Crowd size

[ledzep]

Johns fresh for NZ attack
By Dean Ritchie
October 7, 2005

AUSTRALIA halfback Andrew Johns last night declared himself "fresh and ready" for an all-out assault on this year's Tri-Nations tournament.

Video: Loyalty as a selection criteria

The world's greatest player returns to Australia from England tomorrow night and will go into camp with the Kangaroos on Sunday.

Johns has completed a brief playing stint with English Super League club Warrington and says he is now focused purely on representing Australia.

"Seeing it's two years since I've played for Australia, pulling on the green and gold again will be a huge thrill," he said.

"Even when I signed to play with Warrington I made it very clear that playing for Australia had always been a great honour and privilege.

"It was a disappointing start to the season for me personally and for the Knights.

"But bouncing back to play Origin, being part of a Knights team that performed outstandingly in the latter part of the competition, then getting an opportunity to play for the Wolves and winning selection in the Australian team means that I'll finish the year on a real high.

"I feel fresh, ready and fit following my time with the Wolves and I'm really looking forward to catching up with the blokes in camp on Sunday and performing well in the Tri-Nations."

The Kangaroos trained twice this week and will reassemble on Sunday.

Coach Wayne Bennett will train his side on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday next week before the opening match against New Zealand at Telstra Stadium on Saturday night.

Australia skipper Darren Lockyer and centre Matt Cooper continue to battle hamstring injuries.

Bennett will name the team on Tuesday.

ARL officials are hoping for a crowd of around 25,000 for the match.

The game has, however, lost some gloss with New Zealand and Wests Tigers star five-eighth Benji Marshall withdrawing to have a shoulder reconstruction.

Marshall, who has surgery on Tuesday, will be sidelined for up to six months and will miss the World Club Challenge in February.

There is also the possibility Marshall will be unavailable for the club's opening one or two NRL premiership games next season.

New Zealand will be missing another of its injured stars in Bulldogs player Sonny Bill Williams.

Meanwhile, prop Shane Webcke has become only the third Brisbane player to twice win the Broncos player of the year award.

Webcke won at a glittering function last night from Petero Civoniceva, Darren Lockyer and Justin Hodges. The other two to win the award twice are Lockyer and Allan Langer.

The Daily Telegraph

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,16836767-27561,00.html



surely they are hoping for more than that?

 

[Moffo]

its a big worry. if we get that sized crowd we will be widely ridiculed, and justifiably so. Its a major concern

 

[League Freak™]

They'd have no one to blame but themselves.

 

[Charge]

How good has the promotion been for the match?

 

[Moffo]

horrible mate, horrible

No ads, a few radio commercials and that is it. Does it hurt that much for the ARL to make a quick ad and stick it on the TV? f**king tightarses, no ballls in them

 

[Pierced Soul]

It's not just the promotion. I dont think people want to spend $40 to sit at the try line and in-goal areas.....

$60 to sit along the length of the field.......

they're trying to market a product which the public is skeptical about, they're overpricing themselves

 

[Charge]

It's not just the promotion. I dont think people want to spend $40 to sit at the try line and in-goal areas.....

$60 to sit along the length of the field.......

they're trying to market a product which the public is skeptical about, they're overpricing themselves

I know what you mean, but apart from perhaps the game in London it is still cheaper than over here. It's a real shame that they don't market it better though.

 

[League Freak™]

It will be crushed by the complete joke that is the afl game against an Irish hybrid side.



Thats why the ARL does more harm then good.

 

[ozbash]

its (the 2nd game at ericson) is getting a fair push from skytv and radio.

i dont know if it will be a sellout although if we beat you lot at telstra then i,d say it will.

the WGHB will drag a lot through the gates.

 

[greenos]

I think it would of pulled a bigger crowd at Aussie Stadium.

 

[Copa]

It's not just the promotion. I dont think people want to spend $40 to sit at the try line and in-goal areas.....

$60 to sit along the length of the field.......

they're trying to market a product which the public is skeptical about, they're overpricing themselves

$60 is dirt cheap for the quality of athlete you will be watching.

IMO..the cheap seats @ $20 is as good as it gets...

Don't be a tight ar$e.

 

[Jeffles]

If 20,000 have been sole excluding members and kids packages, I'd say over 25,000 would be a certainty. Maybe the ARL are just being conservative because

a) previous post-season Tests in Australia drew few people

b) If you have low expectations, it's more likely you will meet them.

 

[Pierced Soul]

$60 is dirt cheap for the quality of athlete you will be watching.

IMO..the cheap seats @ $20 is as good as it gets...

Don't be a tight ar$e.

$20 to sit behind the goal posts at telstra...no thanks.

I agree the quality of athletes is good, but the reality is International rugby league is still not considered fair dinkum by people so charging those amounts isnt going to help.

Look at the kiwi team, due to injuries and players not wanting to play the team is a shell of what could have been. When players make themselves available and we see a two decent teams, you'll get a decent turn up no matter the price.

 

[aussies1st]

That is a shocking crowd for a International game. That just proves to the English that we can't attract the crowds for Tri Nation games.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

I'm not going. I planned to go a few months ago but I'm not getting time off work and travelling all the way to Sydney to sit in a less than half full stadium to be disappointed by the poor crowd and what will probably be a one sided game. I love international football and I'd love to support it but I'm not rich and when the ARL can't even do the right thing by the game and its supporters it's pretty discouraging. Average ticket prices of about $50 to game creating little demand or interest is crazy and will surely keep the semi-interested away. I might save my money and holiday time and try again next year when the Tri-Nations are here but as for this Test I'm out.

 

[Copa]

I'm not going. I planned to go a few months ago but I'm not getting time off work and travelling all the way to Sydney to sit in a less than half full stadium to be disappointed by the poor crowd and what will probably be a one sided game. I love international football and I'd love to support it but I'm not rich and when the ARL can't even do the right thing by the game and its supporters it's pretty discouraging. Average ticket prices of about $50 to game creating little demand or interest is crazy and will surely keep the semi-interested away. I might save my money and holiday time and try again next year when the Tri-Nations are here but as for this Test I'm out.

If your club team was gonna deliver a thrashing to a rival.... would you be interested?

 

[Calixte]

Without wanting to drone on about the same subject over and over again, this was always going to happen.

How Sydney still considers itself the centre of the rugby league universe I have no idea.

Brisbane laps it for enthusiasm for rugby league across the board - club, State and international level.

Club

- the support for the Broncos (by no means the only popular team in Brisbane), highest crowds in the NRL (I know one team only etc...)
- the support for the Cowboys (42,000 first game v Brisbane this year; GF ratings in Brisbane '05)

State

- the support for QLD is unmatched

International

- better crowds for internationals (eg. Anzac Test this year)
- better ratings for internationals (per capita)

Sydney needs to pull its proverbial out...

 

[PARRA_FAN]

ARL officials are hoping for a crowd of around 25,000 for the match

That's ridiculous. They are hopeful of a big crowd and that's the best number they can come up with is 25,000 in an 80,000 capacity stadium. :roll:

Why cant they say theyre hopeful of 50,000 or 60,000. To me saying 25,000 means they dont really care much for this test.

Why dont they get off their @sses and do something about this, like they shouldve done a long time ago.

If they dont get a crowd of 40,000 then there's definately problems with the ARL, someone should pull their head in and do the job right.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

If your club team was gonna deliver a thrashing to a rival.... would you be interested?

I'm an international supporter first and foremost and I don't want to see a flogging because it will harm the credibility of the international game. I don't want to go all the way to Sydney to be disappointed by the crowd because the ARL are too incompetant to promote and price the Test properly and be disappointed it will be a blowout because the NRL won't do anything to ensure the best NZ team is available and give them the best possible chance. It's pretty hard to get enthused about helping the game when the people who's job it is to do so couldn't give a monkeys. If I were in Sydney I'd go but you have to draw the line somewhere. I'd love to go to the TN final in Leeds too but obviously it's out of reach. Well this Test is out of reach as far as I'm concerned because it's not worth the cost only to be disappointed.

Also

If the ARL only expect 25,000 why was it taken to Telstra? I thought the point of the big stadium was because they had high aims and were going to go for a big crowd. I agreed with the move to start with on the basis they were going to do a good job but now I think they may as well have gone to Melbourne or given Brisbane another Test. Also, as I've said before the first TN game should have been in Auckland. It would have given NZ a better chance to start the comp well and a respectable NZ performance a week before the Sydney Test would have attracted more people. As it is a comfortable win for the Roos in front of a dismal crowd will only keep the Kiwis away in Auckland the following week. I just don't think the ARL/NZRL/RFL get it.

 

[Jeffles]

Let's not confuse the issues.

The game was taken to TS because it is cheaper to hire than the SFS. Same reason Souths have moved. It had nothing to do with expecting an 80,000 crowd.

Also, I think the ARL are guilty of a bit of underestimating. If they said "we're aiming for 40,000" and they drew 35,000 it would be called a failure. If they said "we aim for 25,000" and they drew 35,000 it would be a success.

Now for a history lesson. Not since 1963 has there been a crowd of over 35,000 for a Test in Sydney between AU and NZ. So if we do get 35,000 it will be the biggest crowd for over 40 years. AND PEOPLE STILL WANT TO CALL IT A FAILURE!!!

With already 20,000 seats sold excluding members and kids packages I think that 25,000 plus is a safe bet.