2015 Crowd Watch

[taipan]

To be fair, that's a Wednesday night with both sides outside the eight, and in shite weather.

The same two teams, in perfect weather, in a Grand Final, attracted 51k.

TBF then one cannot as Slothfield does make a big issue of NRL crowds Rd 3 ,when the Titans played in crap weather and the weather in Sydney has hardly been comfortable for the blockbusters.
And the A League does not have to contend with Monday nights.Yet their crowds are down after all Gallop's posturing.
My point was simply to show crowds are affected by weather,venues and scheduling.
To throw in a grand final figure and use it to draw comparisons in ordinary premiership rounds is a bit rich.

 

[Chook Norris]

TBF then one cannot as Slothfield does make a big issue of NRL crowds Rd 3 ,when the Titans played in crap weather and the weather in Sydney has hardly been comfortable for the blockbusters.
And the A League does not have to contend with Monday nights.Yet their crowds are down after all Gallop's posturing.
My point was simply to show crowds are affected by weather,venues and scheduling.
To throw in a grand final figure and use it to draw comparisons in ordinary premiership rounds is a bit rich.

Not just that. As I said, people are dissatisfied with the on field product

 

[big hit!]

Agree 100%, there are broader issues here. You can only pump up and motivate a populace into buying memberships and attending sport so much, and in the last few years the football codes have been going into overdrive. People jump on and off the bandwagon, find other things to do etc.

There are also growing financial pressures.

It's the same issue in all major Oz sports - scheduling is optimised for the broadcasters, not for live attendance.

To their credit, the AFL have realised this and are going back to more Saturday arvo games in Melbourne this season which is the traditional timeslot for games down there. The AFL still have similar problems though with the direction of their game in terms of coaching and playing style as we do in the NRL.

 

[taipan]

Not just that. As I said, people are dissatisfied with the on field product

Some no doubt,yet some were not happy with the on field product in the 90s and early 2000s.You'll never please everyone.

I think reducing the numbers of replacements will help,and reduce the number of 5 hit ups and kicks. Shoulder charges and biff did nothing for me.Ivé witnessed the game under unlimited,4 tackle and of recent times the wrestle influence and it crapped me to tears.

I think other issues such as offfield incidents,unsure economy and too much movement of players between clubs such as Manly don't help.

 

[papabear]

I reckon the Roosters Canberra game is going to be one of the lowest drawing games in recent history.

Seriously besides absolute tragics like me there will be no one there.

its home game on a Saturday night, that you are likely to win, what more do you want.

Easts are woeful when not having other Sydney clubs fans to show up..

 

[Danish]

its home game on a Saturday night, that you are likely to win, what more do you want.

Easts are woeful when not having other Sydney clubs fans to show up..

It's a home game on a Sunday afternoon at the same time as Australia playing on the World Cup final.

Who is going to turn up when Australia are playing NZ in a f**king World Cup?

 

[undertaker]

I reckon the Roosters Canberra game is going to be one of the lowest drawing games in recent history.

Seriously besides absolute tragics like me there will be no one there.

Surely it won't be lower than the 4,186 the Roosters got on a Monday night back in 2007 (and even that figure was disputed, with commentators at the time saying there were lucky to be 2k there that night)

Roosters got 10k on a Monday night. If they can't at least get that on a sunny Sunday afternoon then they're really screwed. Anyways, you guys should smash the Raiders so that's something positive to take away.

With a lot of interest in the CWC final on Sunday (especially now that Australia have made it), Andrew Voss' suggestion of having the final on one of the big screens at Allianz couldn't hurt (or at the very minimum, at least have a live score on the screen). The Warriors/Broncos crowd is going to take a bit of a hit as well with NZ in the final, as ppl more likely will stay at home as the final starts only 30 mins after full-time.

 

[undertaker]

On the topic of Roosters/Raiders potentially being one of the lowest crowds in recent history, here's a list of sub-5000 crowds since the NRL was formed in 1998:

3,382 - Bears vs Cowboys (1999)
3,733 - Rabbitohs vs Warriors (1998)
3,762 - Chargers vs Steelers (1998)
3,774 - Chargers vs Panthers (1998)
3,897 - Chargers vs Rams (1998)
3,980 - Rabbitohs vs Chargers (1998)
4,029 - Roosters vs Cowboys (1999)
4,048 - Sharks vs Panthers (1998)
4,060 - Rabbitohs vs Rams (1998)
4,115 - Roosters vs Chargers (1998)
4,125 - Tigers vs Panthers (2003)
4,186 - Roosters vs Cowboys (2007)
4,202 - Sharks vs Warriors (2007)
4,359 - Tigers vs Eagles (2001)
4,500 - Warriors vs Cowboys (1998)
4,705 - Magpies vs Bears (1999)
4,724 - Tigers vs Cowboys (2001)
4,850 - Warriors vs Sharks (2006)
4,864 - Tigers vs Knights (1998)

interestingly, that Bears vs Cowboys game was played at the old Suncorp Stadium. Dunno what the Bears were doing taking a home game there. Lowest crowd in 'recent' history was that 4,186 in 2007 that I made reference to in the previous post. Quite funny that, given a home game the Adelaide Rams played in Whyalla (approx. 400km away from Adelaide) got a higher attendance (5,153).

 

[Danish]

The big screen idea is novel, but it would not be possible. For a start and most importantly, you would wind up seeing the cricket while watching a Foxsports broadcast, which would be massively illegal given they don't have the rights to the final. Second, the players would find it distracting. Third, it would only be a band aid for fans at the game as you still have to miss some of the game while in transit going home.

I'd be very VERY surprised if there were more than 8000 at the ground, and the TV ratings will be at A League levels.

 

[lockyno1]

This weekend could be pretty bad with most people focused on the Cricket World cup Final. Sunday afternoon games this week could be very bad. I just hope the newspaper writers realise this is a once in a lifetime situation where Aus/NZ play in a final in Australia.

Tonight and Saturday will get good crowds

 

[undertaker]

The big screen idea is novel, but it would not be possible. For a start and most importantly, you would wind up seeing the cricket while watching a Foxsports broadcast, which would be massively illegal given they don't have the rights to the final. Second, the players would find it distracting. Third, it would only be a band aid for fans at the game as you still have to miss some of the game while in transit going home.

Fox Sports do have the rights for the final (they broadcasted every match of the World Cup).

This weekend could be pretty bad with most people focused on the Cricket World cup Final. Sunday afternoon games this week could be very bad. I just hope the newspaper writers realise this is a once in a lifetime situation where Aus/NZ play in a final in Australia.

Tonight and Saturday will get good crowds

Once again, very poor scheduling from the NRL, not that this is anything new. NRL fans have become used to this. They've botched up the scheduling many times in the past and it will continue this round, starting on Friday night having two matches played only 10km apart from each other involving four of the largest supporter bases in Sydney (Eels, Rabbitohs, Tigers and Bulldogs). Dumb, dumb, dumb. Nearly as bad as Good Friday last year with Friday night games played in Newcastle and Gosford, or when Gold Coast and Brisbane hosted Friday night matches in the last round of 2010 (as well as the complete blackout of radio coverage in QLD of the Gold Coast match because the Brisbane match was the one televised live into QLD). Situations like this are 100% preventable and shouldn't be allowed to happen, period. With two Friday night matches in Sydney, they should be at least 50km apart from each other.

The NRL organisers knew that there was going to be a Cricket World Cup Final on March 29 (irrespective of whoever qualified for it), and the NRL should have factored that in to the scheduling of this round and allowed for the chance that either Australia, NZ or both would've made the final.

It's too late to make any changes now as ppl have already purchased tickets for the Warriors/Broncos and Roosters/Raiders matches. However, the Roosters/Raiders match - which is the one that directly clashes with the final - should've been moved to Saturday, hence 4 matches on Saturday:

i.e. Knights vs Panthers (3pm)
Sharks vs Titans (5:30pm)
Dragons vs Sea Eagles (7:30pm)


with Roosters/Raiders played at either at 5:30pm or 7:30pm, making it the Fox Sports viewers choice match. Also, Warriors/Broncos could've been played at least 30 mins earlier at 1:30pm (11:30am AEDT) to allow time for those at the game to get back home in time for the World Cup Final

 

[whall15]

Surely it won't be lower than the 4,186 the Roosters got on a Monday night back in 2007 (and even that figure was disputed, with commentators at the time saying there were lucky to be 2k there that night)

Roosters got 10k on a Monday night. If they can't at least get that on a sunny Sunday afternoon then they're really screwed. Anyways, you guys should smash the Raiders so that's something positive to take away.

With a lot of interest in the CWC final on Sunday (especially now that Australia have made it), Andrew Voss' suggestion of having the final on one of the big screens at Allianz couldn't hurt (or at the very minimum, at least have a live score on the screen). The Warriors/Broncos crowd is going to take a bit of a hit as well with NZ in the final, as ppl more likely will stay at home as the final starts only 30 mins after full-time.

Bad idea, Rugby League should not be promoting rival sports at the stadium during matches.

 

[lockyno1]

If NRL organisers knew that there was going to be a Cricket World Cup Final on March 29 (irrespective of whoever qualified for it), the NRL should have factored that in to the scheduling of this round and allowed for the chance that either Australia, NZ or both would've made the final.

It's too late to make any changes now as ppl have already purchased tickets for the Warriors/Broncos and Roosters/Raiders matches. However, the Roosters/Raiders match - which is the one that directly clashes with the final - should've been moved to Saturday, hence 4 matches on Saturday, with Roosters/Raiders being either at 5:30pm or 7:30pm, making it the Fox Sports viewers choice match alongside Sharks/Titans or Dragons/Sea Eagles. Also, Warriors/Broncos could've been played at least 30 mins earlier at 1:30pm (11:30am AEDT) to allow time for those at the game to get back home in time for the World Cup Final

They could have even made time changes a week ago, moving the Warriors game to 11am our time would be reasonable. This whole round is a fiasco. The Warriors match could have easily been shifted to Saturday to avoid this rubbish. The NRL have botched this round. I know of about 20 people who won't go to the Sunday match because the CWC Final is on. Realistically, this is one day where the Sunday games should have been kept to a minimum.

 

[lockyno1]

Bad idea, Rugby League should not be promoting rival sports at the stadium during matches.

Then be happy with a 5,000 crowd as most of Australia and NZ only care about 1 sport on Sunday! It isn't as if we are having Rugby Union on the screen! The CWC happens once every 4 years!

 

[H.H]

I'll be at the Rooster game - reckon we'll crack 10k again too.

 

[lockyno1]

I'll be at the Rooster game - reckon we'll crack 10k again too.

It will be a miracle if you cracked 7,000 at that game. Most casual fans are watching the cricket. Whoever decided to play this game at 3:30pm is a fruitcake. That game could have been played at 12 or 1pm. Yes I know it isn't ideal, but play it then, gives you an hour to get home for the cricket. In fact having the footy leading into the cricket is smart!:crazy:

 

[undertaker]

Then be happy with a 5,000 crowd as most of Australia and NZ only care about 1 sport on Sunday! It isn't as if we are having Rugby Union on the screen! The CWC happens once every 4 years!

And first World Cup here in 23 years, and will probably be at least another 23 years or so before another one is held here.

It will be a miracle if you cracked 7,000 at that game. Most casual fans are watching the cricket. Whoever decided to play this game at 3:30pm is a fruitcake. That game could have been played at 12 or 1pm. Yes I know it isn't ideal, but play it then, gives you an hour to get home for the cricket. In fact having the footy leading into the cricket is smart!:crazy:

As I said in another post:

- Warriors/Broncos shifted at least 30 mins earlier to 1:30pm NZ Time (could easily be shifted and would have no problems if it were 1pm)

- Roosters/Raiders shifted to Saturday 5:30 or 7:30pm.

Realistically, this is one day where the Sunday games should have been kept to a minimum.

I'm all for more Sunday games during the season, but I agree with you.

Just like they have done during the Easter weekend this year, with only one match played on Easter Sunday (Roosters vs Sharks), and the Saturday arvo and Sunday 2pm games being shifted to Easter Monday afternoon (well, at least the first half of the Storm/Warriors 5pm match will be played in daylight).

Mother's Day is also another Sunday that traditionally hasn't drawn well over the years, and only one match should be played.

 

[lockyno1]

And first World Cup here in 23 years, and will probably be at least another 23 years or so before another one is held here.


I'm all for more Sunday games during the season, but I agree with you.

Just like they have done during the Easter weekend this year, with only one match played on Easter Sunday (Roosters vs Sharks), and the Saturday arvo and Sunday 2pm games being shifted to Easter Monday afternoon (well, at least the first half of the Storm/Warriors 5pm match will be played in daylight).

Mother's Day is also another Sunday that traditionally hasn't drawn well over the years, and only one match should be played.

I am so pro Sunday Football, I hate night football. This is one round where they could have had an extra two games on Saturday. Then have a live Sunday game at 12:30pm or 1pm leading into the cricket telecast. Honestly it is so obvious. Now you have the ridiculous situation of people staying home when a lot of fans would have liked to watch both. It is all well and good to have a set draw. This round should have been a "TBA" in terms of times and venues, then as soon as NZ made it, the game should have been shifted to Saturday, then as soon as Australia made it the extra game shifts to Saturday.

 

[undertaker]

I am so pro Sunday Football, I hate night football. This is one round where they could have had an extra two games on Saturday. Then have a live Sunday game at 12:30pm or 1pm leading into the cricket telecast. Honestly it is so obvious. Now you have the ridiculous situation of people staying home when a lot of fans would have liked to watch both. It is all well and good to have a set draw. This round should have been a "TBA" in terms of times and venues, then as soon as NZ made it, the game should have been shifted to Saturday, then as soon as Australia made it the extra game shifts to Saturday.

As nice as the "TBA" idea sounds, TBA has to be done at the start of the season. It can't be just done one week out as I mentioned (unless there were legitimate reasons, such as heavy rain/flooding which made it 100% impossible to play the match then and there at the scheduled time), because the problem starts when people have already pre-purchased tickets for those matches, which then makes changing the kickoff time (even with the match still held on the same day) a difficulty when those people have already made plans to attend the game at that time.

At the end of the day, the buck stops with the NRL, and they only have themselves to blame for this mess. It's not Ch9/Fox Sports fault, as they only get to sit down and choose their matches after they have seen the draw. I know designing a draw isn't a straightforward process given the NRL has to plan around those AFL/Super Rugby/Wallabies/Socceroos/A-League fixtures that are also played at NRL venues, as well as either miscellaneous events such as music festivals and concerts. However, the NRL knew months in advance before the draw was created that there was a World Cup final on Sunday, March 29 (which was actually announced back in 2006 when Australia/NZ got the hosting rights to the 2015 World Cup), let alone the possibility that either of the host nations - Australia or New Zealand, or both of them - would make the final. The NRL has absolutely no excuse for not knowing or planning around this.

 

[lockyno1]

As nice as the "TBA" idea sounds, TBA has to be done at the start of the season. It can't be just done one week out as I mentioned (unless there were legitimate reasons, such as heavy rain/flooding which made it 100% impossible to play the match then and there at the scheduled time), because the problem starts when people have already pre-purchased tickets for those matches, which then makes changing the kickoff time (even with the match still held on the same day) a difficulty when those people have already made plans to attend the game at that time.

At the end of the day, the buck stops with the NRL, and they only have themselves to blame for this mess. It's not Ch9/Fox Sports fault, as they only get to sit down and choose their matches after they have seen the draw. I know designing a draw isn't a straightforward process given the NRL has to plan around those AFL/Super Rugby/Wallabies/Socceroos/A-League fixtures that are also played at NRL venues, as well as either miscellaneous events such as music festivals and concerts. However, the NRL knew months in advance before the draw was created that there was a World Cup final on Sunday, March 29 (which was actually announced back in 2006 when Australia/NZ got the hosting rights to the 2015 World Cup), let alone the possibility that either of the host nations - Australia or New Zealand, or both of them - would make the final. The NRL has absolutely no excuse for not knowing or planning around this.

Yeah I know what you are saying, but they could have seen this a month out that the 29th could be an issue. Fans would be understanding if they are having 1 round where there is a small lead into a game. Ideally at least 2 weeks. As soon as NZ/Aus were on opposite sides of the pool standings the NRL should have known (i.e. 3 weeks ago!).

I don't blame Channel 9 one bit, and in fact ask them what they would want a match at 3:30pm when everyone is watching the cricket or a match at 1pm leading into the cricket....This round is going to be horrific!