Crowd Watch, Part III

[ouwet]

Eels got 44k against the Cowboys once in a finals match so 35k with the help of a popular Knights team would be a disgrace

Roosters got 43K in 2004 against the Cowboys...

2004 Penrith V Bulldogs was also a sellout... The crowd was 37,868 (About 5K Penrith BTW), however the members didn't turn up, it's all on the members (Roosters playing will attract a good percentage of them unlike a Western Sydney club).

 

[CC_Roosters]

Roosters got 43K in 2004 against the Cowboys...

2004 Penrith V Bulldogs was also a sellout... The crowd was 37,868 (About 5K Penrith BTW), however the members didn't turn up, it's all on the members (Roosters playing will attract a good percentage of them unlike a Western Sydney club).

I have noticed that the vast majority of members are supporters of easts, souths or the dragons.

I will say the crowd will be 30-35k.

at ANZ i think anything between 50 and 62k

 

[Brutus]

Roosters got 43K in 2004 against the Cowboys...

2004 Penrith V Bulldogs was also a sellout... The crowd was 37,868 (About 5K Penrith BTW), however the members didn't turn up, it's all on the members (Roosters playing will attract a good percentage of them unlike a Western Sydney club).

Yep good get Panthers v Dogs in 04 was also a sell-out.

 

[undertaker]

SFS has to be 40k minimum - otherwise fail
Homebush would have to be 50k minimum - otherwise fail

Bottom line is that both of these matches (as well as the Sea Eagles-Sharks and Storm-Knights matches last week) would draw much more if Week 2 and 3 finals were reverted back to Saturday night/Sunday arvo format when Ch9 got their coveted night GF back this year. I believe that Ch9 got them changed to Friday night/Saturday night in 2008 as a part of the compromise of losing the night GF. Now they've got it (night GF) back, it is only fair that they made to change wks 2/3 back to what it was before 2008. More Sunday arvo finals matches please! Only one in this year's final series is simply not good enough.

Can't believe nothing has been made of this issue in the media and how Ch9 were allowed to get away with this. Absolutely pathetic.

 

[Brutus]

Bottom line is that both of these matches (as well as the Sea Eagles-Sharks and Storm-Knights matches last week) would draw much more if Week 2 and 3 finals were reverted back to Saturday night/Sunday arvo format when Ch9 got their coveted night GF back this year. I believe that Ch9 got them changed to Friday night/Saturday night in 2008 as a part of the compromise of losing the night GF. Now they've got it (night GF) back, it is only fair that they made to change wks 2/3 back to what it was before 2008. More Sunday arvo finals matches please! Only one in this year's final series is simply not good enough.

Can't believe nothing has been made of this issue in the media and how Ch9 were allowed to get away with this. Absolutely pathetic.

Agree totally.

If you want to improve crowds to things like Manly v Sharks semis at the SFS then play the f**king games on a Sunday.

Out of town teams used attract great finals crowds to the SFS back in the 90's and common denominator was SUNDAY ARVO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Having a media that refuses to talk about the actual games, with a preference to continually highlight the negative (see the front page of the telecrap today), also doesn't help.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

They're not going to play an elimination final on a Sunday. Friday night is a certainty for one game due to ratings. Traffic issues, getting kids to the games etc does not play into it. The bottom line is that ratings and sponsorship exposure on a Friday night are too big to ignore.

If there is a game on Friday the team playing on a Sunday afternoon gets a two day disadvantage leading into the grand final.

Saturday night is here to stay.

 

[Diesel]

Bottom line is that both of these matches (as well as the Sea Eagles-Sharks and Storm-Knights matches last week) would draw much more if Week 2 and 3 finals were reverted back to Saturday night/Sunday arvo format when Ch9 got their coveted night GF back this year. I believe that Ch9 got them changed to Friday night/Saturday night in 2008 as a part of the compromise of losing the night GF. Now they've got it (night GF) back, it is only fair that they made to change wks 2/3 back to what it was before 2008. More Sunday arvo finals matches please! Only one in this year's final series is simply not good enough.

Can't believe nothing has been made of this issue in the media and how Ch9 were allowed to get away with this. Absolutely pathetic.

Totally agree, I've mentioned this in the past on this forum & I'm sure others have contacted NRL about this, I'm assuming it was part of the tv deal that they got night games.

I'm hoping that Ch9's poor rating this year gives them a wake up to start broadcasting more live games or willing to move the second Friday game to Saturday twilight or Sunday afternoon to bring crowds back in. Friday night games during Origin and the middle of winter are much lower than these games deserve

 

[Diesel]

They're not going to play an elimination final on a Sunday. Friday night is a certainty for one game due to ratings. Traffic issues, getting kids to the games etc does not play into it. The bottom line is that ratings and sponsorship exposure on a Friday night are too big to ignore.

If there is a game on Friday the team playing on a Sunday afternoon gets a two day disadvantage leading into the grand final.

Saturday night is here to stay.

I'm sure a lot of people are fine with the Saturday night, it's the Friday night game should be moved to Sunday arvo.

Arvo footy is more spectacular and less errors than night games.

I hate 9

 

[Brutus]

They're not going to play an elimination final on a Sunday. Friday night is a certainty for one game due to ratings. Traffic issues, getting kids to the games etc does not play into it. The bottom line is that ratings and sponsorship exposure on a Friday night are too big to ignore.

If there is a game on Friday the team playing on a Sunday afternoon gets a two day disadvantage leading into the grand final.

Saturday night is here to stay.

Saturday night is fine.

It needs to be Sat night and Sunday arvo in weeks 2 and 3 if the NRL is serious about attracting better finals crowds.

 

[undertaker]

Agree totally.

If you want to improve crowds to things like Manly v Sharks semis at the SFS then play the f**king games on a Sunday.

Out of town teams used attract great finals crowds to the SFS back in the 90's and common denominator was SUNDAY ARVO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Having a media that refuses to talk about the actual games, with a preference to continually highlight the negative (see the front page of the telecrap today), also doesn't help.

Totally agree, I've mentioned this in the past on this forum & I'm sure others have contacted NRL about this, I'm assuming it was part of the tv deal that they got night games.

I'm hoping that Ch9's poor rating this year gives them a wake up to start broadcasting more live games or willing to move the second Friday game to Saturday twilight or Sunday afternoon to bring crowds back in. Friday night games during Origin and the middle of winter are much lower than these games deserve

This x 10000000


And regarding your post Diesel, I hope that Ch9 haven't deliberately tanked in the ratings (tanked by doing things such as deliberately choosing Parramatta in their FTA matches during Rds 21-26 when they clearly were going crap and were never going to get anywhere near the top 8 after Rd 16, which is when Rds 21-26 were picked) so that they can convince the NRL to give them free reign and deviate from the fixed schedule back to what the status quo was in years gone by - choosing games only 4-5 weeks in advance. I will be absolutely filthy at the NRL if they cave into 9's objective, which has been completely unfair on the fans for so many years.

Once again, I repeat, the fixed schedule is not the issue (in fact, it's one of the things that has been LONG overdue and made our competition real amateur compared to other sports around the world before it was implemented this year); the issue is Ch9 and how they've been allowed to completely hijack the way the fixed schedule has been implemented. Ok, I understand that we'll never have a situation where everyone has exactly the same number of FTA matches in a season. However, the huge disparity between the teams that monopolise the FTA matches and teams like the Raiders - who only got one match this year (although I love taking the piss out of some of their fans, I do feel sorry for them in this regard) - is disgraceful.

One positive for next year is I'm happy the NRL are FINALLY shortening the Origin period from 3 weeks per Origin to 2 weeks (there could've been a debate to have them in 3 consecutive weeks, but the complications as to what happens to the players who don't get selected for Origin during that 3 week period is understandable and hence 2 weeks between Origins is something I'm happy to accept, hence 2-3 less rounds affected by Origin). This is also long overdue and have been saying for years that 3 weeks between Origins is really stretching it out. However, surely they could've seen the flaming obvious in the current situation that having Monday night matches in the Origin rounds is laughable. The NRL have really pandered to Fox Sports on this front to only have no MNF during the rep round and round 26.

 

[undertaker]

Saturday night is fine.

It needs to be Sat night and Sunday arvo in weeks 2 and 3 if the NRL is serious about attracting better finals crowds.

I'm sure a lot of people are fine with the Saturday night, it's the Friday night game should be moved to Sunday arvo.

Arvo footy is more spectacular and less errors than night games.

I hate 9

This again。

Both of you speak too much sense

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Channel nine will not move the Friday night game to Sunday. Friday and Sunday nights are the two biggest ratings nights of the week and finals football rates it's knob off.

 

[Brutus]

Channel nine will not move the Friday night game to Sunday. Friday and Sunday nights are the two biggest ratings nights of the week and finals football rates it's knob off.

They have moved it before and with a bit of negotiation could do it again.

I can remember a Sunday Roosters v Cowboys prelim final absolutely rating it's knob off in Sydney. A Tigers v Broncos Sunday arvo final doing MASSIVE numbers.

 

[undertaker]

I'm hoping that Ch9's poor rating this year gives them a wake up to start broadcasting more live games or willing to move the second Friday game to Saturday twilight or Sunday afternoon to bring crowds back in. Friday night games during Origin and the middle of winter are much lower than these games deserve

Sorry, forgot to address this post in more detail.

Diesel, the bottom line is the fans are voting with their remotes as shown in the annual ratings survey - people are sick and tired on delayed (and to a lesser extent, SD coverage) broadcasts which have no place in the 2010s decade.

The 2nd Friday night (9:30pm) game was slightly interesting when it was introduced in 2007 until it pretty much became Donkey night football very quickly (for the NSW folk), and then started hammering the telecast with ads galore. Then take it up a notch with the one and only Raaaaaaaaaaaaaay replacing Vossy....boy oh boy Ch9 are really spewing they made that decision. Dunno how his wife has put up with that grating voice.

And then the bigger beef, delayed games on Sunday. Now that there are more avenues to watch the Sunday game live online, again, without being bombarded with ads at the most inappropriate moments (e.g. when a play is starting to build up) which completely kills the momentum, the fans are voting with their remotes. Not to mention the spoiler issue (e.g. Corey Parker's conversion from the sideline to force the game into golden point in 2009. Since it was 5:59pm, you knew he had missed it as Ch9 never compromises their 6pm news bulletin). Since the current AFL rights deal, Ch7 have been showing matches live into Melbourne. We have a lot to learn from them.

And of course, SD coverage....still languishing in the Dark Ages. I read a rumour that matches will be in HD next year...I'm not going to believe it until I see it next year. Especially to have the big matches of the year - Origin, finals etc. - in SD is piss poor, yet Ch9 can afford to film it in HD and Fox shows the replay of the Ch9 matches in HD. In fact, interesting question: what exactly is Ch9's reason for not showing any matches in HD on GEM? They were more than happy to show Olympics, Rugby World Cup and Ashes games. So, what makes NRL any different or less special than those sports?

 

[Danish]

Remember when we gave up the saturday and sunday finals games to get a twilight grand final?

Funny how now the grand final is back at 7:30pm... but the other finals have remained on friday and saturday nights

 

[Brutus]

3.30pm kick off for finals live on a sunday arvo

 

[AlwaysGreen]

They have moved it before and with a bit of negotiation could do it again.

I can remember a Sunday Roosters v Cowboys prelim final absolutely rating it's knob off in Sydney. A Tigers v Broncos Sunday arvo final doing MASSIVE numbers.

I want it as much as you. Do clubs? The extra day of preparation may also be something they don't want to give up.

 

[undertaker]

They have moved it before and with a bit of negotiation could do it again.

I can remember a Sunday Roosters v Cowboys prelim final absolutely rating it's knob off in Sydney. A Tigers v Broncos Sunday arvo final doing MASSIVE numbers.

That's right. I remember both of those games. Roosters/Cowboys was in 2004 and Tigers/Broncs was in 2005

 

[CC_Roosters]

Sorry, forgot to address this post in more detail.

Diesel, the bottom line is the fans are voting with their remotes as shown in the annual ratings survey - people are sick and tired on delayed (and to a lesser extent, SD coverage) broadcasts which have no place in the 2010s decade.

The 2nd Friday night (9:30pm) game was slightly interesting when it was introduced in 2007 until it pretty much became Donkey night football very quickly (for the NSW folk), and then started hammering the telecast with ads galore. Then take it up a notch with the one and only Raaaaaaaaaaaaaay replacing Vossy....boy oh boy Ch9 are really spewing they made that decision. Dunno how his wife has put up with that grating voice.

And then the bigger beef, delayed games on Sunday. Now that there are more avenues to watch the Sunday game live online, again, without being bombarded with ads at the most inappropriate moments (e.g. when a play is starting to build up) which completely kills the momentum, the fans are voting with their remotes. Not to mention the spoiler issue (e.g. Corey Parker's conversion from the sideline to force the game into golden point in 2009. Since it was 5:59pm, you knew he had missed it as Ch9 never compromises their 6pm news bulletin). Since the current AFL rights deal, Ch7 have been showing matches live into Melbourne. We have a lot to learn from them.

And of course, SD coverage....still languishing in the Dark Ages. I read a rumour that matches will be in HD next year...I'm not going to believe it until I see it next year. Especially to have the big matches of the year - Origin, finals etc. - in SD is piss poor, yet Ch9 can afford to film it in HD and Fox shows the replay of the Ch9 matches in HD. In fact, interesting question: what exactly is Ch9's reason for not showing any matches in HD on GEM? They were more than happy to show Olympics, Rugby World Cup and Ashes games. So, what makes NRL any different or less special than those sports?

Agree 100%. I don't watch the second Friday game and maybe catch 50% of Sunday arvo games. If its not live I am not interested, I suspect that the accessibility of social media makes delayed games even more unattractive as its so easy to stumble on the score.

 

[Diesel]

I agree with your posts Undertaker, and thanks for the in depth answers.

9 have paid a lot for the 5 years and they are really shooting themselves in the foot by not broadcasting this great game with respect. If they continue to want 2 Friday games and delay the Sunday game while at the same time pick teams that finished 14, 15 & 16th that's their stupid fault and more so if it continues.

If they bothered showing games at times that suit the fans more, and an example is this weekend and last should have been Sunday arvos, they'll get more goodwill from it.

Next year they need to sit down and figure out with the NRL what's best for TV and the gate because it seems like NRL are allowing 9 to dictate the terms