2017 Crowd Watch

[Billythekid]

Given that we are doing everything to appeal to TV you'd hope that we would be smashing the AFL in ratings but last night they beat us in that as well. Hopefully that was just due to it being the opening game of the year, we better smash them tonight.

It's off topic but I doubt this is likely. The panthers, knights and raiders aren't the biggest draws for TV audiences usually. We'll see though.

 

[Brutus]

2nd Friday 6pm game of the year in Sydney starting in 3 hours.

Anyone want to take a guess of what the crowd will be in Penrith?

6,348

Well done NRL administration.

 

[Paullyboy]

This 6pm game is just a debacle in every facet. For Queenslanders it kicks off at 5pm (well at this time of year anyway) so automatically a massive percentage of potential viewers are going to be ruled out as they'll probably still be at work when it kicks off.

It's obviously shit for crowds too, I don't think anyone could have expected anything else from the moment it was announced. The only way it works is if it's in NZ and it's a normal time kick off for them, but you don't want to have NZ wasting all their home games on Friday nights like the Broncos do - it 's not good for crowds.

So who is benefiting? I just don't get it.

 

[Canard]

No one's pointed out that the lame Knight pun T-Boob is pushing works for any other night of the week and doesn't work any better on Thursday?

That's because the guy is a complete f**kwit and best ignored.

 

[Canard]

This 6pm game is just a debacle in every facet. For Queenslanders it kicks off at 5pm (well at this time of year anyway) s.

That's why the C9 excuse of Thursday night being at 8pm to suit QLD audiences during DST, doesn't hold any weight whatsover.

 

[LineBall]

SMH article saying this has been the wettest March for 33 years in Sydney, and there is more rain to come yet.

 

[T-Boon]

This 6pm game is just a debacle in every facet.

Its a time slot the AFL would give us if they got control of the wheel.

 

[T-Boon]

That's because the guy is a complete f**kwit and best ignored.

why the hate?

 

[Cumberland Throw]

This 6pm game is just a debacle in every facet. For Queenslanders it kicks off at 5pm (well at this time of year anyway) so automatically a massive percentage of potential viewers are going to be ruled out as they'll probably still be at work when it kicks off.

It's obviously shit for crowds too, I don't think anyone could have expected anything else from the moment it was announced. The only way it works is if it's in NZ and it's a normal time kick off for them, but you don't want to have NZ wasting all their home games on Friday nights like the Broncos do - it 's not good for crowds.

So who is benefiting? I just don't get it.

And then the broncos have to kick off at 7pm ?>????

Why couldnt tonight the panthers kick off at 7pm.. give the M4 a chance.

then broncos at 8pm local .. ???

 

[beave]

The cyclone brewing up north will probably wreck the Cowbs next 2 home game if it sticks around as a rain depression, the f$@&ing things can hang around for weeks. The area does need the rain though.

 

[CC_Roosters]

Souths had a real marketing crack one game about 5 years ago against Melbourne Storm..

They hired a team of telemarketers, to call all members, to urge them to get a long to the game..did extra martketing etc..

They got 32,500 from memory against an out of state team..

They said after that it cost them 50k in marketing, and got zero help from NRL.. and wouldnt do it again,,

Now they get 15,000 ave... and get paid to play there no matter the crowd,,

We as a game seriously have no idea...

I specifically remember this and the buzz there was in the lead up to the game, I thought why can't every game be like this. Would love to know what the marketing budget is and how it's being spent. I have heard lots of ads on Triple M for Thursday night games, but really you could spend a truck load of cash and still get a poor return sue to the timeslot.

Strange thing is who has heard or seen any journo or pundit talk about crowds lately?? I have seen none, it's almost like a cone of silence. Nobody in the media is criticising Friday 6pm which deserves to be slaughtered, the game just doesnt get watched in my house.

I think they are very embarrassed about last night I cannot find reference to the actual crowd figure anywhere

 

[Valheru]

I said when, not where.

Good point

It has been a long week lol!

 

[SLRBRONCOS]

Half hour delays with TransLink in Brisbane due to some localised flash flooding. Will shave the crowd down. f**k weather, level 7 was open. Walk ups could have got us back to 35. Going to be a bit hairy unfortunately

 

[Billythekid]

I specifically remember this and the buzz there was in the lead up to the game, I thought why can't every game be like this. Would love to know what the marketing budget is and how it's being spent. I have heard lots of ads on Triple M for Thursday night games, but really you could spend a truck load of cash and still get a poor return sue to the timeslot.

Strange thing is who has heard or seen any journo or pundit talk about crowds lately?? I have seen none, it's almost like a cone of silence. Nobody in the media is criticising Friday 6pm which deserves to be slaughtered, the game just doesnt get watched in my house.

I think they are very embarrassed about last night I cannot find reference to the actual crowd figure anywhere

That was possibly the most impressive crowd I've seen since following the NRL. I remember being so optimistic after that, it really felt like it might have been a sign of NRL crowds turning a corner.

We need to see more of that and the NRL shouldn't leave it up to just the clubs. It should be a joint effort.

 

[thorson1987]

That was possibly the most impressive crowd I've seen since following the NRL. I remember being so optimistic after that, it really felt like it might have been a sign of NRL crowds turning a corner.

We need to see more of that and the NRL shouldn't leave it up to just the clubs. It should be a joint effort.

Was a fun game to be at too.

 

[Burns]

Looks like sub 10,000

 

[undertaker]

crowd is a bit bigger than anticipated at Penrith. Well done to the Panthers fans who've turned out.

Roosters vs Manly at Allianz next Friday could be a problem, given the light-rail construction and heavy traffic delays in the area over the past year.

 

[undertaker]

And then the broncos have to kick off at 7pm ?>????

Why couldnt tonight the panthers kick off at 7pm.. give the M4 a chance.

then broncos at 8pm local .. ???

Agreed. If the 2nd (late) Friday night match was in Queensland during daylight saving, it would've made sense to push the kickoff times back and the first match could kick off in Sydney at a more reasonable time compared to 6pm.

However, the problem lies with Ch9: they would not want the starting time of their Friday night game in NSW commencing at 9pm. Approximately 8:30pm would've been a suitable compromise. For tonight, the following combination could've been done:

Penrith vs Newcastle (kick-off 6:45pm)
Brisbane vs Canberra (kick-off: 7:40pm QLD time/8:40pm NSW)

 

[undertaker]

Part of the reason the AFL got a big crowd last night was because apparently that is the traditional season opener. Do we have a traditional season opener? If not why not?

What about Parramatta v Souths at ANZ stadium kicking off the season every year.

The Grand Final re-match should be the season opener. Storm vs Sharks at AAMI Park would've got a strong crowd, and with no competition from AFL or other sports. I'm no fan of scheduling the Grand Final re-match later in the season, which by that stage, both teams could be out of form and it doesn't generate the same interest in the media.

However, with that said though, there's all these suggestions recently about the season kicking off in the West Coast of the U.S, so I don't know what to believe anymore.

 

[undertaker]

Thursday KNIGHT Football

I recon if they had Thursday night football every second Thursday in Newcastle, kick off at 7.15 and gave the Knights some marketing dollars it could become a great tradition in Newcastle to get to the game.

Fire the canons at Fort Scratchley every Thursday arvo at 5pm when everyone is leaving the office.

Now you're really taking the piss here....

If you looked at this year's NRL draw, the Knights only have one Ch9 match in the first 20 rounds (on a Sunday arvo vs Bulldogs at Belmore). What makes you suddenly think Ch9 would give the Knights regular prime-time viewing?

Also, Newcastle is outside the Sydney metro tv ratings region, so not as lucrative to Ch9 as Parramatta/Bulldogs/Souths/St George, and Brisbane, that have the whole Brisbane metro to themselves. In NRL territory, Sydney and Brisbane metro regions are the most lucrative for advertisers

Even during the Andrew Johns era, the Knights weren't getting heaps of Ch9 games compared to Brisbane and the Sydney teams that were performing well. In the post-Johns era, 2012 was an anomaly, where Ch9 tried to cash in on the Wayne Bennett-factor and yes, we did get a lot of Ch9 matches that year, even though we missed the top 8. Even during the 2 Friday night game format (2007-15), most of the Knights Friday night games were the 9:30pm delayed match, only on the rare occasion did they get the premium 7:30pm game.

With the NRL regaining control of the scheduling from next year, I expect the Knights will get a little bit more Ch9 matches, but it would have to take years of consistently being a top 4 contender for the Knights to ever get the quota of FTA matches/season that they had during 1994-2007