Why should RL crowds have increased that much? Maybe if you actually read my original post, or bother to go back and re-read my post instead of hijacking this thread for your own stupid childish agenda, you would realise that that was MY WHOLE POINT. 20 YEARS AGO, my club and others (remember the Sydney Bulldogs, Sydney City Roosters) put themselves through a lot of upheaval and pain in order to make a massive difference to crowds. It didnt work. In fact the opposite happened forthe Tigers. THATS THE POINT. Subsequent to this a lot has been done and tried in order to change things and crowds havent really risen proportionally. You can post all kinds of "stats" but the fact of the matter is EVERYTHING ELSE has risen exponentially. Sydney's population, the grants to the clubs have more than tripled in that time, club turnover at leat doubled, salary caps doubled, TV ratings probably doubled.......crowds have crept up marginally relative.
I stand by what I said about other codes in the context of what I have said above and point out that AFL crowds are double NRL. If you told me 20 years ago that the Swans would average 33K and double the average NRL game in Sydney (at least) I would laugh. If you told me that soccer's average crowds would be neck & neck (within 3K) of NRL average crowd I would have pissed myself. If you told me that a Sydney soccer team (WSW) would have average crowds app 4-5K MORE than any Sydney NRL team I would have taken you to a doctor. All of these are now facts.
Raiderdave your hijacking of this post highlights for me one of my pets hates about RL. I am a RL fan. In winter I only follow RL. I have never been to a AFL game or an A League game, Ive seen a super rugby game becuase I got free tickets. RL is my game. But I cannot understand or cop this stupid, childish, insecurity that comes with so many RL fans that its a competition between RL and every other winter code. If you say something good about another code RL must be defended, a criticism of RL must be countered with a corresponding slam down of (GAY)FL. Its small minded bullshit. RL is my game, I cant tolerate any of the others, but I can cleary see that they are all run more professionally than RL, Infact I think RL is at risk of becoming a bogan backwater in Aus professional sport, but thats another thread. Its still my favourite winter sport.
afl crowds have always been double rl crowds , nothing has changed much there
also...
why would you have laughed 20 odd years ago if you were told the swans would have averaged 33K in 2016
when they also did that 30 years ago ??...
It was true back then & still is , that snoody up themselves eastern suburbs types who would never attend an RL game because it is beneath them & they believe all RL fans are bogans , coupled with the large ex pat sthn australian population in sydney who need to get their live fix of men in singlets & tight shorts
that the support for a succesful sydney afl side was there , all the afl needed to do was keep them succesful
so manipulation of their salary cap has done that. the fact no one watches them on TV shows how much depth of support there is
Same for the WSW & waratahs at a point about 12 years ago , thin on top support
nothing underneath
but again
you're using individual examples of teams to prove your point about codes
fact is
RL , the NSWRL, ARL , NRL is doing no better or worse then anyone else crowd wise compared to where they were in 1993
Youre typical of the type of RL fan i hate too
i love RL
i love RL
but youre ignorant , negative & happy to talk it down at any opportunity even in this day & age when given its history & the way its treated by the media
plus dopes like you supposedly supporting it , Its thriving in reality with more people watching it then ever before
is it perfect , no of course not , no sport is.but we're the only code that has fans like you
will join a circle jerk to put your fav code down , & won't defend it
but sure .... you love it right lol
