Crowd Watch, Part III

[Big Sam]

Penrith finish with an average of just over 10,300.

For a side on the cusp of making the play-offs that's poor.

 

[mxlegend99]

We were tipped for the spoon at the start of the season, and 7 rounds in looked set to claim it. Even turning around with a higher win ratio, we havent been a decent chance at finals until a month ago. Hardly form that boosts crowds.

We also seem to have many of our home games against teams from outside of Sydney. Cowboys, Broncos, Titans, Storm, Raiders and to a lesser extent the Knights. Half our home games are against sides who arent able to help boost crowds. Not that we should rely on opposition supporters to boost the numbers, but the games against out pf Sydney teams tend to draw lower for us.

Another huge factor would be the stars we lost/let go. Michael Gordon, Luke Lewis and Michael Kennings were basically our 3 best and most popular players. All gone in a single season. Segeyaro is making himself a fan favorite now, but westill lack star power.

Im surprised we average over 10k to be honest. Would love a higher average, but the Panthers are up against it for achieving big crowds IMO. Need a favorable draw that starts with games against the likes pf Eels, Bulldogs, Tigers etc. and for us to be playing attractive footy and winning games. Even then id back us for 15k average tops.

 

[LatK7]

RL fans don't need to support the local team there is plenty of posters here that live in Penrith but go for other teams.

In 46 years we have made the finals 9 times only once back to back.

Were tipped for the spoon. A study a month ago found us the most unappealing team.

So yes we have smaller fan base as does all rubbish teams.

Yep, walk around Westfield and count the Parramatta, Wests, Dogs, Bunnies and St George gear you see. Everyone carries their old family traditions out west.

 

[franklin2323]

Exactly MX, A few in the 20's (Cartwright again tonight) will be stars. Segeyaro, Whare etc are starting to get a following.

2-3 years of being a contender will get those fans that are 'too busy' to go to the games. ATM there is no need to go watch us. You can be a RL fan & go to watch good teams.

That will get all those people going to games rather then just clicking like on facebook.

 

[thorson1987]

How did Souths get 31k against storm ?

Because we have more fans in Sydney than people think.

 

[DC_fan]

Penrith finish with an average of just over 10,300.

For a side on the cusp of making the play-offs that's poor.

It's their lowest average since 1998.

I have lived in the Penrith district all my life (over 50 years) so I know the area very well. In my opinion most people here, while they may like Rugby League don't care a whole lot for the NRL and even less for the Panthers. What NRL fans do live in the area, many support teams other then the Panthers.

In 37 years of its existence the Panthers have never been able to win over the local community. The local media try very hard to get behind the team, but the people just don't seem to want to follow. Anyone who has lived in Penrith long enough will remember radio station 2KA who always called Penrith games. Over the years the media has tried very hard to get the locals interested in the team. But it just hasn't worked.

Across the road from Centrebet Stadium stands the massive Panthers club. I bet you their was more people in the club last night then there was at the footy. I am a member of that club. I have heard that the club has something like 50,000 members. If so then most of them don't give a stuff about the football team. Maybe some don't give a stuff about rugby league.

I have said for a while now that Sydney with nine teams has too many teams playing out of it. In my opinion the time will come when the NRL will cut back the number of Sydney teams. I suspect that Penrith will be one of the first to go.

 

[Brutus]

Hawthorn vs Richmond 3 weeks ago drew 64,000, Hawthorn vs Collingwood last week drew 71,000. Imagine souffs or Canterbury at ANZ drawing crowds like those against other Sydney teams. That is what we should be aiming at. At the absolute least, we should be able to draw 40-50k to our Sydney blockbusters, and we shouldn't be satisfied until we do.

Sydney just isn't designed like Melbourne plus there is a thing called the rugby divide.

The AFL has a virtual monopoly in Melbourne in winter and always has.

40-50k is more realistic for our blockbusters and it's shame we don't have rectangular suncorp stadium type ground out west to help achieve that.

All this talk of any new western Sydney stadium being multi-purpose just makes me ill.

 

[Timmah]

I was ready to come on here and express my disgust at the poor turnout from Souths at their own home game...

Then I saw the Penrith home crowd. For their last home game, 8,800 is pitiful. How can clubs keep making arguments to stay in the game at the expense of areas like Perth and Gosford when they're averaging less than 11,000 fans per game?

 

[Raiderdave]

How did Souths get 31k against storm ?

it was closer to 33K
& it was on a sat night .... meaning people had all day to get there not battle horrendous traffic straight after work.

Fridays & Homebush don't mix well
the Swines will see this themselves when their crowd next Friday against whorethorn is no where near as big as the 42K they got against Collinscat on a sat night.

that crowd last night would have been nearer to 40K on a sat.
but even that's only just acceptable.

 

[Jason Maher]

Sydney just isn't designed like Melbourne plus there is a thing called the rugby divide.

The AFL has a virtual monopoly in Melbourne in winter and always has.

40-50k is more realistic for our blockbusters and it's shame we don't have rectangular suncorp stadium type ground out west to help achieve that.

All this talk of any new western Sydney stadium being multi-purpose just makes me ill.

The Swans have got 70k to a regular season match against Collingwood before. The "monopoly in Melbournr" argument doesn't explain such a turnout in Sydney.

 

[fanatique]

The Swans have got 70k to a regular season match against Collingwood before. The "monopoly in Melbournr" argument doesn't explain such a turnout in Sydney.

Comparison with AFL is pointless. When all the comparsons, contrasts, boasts and excuses are ignored the reality is that for a variety of reasons AFL just draws far bigger attendances. So what? So does NFL and MLB is the US, Liga in Spain, EPL.

Of course we would like to see our big clubs drawing Richmond or Collingwood like crowds but they don't and won't. We have a code that draws an average of about 16 to 17K per game. We can legitimately hope to push that upwards to 18 or maybe 19K but let's forget irrelevant comparison with other sports that just do not matter. Personally I don't care what AFL draws.

 

[fanatique]

Its always the other guys fault, isnt it.

Why dont we just say that there should have been more fans, not dogs fans or rabbits fans, just fans.

Why "should" there have been more fans? Where in the history of the code is the evidence that just short of 30K is a poor crowd? In fact it is a very respectable turnout.

People have no sense of realism.

 

[st george dragons]

Blue skies in Sydney today. I wonder if there will be a crowd at the SCG this afternoon. The Dragons/ Tigers game is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the '63 Grand Final. But both clubs are travelling quite poorly this year. It's a 14th v 15th game! I'm not expecting a good crowd.

 

[beave]

I was at CUA last night and I couldn't believe how bad the crowd was.

Penrith fans have gotta sort their shit out, 8 odd thou for a last home game is unacceptable.

I believe there was a promo on for kids getting in for free as well? Damn shame because Penrith are actually not bad to watch live. Well Segerayo at least ;-P

 

[gul15]

It's their lowest average since 1998.

I have lived in the Penrith district all my life (over 50 years) so I know the area very well. In my opinion most people here, while they may like Rugby League don't care a whole lot for the NRL and even less for the Panthers. What NRL fans do live in the area, many support teams other then the Panthers.

In 37 years of its existence the Panthers have never been able to win over the local community. The local media try very hard to get behind the team, but the people just don't seem to want to follow. Anyone who has lived in Penrith long enough will remember radio station 2KA who always called Penrith games. Over the years the media has tried very hard to get the locals interested in the team. But it just hasn't worked.

Across the road from Centrebet Stadium stands the massive Panthers club. I bet you their was more people in the club last night then there was at the footy. I am a member of that club. I have heard that the club has something like 50,000 members. If so then most of them don't give a stuff about the football team. Maybe some don't give a stuff about rugby league.

I have said for a while now that Sydney with nine teams has too many teams playing out of it. In my opinion the time will come when the NRL will cut back the number of Sydney teams. I suspect that Penrith will be one of the first to go.

With reports that the West Tigers marriage is on thin Ice at board level, due to in part poor management and finances of Balmain and Penrith with seemingly endless resources and grand ambition but lack of community support.

What are the chances of Wests leaving Balmain and creating a super with the Panthers and creating the "West Sydney Panthers?"

With two of the most successful club groups in the land backing the venture,
a massive junior base in a RL heartland area the potential is endless.

It makes more sense geographically, games could be split between Campbeltown and Penrith initially, but with the potential of the club the State Gov would be foolish not to consider these areas for the proposed new Western Sydney Stadium.

 

[Brutus]

The Swans have got 70k to a regular season match against Collingwood before. The "monopoly in Melbournr" argument doesn't explain such a turnout in Sydney.

10 years ago lol. Those days are gone for the Swans champ. 45k is now this team's limit and they mainly get crowds in 20's anyway despite featuring in the finals just about every year since 1996.

Rugby league isn't a monopoly code in Sydney like AFL is in Melb.

There has always been a league-union divide in Sydney.

 

[Xfactor1979]

*looks outside*

Its too nice a day to go to watch St George v Wests Tigers at 3pm on a saturday afternoon

Im not the only one thinking that either

 

[Chook Norris]

10 years ago lol. Those days are gone for the Swans champ. 45k is now this team's limit and they mainly get crowds in 20's anyway despite featuring in the finals just about every year since 1996.

Rugby league isn't a monopoly code in Sydney like AFL is in Melb.

There has always been a league-union divide in Sydney.

The question still needs to be asked though. If the AFL can get 70k to a regular season game in Sydney, why can't the NRL?

 

[Perth Red]

There has always been a league-union divide in Sydney.

Waratahs are hardly filling stadiums, doesn't look like much of sydney follows union.

 

[Perth Red]

The question still needs to be asked though. If the AFL can get 70k to a regular season game in Sydney, why can't the NRL?

Because NRL isn't as popular in Sydney as we like to think it is?