2026 Crowd Watch

[Steel Saints]

I'm not sure there will be enough demand for GWS to play at Accor in our lifetimes. The Swans would make much more sense. Eastern Suburbs/Inner West/North Shore types make their annual trip to Sydney Olympic Park and get their one-two punch of the Royal Easter Show and a Swans game.

Would love to see Accor redeveloped where the stands behind the goalposts are brought in. Therefore it cuts off the AFL from using that venue.

 

[Jonno]

This idea that Parra has to move its home game out of the 30k best stadium in Sydney to please other clubs fans is lunacy.

Giving away our home advantage.

f**k no.

Accor is rubbish.

Why does Parramatta need to move its home game?
Make it a West Tigers home game for Easter and Parramatta keep theirs.

 

[Jonno]

Would love to see Accor redeveloped where the stands behind the goalposts are brought in. Therefore it cuts off the AFL from using that venue.

Lets hope this proposed roof and redevelopment can be done at the same time.

 

[Sky_Is_The_Limit]

Less than 500 tickets remaining for Eels vs Tigers on Easter Monday:

https://www.instagram.com/stories/theparraeels/3867493495704082028/

 

[t-ba]

Would love to see Accor redeveloped where the stands behind the goalposts are brought in. Therefore it cuts off the AFL from using that venue.

If that goddamn Pangolin was just caught 18 months later we would eb laughing.

 

[Jordan23]

Don’t necessarily think it needs a big drawing team or to start off at 35k
If Dragons / Manly vs Panthers played on Saturday pretty sure they could get to 23k as a starting point.
Families of those teams could make it their day at the show and head to the game
With $50 family passes they would easily get 20k
I’m almost sure if Sharks vs Warriors was at Accor this weekend it would get 20k

 

[Phil McGrawhan]

How would that work idiot?

You were the idiot who thought playing the game in Quarters would solve RL’s problems .
i was just continuing on with your delusion

 

[Iamback]

Yeah that could work.

Just frustrating to see people suggest that Parra move a home game away from its home base to satisfy the leagues metrics.

What about the Eels metrics of winning bloody footy games?

And the amount of revenue going through parra leagues on game day.

People need to stop this move Eels home games away from Commbank crap.

If the Eels are forced to move games out of Commbank then no club is safe.

Welcome too the club.

Fans with no idea are the ones making these suggestions.

Panthers have had huge drops in game day revenue since we made the move.

That is a very successful team but anyone that attends games regularly sees this

 

[Iamback]

The extra 15k is not worth it.

Parra revenue before commbank 75million

After Commbank, 110m a year.

If Eels and Tiger both going well then i could see 60k+ crowds for Easter Monday, until then its not worth it for the Eels.

This is if it gets 15k more, there is no guarantee it does

 

[T-Boon]

Why does Parramatta need to move its home game?
Make it a West Tigers home game for Easter and Parramatta keep theirs.

Seems like Parra fans agree with that. This weekends game should be at stadium Australia or SFS.

 

[nko11]

Looking ahead a bit. Round 8 (ANZAC round) is shaping up to be a big attendance week. Half decent chance that all venues sellout. Sales at Leichhardt are promising. Cowboys still have a way to go, but a few weeks for sales still and their win against the Storm will have helped. Manlys win this week would have also helped their crowd. If they all sellout - should be looking at a round total of 224k-230k.

This would be a new highest round aggregate - beating the record set last year in the Easter round - round 7. Which was 218,833.

 

[T-Boon]

You were the idiot who thought playing the game in Quarters would solve RL’s problems .
i was just continuing on with your delusion

Having quarter time breaks would just bring a good bit more money into the game. That’s just a fact. I recall you use to say that would ruin rugby league. That has always been the dumb opinion.

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

Eastern Suburbs/Inner West/North Shore types make their annual trip to Sydney Olympic Park and get their one-two punch of the Royal Easter Show and a Swans game.

I really don`t think those types you mention are big Easter Show attendee types, take the show away and it`s just an unnecessary hike out to the western suburbs which most would avoid like the plague.

 

[Frank Burge]

I would be happy as an eels fan with 1 Accor game a year with the Easter Monday and then kings bday following year as big event games, I was hoping that was the plan after the Darwin sponsorship was cancelled but they went with magic round as the home team. I think we are locked into 11 games at Commbank a year

 

[Suitman]

The Commbank Stadium dilemma for the Eels is an interesting point raised.

When Parramatta stadium was rebuilt in its current form, the 30 000 capacity seemed to be the sweet spot for both the Eels and Wanderers. The Eels had been shite for years but have always had huge potential if success ever came their way. The Wanderers were pushing capacity and/or selling out regularly for many of the bigger matches.
30 000 just seemed like the perfect figure.

However, since (and just before) the rebuild, a lot has changed.
Parramatta (the team), although still mostly shit with results on the field, still probably have the most growth potential of any team in Sydney for attendances. If the Eels had the success the Panthers have had over the past 6 years, they'd be pushing capacity of the stadium already for averages.
The city itself has grown enormously, with so much more to come. Transport infrastructure has as well with the Light Rail and will improve even further when the metro opens in 2032.
It is becoming a city in its own right.

The game of RL itself has increased attendances enormously during the past 3 - 4 years. The growth has been impressive.

It begs the question. Was CommBank rebuilt a little under capacity?
Should Sydney's 2nd city have had a 2nd Allianz?
My original thoughts back in 2016 was that Parra should be at least 35 000 capacity. Maybe even 40 000, to allow for future growth. I was disappointed when they went with 30 k.

Anyway, probably a discussion for the stadium thread rather than here.

 

[parrawentyfan]

I think every team should have 11 normal home games and one "home event game" per year at a giant neutral venue that is managed by the NRL (with revenue still going to the club) and we promote the hell out of it for a long time leading up to it.

 

[Saint Doc]

Be prepared for season low crowd today.
5-7000 Incoming
Dead last, winless, record losing streak, low drawing away team, drizzle. Hard to think of a less enticing game

 

[newc18]

The Commbank Stadium dilemma for the Eels is an interesting point raised.

When Parramatta stadium was rebuilt in its current form, the 30 000 capacity seemed to be the sweet spot for both the Eels and Wanderers. The Eels had been shite for years but have always had huge potential if success ever came their way. The Wanderers were pushing capacity and/or selling out regularly for many of the bigger matches.
30 000 just seemed like the perfect figure.

However, since (and just before) the rebuild, a lot has changed.
Parramatta (the team), although still mostly shit with results on the field, still probably have the most growth potential of any team in Sydney for attendances. If the Eels had the success the Panthers have had over the past 6 years, they's be pushing capacity of the stadium already for averages.
The city itself has grown enormously, with so much more to come. Transport infrastructure has as well with the Light Rail and will improve even further when the metro opens in 2032.
It is becoming a city in its own right.

The game of RL itself has increased attendances enormously during the past 3 - 4 years. The growth has been impressive.

It begs the question. Was CommBank rebuilt a little under capacity?
Should Sydney's 2nd city have had a 2nd Allianz?
My original thoughts back in 2016 was that Parra should be at least 35 000 capacity. Maybe even 40 000, to allow for future growth. I was disappointed when they went with 30 k.

Anyway, probably a discussion for the stadium thread rather than here.

Commbank is fine at 30k, it's more a matter of the bigger clubs having the flexibility to move games to the bigger or smaller stadiums when needed.

For example, next Thursday is Dogs vs Penrith at Accor. That really should be moved to a smaller stadium but it's at Accor whilst you have Eels vs Tigers at Commbank which really should be played at a bigger venue.

 

[Sky_Is_The_Limit]

The Commbank Stadium dilemma for the Eels is an interesting point raised.

When Parramatta stadium was rebuilt in its current form, the 30 000 capacity seemed to be the sweet spot for both the Eels and Wanderers. The Eels had been shite for years but have always had huge potential if success ever came their way. The Wanderers were pushing capacity and/or selling out regularly for many of the bigger matches.
30 000 just seemed like the perfect figure.

However, since (and just before) the rebuild, a lot has changed.
Parramatta (the team), although still mostly shit with results on the field, still probably have the most growth potential of any team in Sydney for attendances. If the Eels had the success the Panthers have had over the past 6 years, they's be pushing capacity of the stadium already for averages.
The city itself has grown enormously, with so much more to come. Transport infrastructure has as well with the Light Rail and will improve even further when the metro opens in 2032.
It is becoming a city in its own right.

The game of RL itself has increased attendances enormously during the past 3 - 4 years. The growth has been impressive.

It begs the question. Was CommBank rebuilt a little under capacity?
Should Sydney's 2nd city have had a 2nd Allianz?
My original thoughts back in 2016 was that Parra should be at least 35 000 capacity. Maybe even 40 000, to allow for future growth. I was disappointed when they went with 30 k.

Anyway, probably a discussion for the stadium thread rather than here.

Growth has been phenomenal - the 2025 crowd aggregate was up 40% on 2019.

2026 is shaping as another record year, and 2027 could be even better again, especially if Penrith opens its new stadium early in the season and South Sydney gets good traction back at Moore Park.

 

[beave]

In the inaugural Easter Monday game between the Tigers and Eels, it was played at Accor where 50k attended. So it doesn't need to be played at Commbank every year. . Both clubs could alternate. One year at Commbank, the next year at Accor. Both sides meet again at Commbank in round 22!

Tigers new CEO was on SEN this week talking about commbank v Accor.

He said they make more money at Commbank vs Accor even with 50k+ crowds. The corporates love Commbank and that's where the money is for gameday revenue.

i'd imagine the need this revenue because Leichardt and Campbelltown they would be almost making a loss for those games