The Game 2022 Crowd Watch

[Iamback]

The real battle for NRL to get fans is that it is such a good TV product. In AFL, there is so much going off the ball that watching live is a much better experience.

What this means is that the NRL really have to make every effort to make games an event to draw people in away from the comfort of their homes. This means accessibility to the grounds, better experience, and most of all - value for money. I'm living in Melbourne, and AAMI Park is a great ground, but that isn't enough to make me want to see more Storm games. I can watch on TV and have just as good experience.

How they do this is definitely a very difficult issue. You could argue they need more games on game day, but even when they had Holden Cup people weren't turning up. Newer stadiums doesn't resolve the issue. Making it more affordable could help, but then the revenue is likely to go down. It's definitely complex.

For me NRL need to use Public Holidays better. If there is a public Holiday on the Monday then move the Thurs night game to Sunday.

More games is certainly a point. As it stands if I was to go to certain grounds my travel would take longer then the ground is open for.

 

[Warriors Fever]

They need someone who is actually vested in increasing crowds to do the draw every year. Paying them a bonus if it hits a certain amount I don’t know. Gotta keep the local derby local, but have they been selling them out that much recently? Maybe one of the two derby games could be played at the new sfs with one team hosting the other fixture and then just reversing it. But then again it might not work that well as it’s away from both their bases.

 

[Frailty]

They need someone who is actually vested in increasing crowds to do the draw every year. Paying them a bonus if it hits a certain amount I don’t know. Gotta keep the local derby local, but have they been selling them out that much recently? Maybe one of the two derby games could be played at the new sfs with one team hosting the other fixture and then just reversing it. But then again it might not work that well as it’s away from both their bases.

The Sharks-Dragons derby hasn't been that strong for a few years simply because the Dragons haven't been a strong team for a while. Kind of like the Souths-Roosters rivalry in the 90s and 00s wasn't that significant.

Personally, I don't think the issue was it being in Wollongong (they've been hosting the Sharks at Wollongong fairly frequently the last 10-15 years), but more it was on a Thursday night. Not the most fan friendly scheduling, and the weather has definitely not helped.

 

[Warriors Fever]

Looking at the last few years of the southern derby.
You had rd 1 2021 7,500 at kogorah reduced capacity, raining if I remember . Pre pandemic
2019 at the gong 14,568
2019 sharks park 13,652
2018 rd 2 shark park 13517 (Thursday)
2018 18k at the gong
2017 r3 14247 at shark park
2017 kogorah 15,927 (fri 6pm I believe)

 

[Warriors Fever]

The Sharks-Dragons derby hasn't been that strong for a few years simply because the Dragons haven't been a strong team for a while. Kind of like the Souths-Roosters rivalry in the 90s and 00s wasn't that significant.

Personally, I don't think the issue was it being in Wollongong (they've been hosting the Sharks at Wollongong fairly frequently the last 10-15 years), but more it was on a Thursday night. Not the most fan friendly scheduling, and the weather has definitely not helped.

In recent history they actually draw better at the gong compared to kogorah. The one outlier is 2017 rd3 how was that so low after sharks won a prem.

 

[grozzy]

If you want to attract away supporters to games, they need to be scheduled for the afternoon. I try to go to 1 or 2 away games each year and it's almost always the Sunday arvo games. Fugged if I want to travel to a Thursday night game even if it's the local derby.
Many people also don't grasp the advantage of having your own home ground mainly in atmosphere and boost to the team. Generic concrete stadiums just have no soul. Give me Sunday at Leichhardt anytime over Friday night at ANZ

 

[Perth Red]

The real battle for NRL to get fans is that it is such a good TV product. In AFL, there is so much going off the ball that watching live is a much better experience.

What this means is that the NRL really have to make every effort to make games an event to draw people in away from the comfort of their homes. This means accessibility to the grounds, better experience, and most of all - value for money. I'm living in Melbourne, and AAMI Park is a great ground, but that isn't enough to make me want to see more Storm games. I can watch on TV and have just as good experience.

How they do this is definitely a very difficult issue. You could argue they need more games on game day, but even when they had Holden Cup people weren't turning up. Newer stadiums doesn't resolve the issue. Making it more affordable could help, but then the revenue is likely to go down. It's definitely complex.

Watching any sport on tv is easier. Better? That depends on how you define the enjoyment of watching a game. With TVs constant close up shots you don’t t see a lot of the off the ball parts of the game, seeing how defences are lining up, play markers getting in position, defences off side, off the ball altercations etc.

watching on tv you dont get the sensory experience of being at the game or the emotional highs and lows Ot the buzz of the atmosphere of a big crowd.
how you turn lazy fans who would rather sit on the couch with one eye on the game and one on their phone into committed supporters who are passionate and committed enough to invest time, energy and money into going to games is the big question. We know nrl clubs have lots of fans, most struggle to turn them into die hard supporters.
we’ve been blaming poor stadium quality for decades, that excuse will soon be gone for most clubs.

so many night games hardly helps families get into the habit of going, thinking about it its easier to get 4 in a family going than 4 individual adults. Maybe day time games need to be made family friendly with cheap tickets and food deals and give away to the kids.

 

[Perth Red]

Spoken from Someone to never live in Sydney

Spoken like someone whose never lived in a city where big crowds are the norm,

 

[Perth Red]

The Sharks-Dragons derby hasn't been that strong for a few years simply because the Dragons haven't been a strong team for a while. Kind of like the Souths-Roosters rivalry in the 90s and 00s wasn't that significant.

Personally, I don't think the issue was it being in Wollongong (they've been hosting the Sharks at Wollongong fairly frequently the last 10-15 years), but more it was on a Thursday night. Not the most fan friendly scheduling, and the weather has definitely not helped.

2019 it was on a sunday afternoon at win and only drew 14.5k. Not sure the ko time is the biggest issue.

and just turned tv on to see tigers running out into an empty suburban ground, sigh.

 

[Cumberland Throw]

Welcome to the first sub 7k crowd .

 

[Cumberland Throw]

How good are suburban grounds.. buzz had 5 schooners and got to sing a song and that should drive the strategy of the NRL for next 25 years

 

[baselinepanther]

Welcome to the first sub 7k crowd .

wait til the midgets get 11 in a row

 

[baselinepanther]

gotta be honest & blunt

that crowd at homebush is a dog
theres no rain
theres no excuse

let the turd polishing begin

 

[Perth Red]

gotta be honest & blunt

that crowd at homebush is a dog
theres no rain
theres no excuse

let the turd polishing begin

Tribalism
not helped by being played in a really sht stadium

 

[Dark Corner]

The real battle for NRL to get fans is that it is such a good TV product. In AFL, there is so much going off the ball that watching live is a much better experience.

What this means is that the NRL really have to make every effort to make games an event to draw people in away from the comfort of their homes. This means accessibility to the grounds, better experience, and most of all - value for money. I'm living in Melbourne, and AAMI Park is a great ground, but that isn't enough to make me want to see more Storm games. I can watch on TV and have just as good experience.

How they do this is definitely a very difficult issue. You could argue they need more games on game day, but even when they had Holden Cup people weren't turning up. Newer stadiums doesn't resolve the issue. Making it more affordable could help, but then the revenue is likely to go down. It's definitely complex.

We talking about this thing for the past 20 years or so and still nothing has really changed.

 

[The_Frog]

18,254 at SFS. Not very good really.

 

[Cumberland Throw]

I kinda think NRL just slightly lost the Sydney marketing battle tonight..

 

[mozza91]

I kinda think NRL just slightly lost the Sydney marketing battle tonight..

Yeah I heard a bunch of AFL fans swarmed the SCG because an Indigenous man kicked a goal.

Thank Christ it wasn’t in Melbourne because they’d of hurled abuse and bananas at him.

 

[SouthsCountry]

I kinda think NRL just slightly lost the Sydney marketing battle tonight..

An Oracle you are

 

[Warriors Fever]

South’s first home game after finishing runners up against their biggest rival. Not the worst weather. And can’t get 20k, pride of the league for ya.