Crowd attendances

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

Good on ya Stealth.

U need a cap

 

[Blair]

Know a couple of peeps that report directly to the club in regards to memberships. Ive been asked to help out and try and sell memberships at the Warriors Soufs game at ANZ in a couple of weeks by being given 100 caps to give out as a sweetner. Easier pushing sh!t uphill i reckon

Grab one for me, bud.

I'm not being upsold to a membership though!

 

[LeagueNut]

It makes for some head-scratching reading. Take 2008, for example. Arguably our best year as a club, but a comparitively poor roll up of fans. It'll be about the same as this year. Were people as unenthuisiastic then as they are now?

I think 2008 was affected by a shitty first half of the year. We kept getting pumped in Aussie (18-32, 6-52, 20-48, 24-36, 22-46) and a poor away result usually meant a low home crowd the next week.

2006 was a combination of "f**k you for screwing up our salary cap" and some of the shittiest weather we've had for game days later in the year.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

So union has become more attractive ?

Absolutely. League was right in the battle from 2008-2011 when the Warriors were winning, the 20s were instigated and offered a TV presence that union didn't have at schoolboy level and there was a general goodwill about league with the Kiwis too and the ABs couldn't win a World Cup...but now it's not even a fair fight. College Rugby is all over SKY, the money is better, more ports of the world where you can earn said money, the shop window of league in NZ is ugly - whereas the ABs are obviously your ticket to trophies and celebrities (as are Super Rugby teams). It's Mike Tyson v Pee Wee Herman.

Look at Kon as an example. He was dominating schoolboy rugby, and chooses to go with the Warriors around that 2010 time. Now any dominant school boy rugby player is straight into a Super franchise. You'd never see a guy of his calibre even consider the Warriors. We're led to believe Etene Nanai is now trying to make sure he doesn't have to either. The odd one like Vunivalu might go to the Storm but wow, who's silly enough to commit career suicide and play for us (as much as that hurts me). Awful coaches, losing mentality, less money v the developmental path and relative riches of rugby.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Or Laumape obviously, as your other point of reference. Don't think he's looked back over his shoulder much since his move...

(sorry to hijack the thread, the crowd figures are very interesting)

 

[ozbash]

sorry to hijack the thread, the crowd figures are very interesting)

It's relevant though..makes sense that as the crowd numbers drop so to appeal to prospective players.

 

[Blair]

I think 2008 was affected by a shitty first half of the year. We kept getting pumped in Aussie (18-32, 6-52, 20-48, 24-36, 22-46) and a poor away result usually meant a low home crowd the next week.

2006 was a combination of "f**k you for screwing up our salary cap" and some of the shittiest weather we've had for game days later in the year.

Gee, did those 'missing' fans rock up to Mt Smart for the home semi versus the Chooks! Fickle bastards, one and all alike! They were still welcome but.

Best night ever.

Now back to reality...

 

[Blair]

It's relevant though..makes sense that as the crowd numbers drop so to appeal to prospective players.

Johnson's dad said Shaun 'always wanted to be a Warrior and never an All Black.'

He was coming through during our good years. Impressionable peaks of 2002/03 and 2007/08.

 

[Blair]

Or Laumape obviously, as your other point of reference. Don't think he's looked back over his shoulder much since his move...

(sorry to hijack the thread, the crowd figures are very interesting)

This rugby union stuff is very much an NZ bubble though. Super 12 is a non-event here in NSW. Fifteen years ago you couldn't move at a Waratahs v Brumbies derby.

 

[ozbash]

That's right Blair.. same reason aussie union is shit is what is happening to league here. Hopefully it's just a cycle.

Wonder what affect it has on our domestic league ?

 

[SpaceMonkey]

This rugby union stuff is very much an NZ bubble though. Super 12 is a non-event here in NSW. Fifteen years ago you couldn't move at a Waratahs v Brumbies derby.

But league is even more of a bubble- outside of NSW/Qld and the North of England its profile is near zero. Rugby still gives you the rest of the UK, Japan, France and SA. And a better worldwide profile than League as a minority sport elsewhere.

Agree that rugby in Aus is in dire straits though. A far cry from when I moved over here in 2002 and the years following, when Aus were RWC and bledisloe holders.

 

[Curlycat]

Too negative lads. One good season from the warriors and things will look ok. Just at the bottom of a bad cycle right now.

 

[mikeob]

Too negative lads. One good season from the warriors and things will look ok. Just at the bottom of a bad cycle right now.

Yep according to Don Murray the astrologer who is right 90% of the time 2019 will be a very good year as long as they hang onto current coach and others. Unfortunately he says next year will be worse than than this year.

 

[ozenzud]

I've pretty much lost interest in the team now. After winter weekends being planned around Warriors games for 21.5 years, I've finally got to the point where the emotional investment is just not worth it.

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

Anyone remember the backend of 2002. Mt SMart was sold out every home game

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Too negative lads. One good season from the warriors and things will look ok. Just at the bottom of a bad cycle right now.

What's it like to work at the Warriors? I imagine it'd be pretty cool, even in the bad times. You'd get to plan your Xmas party in September too, which is nice.

Only joking, but seriously I can't see how anyone but a staffer can say something like that. With the Eels about to make the finals, we have the longest active streak of missing finals. So not negative at all, realistic.

 

[Curlycat]

Ha no look I'm devo at how the season has played out. I thought this was going to be the breakthrough year, convinced myself that Kearney could coach and the Foran was going to fire and lift everyone else up with him. It didn't happen (and I lost a few poorly wagered clams).

But sports like that, and it goes in cycles. Probably due to bad management this cycle is longer than most. But at some point it will turn around. Remember 2 years ago everyone was laughing at how sh*t a coach Ricky Stuart was and Canberra was having a massive long slump? Then last year it clicked for them and within 6 months they were viking clapping. Same thing for the Tigers in 05 on a bigger scale. All it takes is one year like that and it will be back on.

I wasn't a warriors fan 10 years ago, but I've gradually become one just because I love watching the athletes they produce, and I want to see NZ league do well for the good of the game. I get frustrated at times, but at the big picture level that won't change. (And no I don't work for them, or anyone else in the NRL, I have a boring job)

 

[adamkungl]

Just read a couple of articles:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11913328

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11911838


Why are the Warriors club and fanbase seemingly against Eden park? Especially when crowd figures when they've played there have been very positive

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Just read a couple of articles:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11913328

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11911838


Why are the Warriors club and fanbase seemingly against Eden park? Especially when crowd figures when they've played there have been very positive

A variety of reasons:

Worse viewing than Mt Smart (stands further from the pitch)
Poor atmosphere unless the crowds are big
Traditionally a rugby union ground
Terrible parking
Restrictions on the number of night games that can be held there due to being in a residential area
Further from the league heartland of South Auckland

And those large crowds are skewed by the fact that half of them are season openers or co-ticketing deals with the cricket. The break even crowd number there is much higher too.

Think of it as like Parra moving to Homebush or the Dragons to Moore Park.

 

[Juju]

How pathetic was Sundays crowd. Smallest I have seen even though it was announced as 9000.
My bay which is usually close to capacity had 3 people sitting in it.