Dragons make correct decision but must balance the future

[R2K]

Dragons make correct decision but must balance the future

16 August 2005

The St.George Bank Dragons reportedly knocked back a potential $200,000 windfall by rejecting an offer from the SCG Trust to relocate Sunday’s match from OKI Jubilee Stadium to Aussie Home Loans Stadium.

In the Daily Telegraph, Dragons’ CEO Peter Doust stated that the Club contemplated the move but “we have made a commitment to our supporters and corporates and they would have planned this weekend well in advance.”

"There would be a difference in money but in the current climate this match is toward the end of the season. We have made a commitment to our boutique grounds and for us it's about selling out consistently,” Doust added.


With very limited tickets remaining and with the match likely to sell-out by Wednesday, the Dragons have suspended online ticket sales until a re-evaluation takes place this morning.


Under the offer from the SCG Trust, the Dragons would have banked the gate-takings but the SCG Trust would have taken 100% of the food and beverage profits.

NRL Chief Executive David Gallop said that the decision was for the Dragons’ management but they would have worked with the Club if they had desired to move the match to Aussie Stadium.

The Dragons have made the correct decision by rejecting the offer from the SCG Trust. A switch of the Parramatta match from the St.George District would have been a public relations disaster for the Dragons and an unnecessary abandonment of homeground advantage.

The Dragons played their St.George home games at Aussie Stadium between 2000 and 2002 and the decision to relocate the matches away from the St.George District was markedly unsuccessful. In 17 matches at Aussie Stadium during this period, the Dragons only averaged crowds of 12,739 and have an overall home game success rate at Aussie Stadium of 42%.

Despite the rejection of the offer by the Dragons, the Daily Telegraph reports that Doust would consider ‘swinging matches’ for blockbusters in future.

A decision to take away any home game from the Dragons’ key St.George and Illawarra communities would be very unpopular with supporters. However, if future blockbusters are relocated, the sacrifice needs to be shared equally between both the St.George and Illawarra key communities.

Due to the minimum seven home game contract with WIN Stadium, there was no discussion of relocating the recent Wollongong home game against the Roosters to either Aussie Stadium or Homebush in the week leading up to the match that attracted a capacity crowd.

The mention of the ‘swinging matches’ is further evidence that the Dragons should not lock themselves into any new contract with a fixed number of matches with WIN Stadium. It would be completely unacceptable if any future switches of Dragons’ home games are only deducted from the St.George District and not the Illawarra as well.

Despite these future issues, R2K would like to congratulate St.George-Illawarra on keeping the Parramatta match at OKI Jubilee Stadium and treating rugby league in the St.George District with the respect and consideration it so richly deserves.

 

[Rexxy]

$200K is a lot of hootch that could have been put into the permanent seating at the Southern End. And If The Love God had treated OKI more fairly over the years, this would have been an option.

But you can't take anything more from Kogarah, and you can't change a home game in a week. The Club's persistence with an uneven split of games has come back to bite management on their bum.

Although it is Good to see that we are offered such things because that's makes us a Global brand - with a bankable future.

Dragons make correct decision but must balance the future

16 August 2005

The St.George Bank Dragons reportedly knocked back a potential $200,000 windfall by rejecting an offer from the SCG Trust to relocate Sunday’s match from OKI Jubilee Stadium to Aussie Home Loans Stadium.

In the Daily Telegraph, Dragons’ CEO Peter Doust stated that the Club contemplated the move but “we have made a commitment to our supporters and corporates and they would have planned this weekend well in advance.”

"There would be a difference in money but in the current climate this match is toward the end of the season. We have made a commitment to our boutique grounds and for us it's about selling out consistently,” Doust added.


With very limited tickets remaining and with the match likely to sell-out by Wednesday, the Dragons have suspended online ticket sales until a re-evaluation takes place this morning.


Under the offer from the SCG Trust, the Dragons would have banked the gate-takings but the SCG Trust would have taken 100% of the food and beverage profits.

NRL Chief Executive David Gallop said that the decision was for the Dragons’ management but they would have worked with the Club if they had desired to move the match to Aussie Stadium.

The Dragons have made the correct decision by rejecting the offer from the SCG Trust. A switch of the Parramatta match from the St.George District would have been a public relations disaster for the Dragons and an unnecessary abandonment of homeground advantage.

The Dragons played their St.George home games at Aussie Stadium between 2000 and 2002 and the decision to relocate the matches away from the St.George District was markedly unsuccessful. In 17 matches at Aussie Stadium during this period, the Dragons only averaged crowds of 12,739 and have an overall home game success rate at Aussie Stadium of 42%.

Despite the rejection of the offer by the Dragons, the Daily Telegraph reports that Doust would consider ‘swinging matches’ for blockbusters in future.

A decision to take away any home game from the Dragons’ key St.George and Illawarra communities would be very unpopular with supporters. However, if future blockbusters are relocated, the sacrifice needs to be shared equally between both the St.George and Illawarra key communities.

Due to the minimum seven home game contract with WIN Stadium, there was no discussion of relocating the recent Wollongong home game against the Roosters to either Aussie Stadium or Homebush in the week leading up to the match that attracted a capacity crowd.

The mention of the ‘swinging matches’ is further evidence that the Dragons should not lock themselves into any new contract with a fixed number of matches with WIN Stadium. It would be completely unacceptable if any future switches of Dragons’ home games are only deducted from the St.George District and not the Illawarra as well.

Despite these future issues, R2K would like to congratulate St.George-Illawarra on keeping the Parramatta match at OKI Jubilee Stadium and treating rugby league in the St.George District with the respect and consideration it so richly deserves.

 

[R2K]

$200K is a lot of hootch that could have been put into the permanent seating at the Southern End.QUOTE]

Do you really think they would have used the $200K for this purpose? I couldn't see it happening as I believe the software not hardware philosophy could still exist.

 

[Rexxy]

Now that you mention it.


It probably would have all gone on Crownies.

$200K is a lot of hootch that could have been put into the permanent seating at the Southern End.QUOTE]

Do you really think they would have used the $200K for this purpose? I couldn't see it happening as I believe the software not hardware philosophy could still exist.