
They have gone backwards since.

Penrith's Dallin Watene-Zelezniak's no-try against the Roosters.




Over-priced tickets are another reason why fans are staying away in droves.
Manly is charging $32 to sit on the Brookvale Oval hill with hopelessly outdated toilet facilities.
At the Roosters-Penrith Monday night game at Allianz, adults were charged $60 for the best seats and children (6 to 12) $30. No wonder only 10,000 turned up.
In the AFL, kids are admitted free of charge to the MCG and Etihad Stadium on Sundays.
The code has also negotiated a deal to slash food and beverage prices at their games.
Then you have the shabby treatment of fans.
In the round two Monday night game at Campbelltown, thousands of fans were locked out of the first half of the Wests Tigers’ match against St George due to a staff shortage on the gates.
Instead of apologising to fans, Wests Tigers chairwoman Marina Go accused your correspondent of bullying for exposing the poor customer service.

 

[insert.pause]

Easter transport for ANZ Stadium kicks off this weekend

Wed 25 Mar, 2015, 10:13am
NRL

Fans can celebrate Easter early this weekend with the NRL securing a special transport deal to blockbuster matches at ANZ Stadium for Rounds 4 and 5.

The deal, in partnership with Transport for NSW and transport operators, applies to club members and fans who pre-purchase tickets. It will provide frequent and direct public transport services to Sydney Olympic Park from all parts of Sydney – with public transport included in the price of the ticket.

The arrangement will apply for three matches over the next two rounds at ANZ Stadium; Friday night's clash between Wests Tigers and the Bulldogs, the 2014 Grand Final rematch between Canterbury Bankstown and South Sydney on Good Friday, and Parramatta versus Wests Tigers on Easter Monday.

It means fans will be able to catch trains, buses and ferries and light rail to get to the Easter weekend games at ANZ Stadium.

NRL Head of Marketing Lewis Pullen said the special deal comes on top of the recent announcement that train travel will be included with pre-purchased tickets to all regular season games scheduled at ANZ Stadium during the 2015 NRL Telstra Premiership.

Mr Pullen said this was another reason to go to Rugby League matches over Easter.

"The Easter break is a perfect time to enjoy the best that Rugby League has to offer and I encourage those who are heading out to the Sydney Royal Easter Show to also get to ANZ Stadium for a complete day out," he said.

"These additional transport arrangements will ensure that fans will be able to get to and from the precinct easily during the busy Easter Show period.

"I'd like to thank the NSW Government for continuing to work with us to ensure the best interests of our fans are met."

ANZ Stadium Managing Director Daryl Kerry said Sydney Olympic Park is the place to be this Easter and encouraged Members and fans to make use of the additional direct trains and Major Event Buses.

"There will be big crowds right across the Easter weekend, with the Sydney Royal Easter Show and NRL blockbusters. The best advice is to give yourself plenty of time so that you can relax with family and friends and make the most of a special day," Mr Kerry said.

With the Sydney Royal Easter Show and the NRL Round 4 and 5 games running at the same time, fans are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the extra public transport options included in their NRL match ticket. As parking will be limited, fans are advised to leave their car at home unless they have pre-booked parking.

The additional transport deal for Rounds 4 and 5 will see:

• Frequent and direct train services to Sydney Olympic Park from the City and Sydney's West

• Access to the entire Sydney Trains and NSW Trainlink Intercity network

• Travel on the Sydney Olympic Park Major Event Buses, all regular bus routes, Sydney Ferries and light rail.

Tickets to Round 5 fixtures over Easter at ANZ Stadium offer great value, starting from $50 for a family of four to the Bulldogs - Rabbitohs clash and $40 for the Eels - Tigers match, also for a family of four.

Other NRL Clubs also have integrated transport included for their members and pre-purchased ticket holders across the regular season:

Sharks - For all home games for all ticketholders, free shuttles are available from local train stations (Sutherland, Miranda, Caringbah, Woolooware and Cronulla)

Titans - All tickets issued to games include free public transport on all Queensland Rail, Surfside Bus lines and dedicated event services.

Broncos - Transport is included for all patrons with tickets to fixtures at Suncorp Stadium. This includes Trains and Buses across the Brisbane City Council Network.

http://www.nrl.com/easter-transport...weekend/tabid/10874/newsid/84824/default.aspx

 

[Canard]

The bit about referring blunders keeping crowds away is just spurious.

It MAY keep crowds away, but how could a decision in Rd 3 be the reason crowds in Rd 1 or 2 were down for example.

The TV ratings line is laughable "DOWN 3 PERCENT in BRISBANE!! and slightly up in Sydney". Sunday night live footy is rating is arse off.

It's just the usual hit piece by the scumbags who hate our great game. The bullshit little inclusion of "since David Gallop" just tops it off.

The real issue that Drunk Alco has is this

I sent the following email to media man Glen Jackson:

“Any chance I could get a sit down interview today with Dave Smith or Todd Greenberg re opening three rounds of the comp. Thanks Buzz.”

And he replies:

“We’ve had a couple of requests for general interviews but it is probably a bit early in the season for reviews. We generally do them later in the season when we have a better picture of the season.”

He no longer has a pipeline to the Boss or an inside leak, and the NRL are giving him the finger.

 

[insert.pause]

The bit about referring blunders keeping crowds away is just spurious.

It MAY keep crowds away, but how could a decision in Rd 3 be the reason crowds in Rd 1 or 2 were down for example.

The TV ratings line is laughable "DOWN 3 PERCENT in BRISBANE!! and slightly up in Sydney". Sunday night live footy is rating is arse off.

It's just the usual hit piece by the scumbags who hate our great game. The bullshit little inclusion of "since David Gallop" just tops it off.

The real issue that Drunk Alco has is this

He no longer has a pipeline to the Boss or an inside leak, and the NRL are giving him the finger.

exactly.

it's not the worst in 12 years either,both 04' & 05' had lower attendance across the opening 3 rds, so as usual rothfield is lying.

His unrelenting negative campaigning is sucking the enjoyment out of the game and you only have to listen to talkback radio or look at twitter to see people are influenced by his nonsense.

 

[betcats]

The bit about referring blunders keeping crowds away is just spurious.

It MAY keep crowds away, but how could a decision in Rd 3 be the reason crowds in Rd 1 or 2 were down for example.

The TV ratings line is laughable "DOWN 3 PERCENT in BRISBANE!! and slightly up in Sydney". Sunday night live footy is rating is arse off.

It's just the usual hit piece by the scumbags who hate our great game. The bullshit little inclusion of "since David Gallop" just tops it off.

The real issue that Drunk Alco has is this

He no longer has a pipeline to the Boss or an inside leak, and the NRL are giving him the finger.

Rothfield is a shit journo we all know that, but if he is correct in that crowds have dropped 2000 a game since 2011 over the first 3 rounds that is worrying. All this extra money should be increasing the games audience not stalling it.

As for the refs I can live with on field blunders but we are still getting video ref calls where everyone thinks its a try bar the video ref for example the penrith one on monday or the titans first dissallowed try against penrith the other week. Both tries for all money yet the vidoe ref denies them, that shit kills fans and has been happening for years. Not only that this NRL treats fans like idiots with ths souths cover up drama, they are alienating people with their incosistent penalties and stupid Integrity unit which does f**k all but cover up for souths and dave smith.

 

[ek999]

An ingenious article which goes into absolutely no research as to whether crowds are actually down or not. If you take the matches played in the first three rounds this year and compare them to the exact same fixture last year, the majority of matches have a higher crowd this year compared to 2014.

Of the 22 matches that have a corresponding match last year 8 have a lower crowd and 14 have a higher crowd. That doesn't sound so good however:
- Wests Tigers v St George last year was played on a Sunday arvo with a crowd of 22,618 at ANZ compared to 11,837 on a Monday night at Campbelltown
- Brisbane v Souths was down by 8,065 because it was played on a Thursday compared to a Friday last year and Thursday's have always been horrible for crowds
- Penrith v Gold Coast was down 3,315 because it was played at Bathurst
- Roosters v Penrith was down because it was played on a Monday night

Games that were played in a similar timeslot to last year are up pretty well
- Bulldogs v Parra was up by 4,864
- Penrith v Bulldogs was up 5,526
- Newcastle v Warriors up 3,413
- Souths v Tigers up 2,490

 

[dangerousdave]

Yeh sure mate.

I call bullshit.

PS Melbourne has a bigger population than every US city not named New York.

Not true.

The way we define population of our statistical districts more closely resembles a metropolitan area than a city proper.

Therefore you need to add La, chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Dallas, Bay Area, Washington/Baltimore and probably some others

 

[betcats]

Not true.

The way we define population of our statistical districts more closely resembles a metropolitan area than a city proper.

Therefore you need to add La, chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Dallas, Bay Area, Washington/Baltimore and probably some others

Yeah if they counted the populations of LA, Chicago, Houston etc the same way the count Australian cities they would be bigger than melbourne for sure. I mean there are 40 million people living in Cali, LA and its surrounding suburbs have a bigger population than victoria or NSW probably.

 

[Canard]

An ingenious article which goes into absolutely no research as to whether crowds are actually down or not. If you take the matches played in the first three rounds this year and compare them to the exact same fixture last year, the majority of matches have a higher crowd this year compared to 2014.

Of the 22 matches that have a corresponding match last year 8 have a lower crowd and 14 have a higher crowd. That doesn't sound so good however:
- Wests Tigers v St George last year was played on a Sunday arvo with a crowd of 22,618 at ANZ compared to 11,837 on a Monday night at Campbelltown
- Brisbane v Souths was down by 8,065 because it was played on a Thursday compared to a Friday last year and Thursday's have always been horrible for crowds
- Penrith v Gold Coast was down 3,315 because it was played at Bathurst
- Roosters v Penrith was down because it was played on a Monday night

Games that were played in a similar timeslot to last year are up pretty well
- Bulldogs v Parra was up by 4,864
- Penrith v Bulldogs was up 5,526
- Newcastle v Warriors up 3,413
- Souths v Tigers up 2,490

Exactly this. Three rounds isn't a trend.

He didn't critique the data at all just used straight up numbers. If its all about crowds then remove MNF and TNF for example.

Im also guessing that Broncos V Cowboys was played in Rd 1 in 2011 meaning it drew a lot more than Rd 3 does.

 

[betcats]

Exactly this. Three rounds isn't a trend.

He didn't critique the data at all just used straight up numbers. If its all about crowds then remove MNF and TNF for example.

Im also guessing that Broncos V Cowboys was played in Rd 1 in 2011 meaning it drew a lot more than Rd 3 does.

lol so he didnt spin the data? Is this the first year of mnf? or tnf?

 

[SLRBRONCOS]

Did Canard actually think that Melbourne has a larger population than every city in the US bar New York!?

Oh. My. God.

Bruh. No.