2017 Crowd Watch

[Cumberland Throw]

I agree that ticket prices must be reduced, especially at the major venues such as ANZ Stadium.

In regards to persisting with the Friday 6pm game, I've already suggested that during the daylight saving period in March, there's no reason why both Friday 6/8pm games can't be pushed back to ensure crowd attendances for both games are increased. The Ch9 match should be in QLD during this period to capitalise on the later kickoff time. Obviously, Ch9 wouldn't want the starting time to be too late in NSW, so I would say a suitable compromise is a 6:50pm kickoff for the Fox game (held in NSW, Canberra or Melbourne) followed by the Ch9 game held in QLD kicking off at 8:40-45pm (7:40-45pm QLD). In the first 5 rounds, Broncos to host 2, Titans to host 2 and Cowboys to host 1 (due to the more volatile weather and humidity up in Townsville at that time of the year). Broncos vs Cowboys to kick-off in round 1, like it used to. Telecast of the Ch9 game to start at 8:30pm in NSW and 7pm in QLD (with 40-45min pre-game show).

When daylight saving finishes and Friday night's revert back to 6/8pm, then I would suggest something like what Cricket Australia have done for day/night test matches over the past 2 summers: half-priced tickets offered for the 6pm game for those who could only make the 2nd half (this excludes the Warriors, where their home game starts at the more suitable time of 8pm NZ and also Good Friday 6pm, which is a public holiday). Those with the half-priced tickets would be allowed in after the half-time siren at approx 6:45-50pm. Also, the Warriors quota of home matches on Friday night would be after daylight saving finishes so less games held in Australia in this timeslot. Also, games in areas outside of Sydney should be candidates for the Friday 6pm game, such as Bathurst/Albury/Wollongong etc.

I would say this would be the sticking point.. CH 9 sitting around twiddling thumbs until 8.45pm for the 2nd game... Great idea though, would need NRL, FOX, NINE to work together to create a good result for fans, clubs, tv combined.. (so in NRL this simply would never happen)

 

[undertaker]

I would say this would be the sticking point.. CH 9 sitting around twiddling thumbs until 8.45pm for the 2nd game... Great idea though, would need NRL, FOX, NINE to work together to create a good result for fans, clubs, tv combined.. (so in NRL this simply would never happen)

Well, it would be much better than a game in Brisbane starting just after 7pm, especially blockbusters like Broncos vs Cowboys. That extra 40-45 minutes will ensure 7:40-45pm is easier for fans to make the game rather than either trying to rush to the ground, or simply say "nah, can't be bothered going out of my way to make it at 7pm". Generally during the daylight saving

Likewise, shifting the first game back to as late as 6:50pm start will draw a bigger crowd than 6pm, especially in Sydney with the traffic. That's why I advocated that the Warriors 4-6 home 8pm NZT Friday night games be AFTER daylight saving finishes, so that less Australian teams will have to play at 6pm.

Of the 26 rounds in the season, 23 have a Friday 6pm match. The first 5 rounds were during daylight saving and round 7 is Easter, so that is a public holiday and you won't have the issue of the vast majority of fans having to rush back from work or school to make it in time.

So, my proposal would be:

Rds 1-5
Fox game kick-off at 6:50pm EDT (match held in NSW/Canberra/Melbourne), telecast starts at 6 or 6:30pm
Ch9 game kick-off at 8:40-45pm EDT/7:40-45 QLD (match held in Brisbane/Gold Coast/Townsville), telecast starts at 7pm QLD/8:30pm EDT

Rd 6 onwards
So, subtracting those first 5 rounds and the Easter round, that leaves only 23-5-1 = 17 Friday 6pm games.

In the NRL draw so far up to Round 20, 5 of those matches are played in NZ. So, assuming the Warriors play 4-6 home Friday night games in the season + potentially whatever Australian teams such as the Bulldogs that take home matches to NZ, that leaves at least 17-4 or 6 = 11-13 Friday 6pm games left. Considering the Broncos can't legally host games in this timeslot due to some contract Suncorp has with the public transportation system and we have already dealt with the Warriors quota of games, that means the remaining NRL teams don't have to play more than 1 home game at Friday 6pm during the season.

So, that's my suggestion in minimising the number of games especially the Sydney teams would have to host in that timeslot from Rd 6 onwards.

 

[Cumberland Throw]

Its scary but I reckon the NRL put less thought into the DST friday night fixturing than this guy just has..

All valid points, all sensible.. all would increase gates, and tv ratings..

 

[El Diablo]

you never go so why do you even care?

 

[Emu01]

Can we somehow send a copy of these good suggestions on how to build crowds to the Nrl?

I email my ideas to them from time to time and the send a very generic reply stating "thank you for your ideas and suggestions but it's up to the individual clubs to organise game day entertainment"or whatever I suggest they say they have no control over or they have recorded the suggestion and I never see any changes at nrl games.

The nrl don't even want to take ownership of game day responsibilities when they run the game! They just pass the buck back to the clubs when it suits them.

 

[Valheru]

This, Every Friday night 6pm game at Allianz, every Sunday double header at ANZ with a 2pm and 4pm KO. Make it cheap and entertaining.

No thanks

Friday 6PM has proven better than we thought thus far but it is still not optimal and the roosters shouldn't be punished with a majority of home games in the slot because the NRL has worked out what we all knew, games close to the CBD make more sense for this timeslot.

I think there are going to be ~20 Friday 6PM games this year, I would limit those in future to the following venues, all of which I think will do ok in this timeslot:

NZ
SFS
Suncorp
Gold Coast
Canberra
Newcastle
AAMI

NZ is a no brainer given the time difference and all the others have the same benefit as the SFS, close to where a good portion of the locals work.

 

[Paullyboy]

Why do people keep saying 7pm in Brisbane wasn't ideal? It's perfect. If you can't get to Suncorp Stadium by 7pm on a Friday night, you're really not trying. You could easily finish work on the bloody Gold Coast of all places and still make it with more than half an hour to spare before kickoff, let alone from anywhere at all in the Greater Brisbane area.

Having a 745 and 750 kickoff limits the number of kids who will be able to come as I imagine most parents wouldn't want to be getting home after 1030.

 

[moffla]

I just hate the Friday 6pm games as it leaves now time for a pre match beer!

 

[Paullyboy]

I just hate the Friday 6pm games as it leaves now time for a pre match beer!

Imagine living in Queensland, I swear that even if you wanted to watch the game, most people would be lucky to catch the second half as it kicks off at 5pm. If you work next to a pub you could sprint straight for it any maybe only miss the first 10 minutes, if you don't work next to a pub, well you're shit out of luck.

I love that the NRL didn't even factor daylight saving into their brain when they came up with that stupidity.

 

[Panther_Daz]

Interesting to see how the Friday 6pm game in Newcastle goes. It might actually work there.

 

[Timmah]

Imagine living in Queensland, I swear that even if you wanted to watch the game, most people would be lucky to catch the second half as it kicks off at 5pm. If you work next to a pub you could sprint straight for it any maybe only miss the first 10 minutes, if you don't work next to a pub, well you're shit out of luck.

I love that the NRL didn't even factor daylight saving into their brain when they came up with that stupidity.

It's five games at the start of the season for f**k sake.

And I doubt what a handful of beer drinkers do is their top priority, either.

 

[El Diablo]

Interesting to see how the Friday 6pm game in Newcastle goes this Friday

when else would it be?

 

[NK Arsenal]

Interesting to see how the Friday 6pm game in Newcastle goes this Friday. It might actually work there.

The club has put on a 2 for 1 promotion for this week's game and next week v the chooks

Dogs have decent support in Newy

Hopefully the rain stays away and there could be 17k+

 

[sensesmaybenumbed]

AFL had an ad on tv here in Brisbane for free GA entry for kids under 15 to all Sunday games Australia wide. There's no reason the NRL & clubs can't do the same, I know the Titans do for some games, why not make kids free for every NRL game?

So the AFL probably count every kid in the country under 15 years old as an attendee.

 

[Perth Red]

No thanks

Friday 6PM has proven better than we thought thus far but it is still not optimal and the roosters shouldn't be punished with a majority of home games in the slot because the NRL has worked out what we all knew, games close to the CBD make more sense for this timeslot.

I think there are going to be ~20 Friday 6PM games this year, I would limit those in future to the following venues, all of which I think will do ok in this timeslot:

NZ
SFS
Suncorp
Gold Coast
Canberra
Newcastle
AAMI

NZ is a no brainer given the time difference and all the others have the same benefit as the SFS, close to where a good portion of the locals work.

Wasn't suggesting they should all be Roosters games. Id have hoped the NRL would have connected the massive club grant increase to some strategic stadium game decisions, sadly they haven't so the opportunity has passed. Id have liked to see the NRl control a Friday game at Allianz and double header sunday at ANZ, compensate clubs where necessary, invest in game day experience at theses events and have a goal to get 30k to each game.

 

[beave]

Why do people keep saying 7pm in Brisbane wasn't ideal? It's perfect. If you can't get to Suncorp Stadium by 7pm on a Friday night, you're really not trying. You could easily finish work on the bloody Gold Coast of all places and still make it with more than half an hour to spare before kickoff, let alone from anywhere at all in the Greater Brisbane area.

Having a 745 and 750 kickoff limits the number of kids who will be able to come as I imagine most parents wouldn't want to be getting home after 1030.

The cowbs broncs game at Suncorp this year, my mates and I got to the stadium area at 6:30pm and it took 35 mins to line up and get through the gates. It was the earliest I could get there as I work til 5pm like most people. The 45 mins earlier kick off just compresses that access window for everyone and as a result the line ups to get in were huge and we all missed the kick off. The southern gates had people line up over the footbridge across Milton Rd.

Not everyone can knock off early on a friday, and the fact you can pretty much only get public transport into suncorp means you are relying on the train or bus schedule, where I live they leave every 30 mins towards central, it's not as easy you would think to get there mate.

 

[cleary89]

Still so much hate for friday 6pm despite decent showings.

As a teacher i love it. I do footy tipping and watch highlights with my 94% ESL class. Friday 6pm is easily the most watched (maybe 6 or 7) compared to 3 or 4 for normal games.

Its great for kids and i bet attendances would reflect that.

 

[taipan]

Wasn't suggesting they should all be Roosters games. Id have hoped the NRL would have connected the massive club grant increase to some strategic stadium game decisions, sadly they haven't so the opportunity has passed. Id have liked to see the NRl control a Friday game at Allianz and double header sunday at ANZ, compensate clubs where necessary, invest in game day experience at theses events and have a goal to get 30k to each game.

\
We don't know what the final grant will betas the salary cap has not been finalised.Again hypothetical.
Probably why the NRL are hedging at a $10m cap intially.The extra 30% is not small bikkies.

 

[SLRBRONCOS]

Why do people keep saying 7pm in Brisbane wasn't ideal? It's perfect. If you can't get to Suncorp Stadium by 7pm on a Friday night, you're really not trying. You could easily finish work on the bloody Gold Coast of all places and still make it with more than half an hour to spare before kickoff, let alone from anywhere at all in the Greater Brisbane area.

Having a 745 and 750 kickoff limits the number of kids who will be able to come as I imagine most parents wouldn't want to be getting home after 1030.

7pm games here are horrific!!

 

[Raiderdave]

so predictions for this week ?

Broncos V Roosters 32000
Knights V Bulldogs 14000
Panthers V Souths 14000
Manly V Dragons 14000
Titans V Raiders 14000
Cowboys V Tigers 16000
Warriors V Parramatta 12000
Melbourne v Sharks 22000