2016 Crowd Watch

[hutch]

Other sports in the middle of their seasons...and you want to stop our season for a month! How about NO thanks. We have tests at the end of the year and an International round. That is MORE than enough.

Do I completely love the current way, NO. Is it the best of the worst solutions, YES. We don't need our season stopped every year.

Our season won't be stopped. It will be one of the highlights of the sporting calendar and all of the focus will be on origin and to a lesser extent all of our other rep games and tests. If anything, it's a "free kick" to rugby league and doesn't ruin the NRL season like what currently happens every season mid year.
But no, let's have Canberra v Penrith on a Saturday night in front of 7000 people with zero media attention and hype instead.

 

[Jono1987]

They need to suspend the NRL for the month of June and call that Origin month.
They should play a nines tournament throughout the month with teams from Perth and Wellington included to satisfy the television networks.

My thoughts exactly. Reduce the number of club games to around 20 per season. Move 9's from pre-season to Origin month in June and make it a round robin type tournament. NRL to boost prize money for tournament to encourage teams to play near/full strength sides. One weekend could be played in NZ, WA, SA etc. I wouldn't play any international footy at this time, leave it to the end of NRL season.

I would leave Origin on Wed nights personally. First Origin would be the 2nd Wed of June. Then each game played the following Wed. Don't really buy the theory that players need more than 7 days to recover. Also keeps it in the media spotlight as there isn't such a gap between games.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

Thanks for your input phil rothfield. As per usual, you're wrong. Please explain this "Free kick to other sports" bullsh*t theory that the media (daily telegraph) like to use?

This "free kick to other sports" talk is basically coming from people in the newspapers or TV.

Its amazing isn't it. We have people in the media, blabbing on about having a perfect system around Origin. Free NRL weekends, only State Of Origin, play it on a Saturday or Sunday.

Suddenly when this happens, you'll probably hear the whining again, "Oh there's no games in Sydney, whats the NRL doing? The Swans are playing this weekend".

 

[PARRA_FAN]

For every clown who refuses to watch rep matches I bet there's some on the fence fan who's far more interested in watching international sport than depleted suburban teams. Or at least there will be if the game is given the attention it needs to grow.

As for the view that 'We tried it once and it didnt work'.
Please explain how it "didnt work".
Furthermore, something allegedly not working 15 years ago is not a valid reason to never try it again. We have a lot more strong content to offer than 15 years ago and the game is stronger financially.

If I recall one of the issues was the gap between Origins. I think they played the first one in early May, then the next one was played in the middle of June, so just over a month between games.

We have since reduced the gap. So I guess if its tried again the gap wouldn't be that big.

Also being a die hard rugby league fan, I remember how weird it was not having a Friday night game during winter.

The first weekend of Origin, there was basically one game, which was the Origin game, but I remember the second weekend they had City/Country on the Friday night. That was revived, 3 years after it was scrapped, and played in Bathurst. Maybe play that around Origin time, or play an international. Given how we've increased the number of Kiwis and Pacific Islanders over the years, a NZ Vs Samoa, or Tonga test wouldn't hurt.

Tbh, I don't know what the best solution is and I don't know if anyone would have the perfect system.

 

[Perth Red]

Australia vs NZ/Eng might be. The others meh. We are in Australia, guess what most people care about Australian matches, not some exhibition test match just to fill in a weekend. It won't work. Stand alone Origin has been tried before, fans hate it, it is boring by the 2nd week. Stopping a competition for a month is even worse- talk about a free kick to other sports. Hate to be blunt but I'd lose interest by the end of the first weekend, as it is we have that International round and that is bad enough personally.

there is no such thing as an exhibition test match, we arent the AFL making representing your country some farce hybrid game just for the sake of saying you can play for Australia!

We also are talking about tv viewers and interest in results at end of day. As a broncos fan were you likely to attend any of the 4 games last weekend? or even watch them on tv? Id tune into Tonga v Samoa ,in front of a passionate crowd, with more enthusiasm than an under strength Souths v parra in an empty ANZ wouldn't you? Would much rather watch PNG v Fiji in Port Moresby with all the excitement a game there has than Titans v Manly in front of 8k on GC. on a Monday night.
The weekend can start on a Friday night and build momentum into a climax Sunday night origin. International exposure is less about the die hard club fans and more brand building for the code amongst the other 95% of the population as other sports have well understood. RL still sees it as inconvenience sadly.

 

[carcharias]

I'd rather watch China v holland than sharks v Perth .

 

[Desert Qlder]

Origin 3...uh oh.

If they are giving away tickets please include flights for Queenslanders.

 

[SLRBRONCOS]

52,259 - I think? Ripper crowd considering no firesale.

 

[adamkungl]

Game 3 could be the lowest Origin crowd in yeeears

 

[SLRBRONCOS]

Game 3 could be the lowest Origin crowd in yeeears

Nah - freebies will save it.

 

[Perth Red]

I'd rather watch China v holland than sharks v Perth .

I knew you'd be a soccer fan

 

[dangerousdave]

I knew you'd be a soccer fan

I'm sure he meant in water polo

 

[SLRBRONCOS]

52293

 

[guyver78]

Nah - freebies will save it.

Yeah that's right. Freebies, re-categorization followed by a fire sale will save it. if it's cheap enough people will still go and then they will rave on about how great and alive origin is and how it still got 80K even though it was a dead rubber.

Anybody going BTW? SLR? You might be able to pick up Platinum tix for $50 again, I'd hold off buying for a while if I was you.

 

[Frank Discussion]

Yeah that's right. Freebies, re-categorization followed by a fire sale will save it. if it's cheap enough people will still go and then they will rave on about how great and alive origin is and how it still got 80K even though it was a dead rubber.

Anybody going BTW? SLR? You might be able to pick up Platinum tix for $50 again, I'd hold off buying for a while if I was you.

I don't know anyone who would go. Last night had the feeling of a tipping point. That moment when your opponent beats you so many times, so categorically, that you think "I couldn't be arsed with this" and just give it away.

Don't forget how fickle Sydney is.

Queensland may have just killed the goose that lays the golden egg by merely being so successful.

 

[Last Week]

I don't know anyone who would go. Last night had the feeling of a tipping point. That moment when your opponent beats you so many times, so categorically, that you think "I couldn't be arsed with this" and just give it away.

Don't forget how fickle Sydney is.

Queensland may have just killed the goose that lays the golden egg by merely being so successful.

I agree somewhat. Personally, I and the people I watched it with knew Queensland would win. Didn't really have much of a doubt. I'm over it. I think that's where the lack of excitement and motivation for Blues fans may have gone. We weren't expecting a win and got what was expected. It's just deflating.

Regardless, haven't a shit load of tickets for Origin 3 already been sold?

 

[Perth Red]

I don't know anyone who would go. Last night had the feeling of a tipping point. That moment when your opponent beats you so many times, so categorically, that you think "I couldn't be arsed with this" and just give it away.

Don't forget how fickle Sydney is.

Queensland may have just killed the goose that lays the golden egg by merely being so successful.

Welcome to the world of England RL fans lol. I've been waiting all my life to see GB/England win a major tournament!
At least NSW fans just have to wait a couple more years till Thurston et al retire.

 

[SLRBRONCOS]

Yeah that's right. Freebies, re-categorization followed by a fire sale will save it. if it's cheap enough people will still go and then they will rave on about how great and alive origin is and how it still got 80K even though it was a dead rubber.

Anybody going BTW? SLR? You might be able to pick up Platinum tix for $50 again, I'd hold off buying for a while if I was you.

I haven't bought tickets yet, but I have flexi flights. Will go if I can get good seats for cheap, just have been roped into working at the Sydney office if I go down which is lame.

I would think they would fire off tickets for free to all junior clubs, though who would take their kid to an 8:20pm kick off on a Wednesday night. Rediculous.

Only one upper side is on sale at ANZ. Crowd will be a disaster unless freebies.

 

[Perth Red]

Next perth game not tracking well. I just got tickets and still mid section of main stand available. Normally two weeks out you'd only be able to get the end sections of the East stand. Some ads ran during the breaks in Origin last night so that might help.

This fixture got 20k in 2012 at the AFL stadium.

 

[Last Week]

Next perth game not tracking well. I just got tickets and still mid section of main stand available. Normally two weeks out you'd only be able to get the end sections of the East stand. Some ads ran during the breaks in Origin last night so that might help.

This fixture got 20k in 2012 at the AFL stadium.

Isn't there some car racing on then though?