SOMETIMES the Mafia seem to be the only ones who really made mathematics work.
They grew rich from the numbers racket - a primitive form of Lotto based on winning tickets in New York's lottery.
The rest of us mostly flounder on a numeracy-challenged level not far from a perch a former sportswriting colleague of mine used to occupy.
He prized the one per cent he got for mathematics in the Leaving Certificate examination.
"I got one for spelling my name correctly," he said. "It went downhill after that."
Which brings us to crowd figures for home games this season and the upsurge of two clubs - Cronulla and Newcastle.
Cronulla's home crowds, according to the master of mathematics, the sultan of sums, David Middleton, are up 30.9 per cent on last year.
Not bad for a club that was pleading for supporters to attend games a few weeks back.
Newcastle's crowds are up 22.9 per cent.
Of course numbers can be distorted to suit any purpose. Politicians call it spin-doctoring.
Cronulla's better figures have come off a comparatively low base.
Newcastle's jump to 19,511 is more impressive, coming off a substantial base of 16,000 but still behind the record 22,018 in 1990.
That's enough about numbers. Any more and my eyes will glaze over.
What is important is that attendance rises indicate the re-emergence of the football faithful at Newcastle and re-establishes the area as a crucial - if not the most crucial - component of the rugby league out-of-Sydney mosaic.
Few clubs have had the premiership impact of Newcastle. Re-admitted in 1988 and two premierships (1997 and 2001) in their first 13 years.
Last year was the club's worst experience, a record 71-6 hiding from Brisbane and 15th place.
Then Brian Smith arrived.
He was brutal with a broom he wielded like a two-edged sword decapitating the dreams and ambitions of players he discarded without regard to reputation.
It was Napoleonic. It was the most pronounced one-man display at Newcastle since icon Andrew Johns decimated opposition.
With the committee's imprimatur Smith purposefully re-shaped Newcastle to his own image knowing his reputation hung on the results. Depriving Kirk Reynoldson of one more game to trigger a $200,000 contract was grossly insensitive but the rest worked well.
Smith repaired the Newcastle flat tyre, recharged the battery and they're challenging for the semis.
Smith's methods seem extreme at times. He is prickly and has his own opinion of the media (which is fine).
And he stayed too long at Parramatta after losing the 2001 grand final when they were obviously increasingly incompatible with his ideas.
After winning his 500th match as a coach last week Smith can look back with pride on what Newcastle - and he - have achieved.
Smith's ability to install acute infrastructure at a club has never been in doubt. To some people Smith's ability to re-fit a broken club is seen as his greatest skill.
What he needs, and he knows it, is a first grade premiership.
He lost grand finals with Saints twice and Parramatta once. He will not get Newcastle that far this year.
Hopefully, though, it is coming. No coach has worked harder to get it.
