With respect, the common denominator in most large regular season and non-GF finals crowds being huge is the Bulldogs.
Bulldogs v Souths and Bulldogs v Eels have always been huge drawers in various times, the Easter game being an obvious one. You can even go back to the 2009 Hazem farewell where we cracked 41k I recall, then the 09 and 12 prelims etc...
The only comparable games really are the Saints/Tigers prelim in 2010, Eels/Tigers Easter this year and Last year's Bunnies v Roosters prelim.
And the fact that back in 86 we averaged double what the bulldogs did and at one stage during the early 80's, we averaged as much as the bulldogs at THEIR home ground.
There's a reason why 75k turned up in 09 and it was Parra.
Ever noticed until this year Parra out of all the BIG Sydney clubs did not have a holiday game promoted?
Not one, yet the dogs get Souths, Souths get Dogs, Saints get Rooster roosters get Saints, Tigers get Souths and so on at various grounds on special occasions that boost the home teams crowds?
There is a reason why parra were referred to the jewel in the Sydney RL crown in the 80's.