Final 8 - now confirmed!!

[fish eel]

Look I agree, but I don't begrudge the Dragons for taking advantage of the rule while they can. Parramatta has every time we've been a top 4 team.

and it's still a great showcase of the game IMO.

A packed ground with a terrific atmosphere right behind the home side.

Sure, it could get more than double the crowd elsewhere, but a sold out suburban ground isnt necessarily a bad thing. Tickets are in demand, and sure, people will miss out but it generates a massive buzz about the match - tickets become 'must haves'.

 

[Suitman]

and it's still a great showcase of the game IMO.

A packed ground with a terrific atmosphere right behind the home side.

Sure, it could get more than double the crowd elsewhere, but a sold out suburban ground isnt necessarily a bad thing. Tickets are in demand, and sure, people will miss out but it generates a massive buzz about the match - tickets become 'must haves'.

I'd rather take a home semi to Homebush or even the SFS any day.
If it was against a club like Saints/Bulldogs Manly etc........it would generate that "buzz" you are talking about regardless.

To me, it's just a massively wasted opportunity to promote the game in a really big way.

Suity

 

[mickdo]

A sellout of 20k is so much better than an 80k seater half full, even if it means they make less money on the gate. The game benefits in reputation and that boosts sales in other areas.

 

[fish eel]

I'd rather take a home semi to Homebush or even the SFS any day.
If it was against a club like Saints/Bulldogs Manly etc........it would generate that "buzz" you are talking about regardless.

To me, it's just a massively wasted opportunity to promote the game in a really big way.

Suity

I understand where you're coming from, but the game gets massive promotion anyway by nature of it being a big match regardless of the venue. The only difference being the size of the crowd. TV ratings probably would be the same whereever it is played, and, if it's sold out, as I said, the tickets become hot items generating thatb extra bit of buzz.

I'm happy to see Saints keep the match at Kogarah, keep some tradition....rather than just the coin.

 

[Suitman]

I'm trying to think of a sport in the world that would turn away 30 000 fans voluntarily.


Mmmmmmmmmmmm....................nope, can't think of any.

Suity

 

[fish eel]

I'm trying to think of a sport in the world that would turn away 30 000 fans voluntarily.


Mmmmmmmmmmmm....................nope, can't think of any.

Suity

Domestic football cup ties in Europe (ie FA Cup) where big clubs get drawn away against lower league sides. Always packed. Always could fit more in if moved.

European ties as well. Chelsea, with a 40k seater could double champions league crowds if they played those matches as wembley. As could Liverpool if they moved big matches away from Anfield.

 

[Suitman]

Domestic football cup ties in Europe (ie FA Cup) where big clubs get drawn away against lower league sides. Always packed. Always could fit more in if moved.

European ties as well. Chelsea, with a 40k seater could double champions league crowds if they played those matches as wembley. As could Liverpool if they moved big matches away from Anfield.

Bit different.
Clubs like Chelsea and Liverpool sell their grounds out every week.

Suity

 

[Belly in Brisvegas]

Gould reckons if Eels v Dragons Week 1 final would sell out ANZ.

 

[fish eel]

Bit different.
Clubs like Chelsea and Liverpool sell their grounds out every week.

Suity

Same principle though - particuarly for as I said cup ties if, for example Manchester United got drawn away against a league 2 opponent who might have a 8k capacity. Sometimes they get switched - most of the time they don't, meaning the lower league club are, deliberatley turning people away.

Marquee match with a potential to easily sell double the number of tickets which isn't moved to a bigger stadium.

 

[Gronk]

Gould reckons if Eels v Dragons Week 1 final would sell out ANZ.

That'll never happen cos the Dragons know we play good footy at ANZ.

 

[EELICIT]

That'll never happen cos the Dragons know we play good footy at ANZ.

Exactly !

 

[sportive cupid]

Newie have a game in hand tonight - if they win that then they are in the 8 no matter what, and it just comes down to that 79 point turnaround between us and panthers for the remaining spot. If anything it would be good for Newie to lose to the Raiders, and then make next week's Newie-Panthers game do or die (and therefore probably a tighter margin).

Daz, I understand you're hesitance... but we really stopped Penrith's season in its tracks when they had everything to play for, and having done so we're 99% certain to be in.

Yea but I thought in your post Barty you were talking about IF Newcastle lose tonight.They wouldnt have that game in hand anymore.They could only get one point ahead of parra if they win next wee.,If they win then Penrith lose

 

[bartman]

I think I was assuming that Newie would win and finish this round ahead of us... but I'm not sure now.

But now I'll be cheering on the Raiders while down at the pub tonight.

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

I see people talking about money when discussing moving to a larger venue.

I'm not sure if this was taken into consideration or not but money generated from gates during finals does not go to Clubs but to the NRL.

The NRL sacrifices potential revenue (from some Sydney games) in order to give Top 4 teams the advantage they have earned throughout the season. In order to reap the revenue you have to potentially disadvantage Top 4 Clubs. As such, you would need to give them something else in return.

So, do we go to 1v4, 2v3, 5v8, 6v7 in order to ensure that the Top 4 are definitely going to be alive in Week 2? Is this their advantage?

The problem here is that it seriously disadvantages Teams 5 and 6. Team 5 could end up in their spot (below Team 4) due to nothing more than a 1 point differential, yet all of a sudden they are in sudden death against the team that scraped into the finals by, potentially, a 1 point differential. In addition, they no longer get a home game as some sort of compensation.

But it gets worse. We're only talking about shifting Sydney games. A game involving Melbourne, NZ, Cowboys etc won't be shifted so only the 9 Sydney Clubs are potentially disadvantaged.

Thus, if you come first and Melbourne come 4th then you play it at your home ground. Unfortunately, if Dragons and Parra are 2nd and 3rd then they have their game forcibly shifted.

Look, I dig it. Parra v Dragons would sell out SFS and it would be a great atmosphere that would generate huge buzz, produce a great advertisement for the game and bring in the cash for the NRL.

Unfortunately, I see it as creating too many potential problems. Games would be picked individually a week at a time and this is not fair. Sydney Clubs would get disadvantaged while non-Sydney Clubs wouldn't and this is not fair.

However, if someone could come up with a system that actually worked and was fair to all then I'd be more than willing to support it.

 

[Suitman]

Just briefly John, I'm not on this high horse so much about the money generated, but the opportunity it gives to so many more fans to attend a game, and the prestige that comes with seeing very large crowds at Rugby League games.

Suity

 

[yy_cheng]

Just briefly John, I'm not on this high horse so much about the money generated, but the opportunity it gives to so many more fans to attend a game, and the prestige that comes with seeing very large crowds at Rugby League games.

Suity

You Ride?

 

[born an eel]

Just briefly John, I'm not on this high horse so much about the money generated, but the opportunity it gives to so many more fans to attend a game, and the prestige that comes with seeing very large crowds at Rugby League games.

Suity

the same could be said all year. Who likes going to Monday night games?

The NRL do not make crowd numbers a priority over tv at any time doing the year.

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

Just briefly John, I'm not on this high horse so much about the money generated, but the opportunity it gives to so many more fans to attend a game, and the prestige that comes with seeing very large crowds at Rugby League games.

Suity

Like I said, I dig it.

Personally, the experience of travelling into Sydney to go to the SFS to watch Parra v Dragons in a final before a packed house would be much preferable. The train ride there, the walk to the Stadium with the mandatory pub stops, the pulse of the game and the travel home...much better experience than even at Parra Stadium. Just the fact that it would be played at one of the "big" stadiums gives it that extra feel - that's where finals should be.

However, I don't think the sacrifices to the actual teams are worth it. The Sydney team that earnt the Minor Premiership shouldn't be "punished" simply because they drew a game against Parramatta while the second placed Sydney team escapes punishment (or retains their advantage) because they drew Melbourne or Canberra.

As I said, I just don't see a system that is consistent and fair to all teams, from all regions, in all situations. That sucks, too, because there'd be nothing I'd love more than Eels v Dragons at a packed SFS.

 

[sportive cupid]

I'm getting a bit confused here guys.

There has been ,for a long time,alot of talk about how NRL has to become competitive.How sponsorship and money is essential for it's survival and how the old amateurish approach won't cut it these days.In fact that was one of the main arguments when the big debate about the baord was raging.

So now why all this "it's not fair " and "bring back some of the tradition" ?

NRL is a business and the product is the game.Isn't that the way it is/has to be now ?

 

[sportive cupid]

Another point.Finals footy is not really just about the fans of a particular club.If that were the case that we would be condemning the games to pretty poor attendances.I thought the NRL really wants ALL league fans (and some others too) attend these games. In this way it would make more sense to bring all the finals games back to the roots in Sydney(and maybe Brisbane).