End nears for suburban NRL grounds

[carcharias]

http://smh.drive.com.au/roads-and-traffic/mighty-traffic-jam-stalls-m4-20100530-wnin.html

an oldie but still a goodie.

Rugby league players are used to sprinting across dangerous terrain on the pitch, but for two Penrith Panthers yesterday's journey to ANZ Stadium at Homebush Bay involved a potentially lethal crossing of one of the nation's busiest motorways.
Luke Walsh and Adrian Purtell were among thousands of motorists trapped in traffic after a six-car pile-up on the city-bound M4. The crash, near Church Street at Holroyd just before 1pm, closed the eastern-bound lanes.
With the match due to start at 3pm, Walsh and Purtell were forced to abandon their car in the emergency lane and wait for a club official to pick them up after they made the risky crossing of westbound lanes.
''We weren't involved in the accident … we just got caught up in it and the traffic wasn't moving,'' Walsh said. ''We just had to get out and I had to leave my car in the emergency lane. We crossed over on to the other side of the road and got picked up by our gear manager.''
Although one city-bound lane was reopened within an hour, police said some impatient motorists reportedly veered off the motorway and drove on the wrong side of an on-ramp into oncoming traffic to avoid the wait.
Two people were injured in the crash and were taken to hospital.
A spokesman for the Roads and Traffic Authority said: ''At its longest the traffic was backed up for four kilometres and we had diversions quickly in place to ease the congestion.''
For Walsh and Purtell the dash across the motorway proved easier than defeating South Sydney. The Panthers lost 42-22.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

geez this place is such a pleasant place to discuss RL!

ok lets have a recap

NRL says 20k avg crowds are the goal but won't force clubs to move if they don't want to
NSW govt says no money to upgrade suburban stadiums

clubs can decide what they want to do but now have kpi's set by the ARLC if they want to access increased grant funding and financially the clubs that have centralised stadium deals are pulling the biggest crowds and making the most money (Roosters aside)

We are really only talking 3 clubs Manly, Cronulla and Penrith. Out of those 3 Manly are probably most effected given the delapidated stae of the ground and the fact that even when succesful on the field they can't draw much of a crowd plus their geographic isolation from the main proposed stadia. The best answer for them may be an upgraded stadium funded by the NRL with an agreement to take appropriate games to CC.

SFS and Parra stadium look to be in line for significant upgrades/spends in the future

Cronulla and Penrith need work but wouldn't take huge sums to get them up to spec in terms fo provided extra protected seating and 20+ capacity

In theory given the very low amount Penrith make from game day they could move to an upgraded Parra stadium if the deal was right, direct 30min train ride?

Majority of games are not played on a weeknight in Sydney meaning that the club fans who get lumped with a Friday and Monday night would struggle most to get to games given the supposed sh*t Sydney infrastructure (thought it was the most liveable city in the world lol?)
If there was a will and NRL/clubs decided it necessary the next TV deal/scheduling could be utilised to minimise the impact for those clubs ie they would get the majority of games on a weekend.

AT THE END OF THE DAY THIS IS JUST A DISCUSSION AND CLUBS WILL DECIDE! Stop being so fu**ing arsey people, we all love RL and are just killing time till season kO!

And a Perth franchise in a Pear tree.

 

[Panfas]

In theory given the very low amount Penrith make from game day they could move to an upgraded Parra stadium if the deal was right, direct 30min train ride?

F**k off, Penrith is not moving

 

[flippikat]

geez this place is such a pleasant place to discuss RL!

ok lets have a recap

NRL says 20k avg crowds are the goal but won't force clubs to move if they don't want to
NSW govt says no money to upgrade suburban stadiums

clubs can decide what they want to do but now have kpi's set by the ARLC if they want to access increased grant funding and financially the clubs that have centralised stadium deals are pulling the biggest crowds and making the most money (Roosters aside)

We are really only talking 3 clubs Manly, Cronulla and Penrith. Out of those 3 Manly are probably most effected given the delapidated stae of the ground and the fact that even when succesful on the field they can't draw much of a crowd plus their geographic isolation from the main proposed stadia. The best answer for them may be an upgraded stadium funded by the NRL with an agreement to take appropriate games to CC.

SFS and Parra stadium look to be in line for significant upgrades/spends in the future

Cronulla and Penrith need work but wouldn't take huge sums to get them up to spec in terms fo provided extra protected seating and 20+ capacity

In theory given the very low amount Penrith make from game day they could move to an upgraded Parra stadium if the deal was right, direct 30min train ride?

Majority of games are not played on a weeknight in Sydney meaning that the club fans who get lumped with a Friday and Monday night would struggle most to get to games given the supposed sh*t Sydney infrastructure (thought it was the most liveable city in the world lol?)
If there was a will and NRL/clubs decided it necessary the next TV deal/scheduling could be utilised to minimise the impact for those clubs ie they would get the majority of games on a weekend.

AT THE END OF THE DAY THIS IS JUST A DISCUSSION AND CLUBS WILL DECIDE! Stop being so fu**ing arsey people, we all love RL and are just killing time till season kO!

Good summary of the situation - though I think your shortlist of "clubs at a decision point" (Manly, Cronulla & Penrith) could also include the Tigers & Dragons.

Splitting home games between a number of grounds, with the odd game at the Allianz or ANZ stadium adds layers of complexity to achieving those kpi's set down by the NRL. Surely it's easier for teams having ONE home ground to focus the spending on stadium upgrades and sell ticketed memberships?

 

[newman]

geez this place is such a pleasant place to discuss RL!

ok lets have a recap

NRL says 20k avg crowds are the goal but won't force clubs to move if they don't want to
NSW govt says no money to upgrade suburban stadiums

clubs can decide what they want to do but now have kpi's set by the ARLC if they want to access increased grant funding and financially the clubs that have centralised stadium deals are pulling the biggest crowds and making the most money (Roosters aside)

We are really only talking 3 clubs Manly, Cronulla and Penrith. Out of those 3 Manly are probably most effected given the delapidated stae of the ground and the fact that even when succesful on the field they can't draw much of a crowd plus their geographic isolation from the main proposed stadia. The best answer for them may be an upgraded stadium funded by the NRL with an agreement to take appropriate games to CC.

SFS and Parra stadium look to be in line for significant upgrades/spends in the future

Cronulla and Penrith need work but wouldn't take huge sums to get them up to spec in terms fo provided extra protected seating and 20+ capacity

In theory given the very low amount Penrith make from game day they could move to an upgraded Parra stadium if the deal was right, direct 30min train ride?

Majority of games are not played on a weeknight in Sydney meaning that the club fans who get lumped with a Friday and Monday night would struggle most to get to games given the supposed sh*t Sydney infrastructure (thought it was the most liveable city in the world lol?)
If there was a will and NRL/clubs decided it necessary the next TV deal/scheduling could be utilised to minimise the impact for those clubs ie they would get the majority of games on a weekend.

AT THE END OF THE DAY THIS IS JUST A DISCUSSION AND CLUBS WILL DECIDE! Stop being so fu**ing arsey people, we all love RL and are just killing time till season kO!

Cronulla won't be moving permanently. Any other discussion is purely hypothetical.

 

[Loudstrat]

geez this place is such a pleasant place to discuss RL!

ok lets have a recap

NRL says 20k avg crowds are the goal but won't force clubs to move if they don't want to
NSW govt says no money to upgrade suburban stadiums

clubs can decide what they want to do but now have kpi's set by the ARLC if they want to access increased grant funding and financially the clubs that have centralised stadium deals are pulling the biggest crowds....

Yes, but is it BECAUSE they play at these stadiums or not? Your whole argument stems from the angle of the "modern" stadium vs the "antiquated" suburban ground. This may work for the Dogs, whose fan base is nearby. But Souths crowds jumped an average of 4k this year because of their run to the finals. They were in second place (behind the Dogs) of the Sydney clubs, but last year they were in 6th, behind Wests, Saints, Parra and Manly. Same stadium. That proves that their FORM, and not the VENUE, was the main factor.

and making the most money (Roosters aside)

Parramatta turned in a profit of $31 million this year, according to a media report I read the other day. So much for your constant bagging about being "another failed Sydney club" :lol:

We are really only talking 3 clubs Manly, Cronulla and Penrith. Out of those 3 Manly are probably most effected given the delapidated stae of the ground and the fact that even when succesful on the field they can't draw much of a crowd plus their geographic isolation from the main proposed stadia. The best answer for them may be an upgraded stadium funded by the NRL with an agreement to take appropriate games to CC.

You ever tried to get from Manly to f*cking Gosford???????

Cronulla and Penrith need work but wouldn't take huge sums to get them up to spec in terms fo provided extra protected seating and 20+ capacity

Penrith is fine. It has grass at each end - meaning a bigger capacity than if they seated it (Parra Stadium did this and lost about 6000 in capacity)

In theory given the very low amount Penrith make from game day they could move to an upgraded Parra stadium if the deal was right, direct 30min train ride?

Parra Stadium struggle to give the Eels a fair deal - why the f*ck would they help Penrith?

CUA Stadium is a great suburban ground that is central to the district and about the most accessable ground in the NRL. The biggest problem with crowds is a sh*t team - who even look sh*t. However CUA is the most recent suburban ground to jag an annual average of over 17k for a full season.

Majority of games are not played on a weeknight in Sydney meaning that the club fans who get lumped with a Friday and Monday night would struggle most to get to games given the supposed sh*t Sydney infrastructure (thought it was the most liveable city in the world lol?)

It would be around 2/5th of games on Friday or Monday night - with some clubs like Manly copping the most.

If there was a will and NRL/clubs decided it necessary the next TV deal/scheduling could be utilised to minimise the impact for those clubs ie they would get the majority of games on a weekend.

LOL - we saw the results with match scheduling with this deal.

You are forgetting one thing which is hugely important. This comp was built on the old Sydney Premiership, whose suburban clubs played Saturday and Sunday afternoons - with three grades - on a home and away basis - when shops shut at noon on Saturday. People had time to make it a family outing on Sunday to go to the footy.

Now, of course, things are different. Yet the comp still stands on the pillars of the old Sydney comp - and so does the money base. You cant f*ck with the traditional clubs - as Rupert found out - and have a viable comp. The problems with match scheduling and Venues revolve around TV now, but the demographics haven't changed. People's lives haven't suddenly got freer because 80% of game are at night. Thats why the Sunday Arvo crowds are the ones clubs like Parra, Saints and Wests crave - thats when people can get there in numbers.

Bottom line - its about having games accessible to the people - not demanding that people are accessible to the game.

And yes, you deserve to get your head kicked in here for years of idiotic abuse at Sydney and it's teams!

 

[Miller was a legend]

Bazinga!!

 

[Pete Cash]

I was visiting some friends and on the way home on a Saturday afternoon it took me from 6.10 to 6.35 to travel 7km along Parramatta rd.

What a treat.

That's why its very frustrating when people who live out of Sydney make comment.

 

[Loudstrat]

And the gimp thinks its reasonable for a team to play 40kms from home. Thats like the idiots who think putting a team at Lang Park and calling itself Ipswich will fill it full of people from Ipswich. :lol::lol:

 

[Miller was a legend]

And the gimp thinks its reasonable for a team to play 40kms from home. Thats like the idiots who think putting a team at Lang Park and calling itself Ipswich will fill it full of people from Ipswich. :lol::lol:

They need to own a car first...well steal one!

 

[Diesel]

http://m.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/sun-setting-on-suburban-stadiums-20121208-2b27q.html

SMH story similar to the DT, Manly meeting next week about Brookie

 

[DC_fan]

Could it mean that in the near distant future we have less teams playing out of Sydney?

 

[Loudstrat]

When is the "near distant" future?

They need to own a car first...well steal one!

Magic Carpet. Perth Red and Bunniesman have it all planned.

 

[unforgiven]

If Western Sydney gets a 40000 seat stadium built I feel the decentralisation of Stadiums could work. If that stadium is in Campbelltown that would be amazing for the Tigers, though to be honest that is not the best location for the entire NRL or the community. A stadium at Blacktown or possibly Liverpool would be better. Wests Tigers playing the majority of games out of that stadium with lower drawing games at Campbelltown and to a lesser extend, Leichardt (while it is still a viable option) would be ideal in my opinion.

 

[CC_Roosters]

More fear mongering about sub urban stadia today i see.

IMO, the Tigers should probably do a 6/3/3 split (C'Town, Allianz, Leichhardt).

Community facilities is the key to maintanence of Brooky and Leichhardt. They simply cant stand still as they are now, stop whinging and start looking for solutions.

Out of interest who owns Penrith park? Havent heard much regarding its future.

 

[gronkathon]

Leichhardt has most of the important stuff already done.

Lighting, Corporate facilities, Designated Seating is being installed in replacement of benches the length of the Eastern side.

The issues that remain for the club are Large Screen Hire, Lack of permanent facilities on the Eastern hill and parking.

It is completely feesible for at least the next ten years

 

[innsaneink]

More fear mongering about sub urban stadia today i see.

IMO, the Tigers should probably do a 6/3/3 split (C'Town, Allianz, Leichhardt).

Community facilities is the key to maintanence of Brooky and Leichhardt. They simply cant stand still as they are now, stop whinging and start looking for solutions.

Out of interest who owns Penrith park? Havent heard much regarding its future.

Humphreys said the strategy would not affect the four scheduled Leichhardt games next year but there is a strong chance they could be the last at the colourful inner-west ground.
''The review in isolation would suggest that, in the absence of any investment, it will be very difficult for us to continue to maintain Leichhardt as an NRL-standard venue,'' he said. ''There are lots of people, myself included, who like the nostalgic, rustic experience that is Leichhardt Oval. But the fact is spectators expect levels of comfort and convenience that Leichhardt is unable to deliver.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...an-stadiums-20121208-2b27q.html#ixzz2EVYxLwwI
​

One way to get a few more LO memberships next year eh Humpdy???
....so nothing gets done renovation wise and all of a sudden within 12 months its ''not up to NRL criteria"
Pffft...bullshit!

 

[CrazyTiger]

Could it mean that in the near distant future we have less teams playing out of Sydney?

If they force clubs out of their suburban homes that is exactly what it means. Superleague
will finally have arrived.

 

[elbusto]

Leichhardt has most of the important stuff already done.

Lighting, Corporate facilities, Designated Seating is being installed in replacement of benches the length of the Eastern side.

The issues that remain for the club are Large Screen Hire, Lack of permanent facilities on the Eastern hill and parking.

It is completely feesible for at least the next ten years

I took my wife to watch Tigers v Roosters at Leichardt in 2011 on a Saturday night. Yes it is steeped in tradition and atmosphere buit it was bloody freezing standing on the hill, it was pouring with rain - no cover. The Hill had parts roped off because they were too slippery to stand on and the only other good bits were that we (Tigers) won and the beers were $5.

I am sorry, but that is not the future for Rugby League. That has to be the past.

 

[CrazyTiger]

I took my wife to watch Tigers v Roosters at Leichardt in 2011 on a Saturday night. Yes it is steeped in tradition and atmosphere buit it was bloody freezing standing on the hill, it was pouring with rain - no cover. The Hill had parts roped off because they were too slippery to stand on and the only other good bits were that we (Tigers) won and the beers were $5.

I am sorry, but that is not the future for Rugby League. That has to be the past.

The future of rugby league is television not people going to the game. Destroying the
fabric of league in Sydney to increase crowds? An interesting and irreversible experiment.