Fireworks failing to spark ticket sales

[bennoonthehill]

OK once and for all this Sydney fan bullsh*t is absurd. There are 9 teams here, and despite what some altruistic types here like to think, for the majority of footy fans the team is FAR more important than the game. Theres no way i'd spend the money a GF day demands for any team but my own, and its not because i have no love for the game - i go to all Manly home (and some away) games, and watch 75% of the other games on TV. But the tribal nature of footy fans - Sydney fans in particular, because we have history and tradition unlike you recent ring ins, means that fans of other teams would rather pluck their eyes out than pay over the odds to see News Limited Storm play a team they hate in the GF.

 

[Man_of_Steel_1982]

Most people won't agree with me, but I think that it would be good if a "home" grand final was up for grabs. Perhaps a top 5 where the team that wins through the fortnight before the GF hosts the Grand Final in their home state...
NSW: ANZ
QLD: Suncorp
VIC: Telstra Dome
NZ: ?

Not only would it allow more time for tickets to go on sale, but also create a novelty factor making people rush out and book their seat. A grand final in Brisbane or Melbourne would be a big one up over AFL, showing that we're a true national game. A grand final in Melbourne would be better than the odd state of origin game going there. It would be the ultimate advertisement for the game.

It's not like the grand final is sacred anymore - they've stuffed around with the times and ANZ aint exactly hallowed turf like the SCG.

The best soccer grand final ever was played in Perth between the Glory and Wollongong. The fact the Wolves travelled to Perth against the red hot favourites in front of 40,000 of their fans (and came back to win from 3-0 down) simply added to the theatre of occassion.

And let's face it, most of us watch it on TV (tickets are way too expensive for the average family). Play it on a Sunday afternoon and it doesn't matter which city it's in, as long as the ground is a sell out, we get national live tv coverage, the Rugby League brand will thrive.

 

[Dantm]

And let's face it, most of us watch it on TV

I remember the days when the NSWRL would not allow a LIVE broadcast of the GF on TV unless it sold out....Obviously,it sold out most of the time...I guarrantee anybody that if the NRL make that threat of a delayed telecast in Sydney,then watch the tickets how quickly it would sell.....
The problem is that the NRL are sooo far up Channel 9 ass,it aint funny...Say what you like about broadcast rights etc,but to have the GF have empty seats completely devalues the product and the NRL as a whole...
Let channel 9 have a bitch about it,but the NRL should have some guts and make a stand....
Tooo many f**kin lazy Rugby League supporters wont go to the game because its far to easy to watch it LIVE on TV...f**k em...the code is dying because of these type of people and the NRL and Gallop are just complete puppets.

 

[no name]

Most people won't agree with me, but I think that it would be good if a "home" grand final was up for grabs. Perhaps a top 5 where the team that wins through the fortnight before the GF hosts the Grand Final in their home state...
NSW: ANZ
QLD: Suncorp
VIC: Telstra Dome
NZ: ?

Not only would it allow more time for tickets to go on sale, but also create a novelty factor making people rush out and book their seat. A grand final in Brisbane or Melbourne would be a big one up over AFL, showing that we're a true national game. A grand final in Melbourne would be better than the odd state of origin game going there. It would be the ultimate advertisement for the game.

It's not like the grand final is sacred anymore - they've stuffed around with the times and ANZ aint exactly hallowed turf like the SCG.

The best soccer grand final ever was played in Perth between the Glory and Wollongong. The fact the Wolves travelled to Perth against the red hot favourites in front of 40,000 of their fans (and came back to win from 3-0 down) simply added to the theatre of occassion.

And let's face it, most of us watch it on TV (tickets are way too expensive for the average family). Play it on a Sunday afternoon and it doesn't matter which city it's in, as long as the ground is a sell out, we get national live tv coverage, the Rugby League brand will thrive.

That idea is waaaaaay too smart. I know the Homebush has a contract for a ceertain amount of time but surely if they are pushing for a National game they should look at something like this. It allows access to more current fans as well as the chance to attract new fans.

 

[pcpp]

I agree with the posts above that games should not be telecast live against the gate unless sold out to follow both Cricket and AFL - even the Grand Final, Origins and test matches.

Perhaps have exceptions, such as a sales target of say, 20,000 for games at ANZ Stadium.

 

[Parra]

Why do so many of you think that fans through the gate are more valuable that fans watching tele? Every shred of evidence points to the contrary.

 

[Pig Champion]

OK we didn't make it, we may never make it, but if cronulla was there the shire would be a ghost town on GF day. Call it desperation or whatever but I guarantee tickets would have gone in microseconds.

As for being a supporter of a team knocked out (badly) in the qualifying final, going to the GF would be just too painful an experience.

 

[Dantm]

Why do so many of you think that fans through the gate are more valuable that fans watching tele? Every shred of evidence points to the contrary.

So TV money received by the NRL assures the survival of all the NRL teams????...what a load of crap....So many clubs,especially Sydney ones are f**ked big time and loss of Pokie revunue ius pushing the issue even more...What do you think...the NRL are raking in the cash from Ch9 TV rights that they can just fork out the cash when needed???...Off course not....
Look at the AFL,their TV rights are much higher than the NRLs,but they contiually push memberships and gate takings...Why?...Because clubs MUST learn to pay their own way and learn to survive...and also with the AFL..They NEVER televise live against the gate in Melbourne unless its sold out....

Empty stands devalue the product..It creates a perception that the interest in the game is low considering no one is turning up to the ground..The NRL must get this cancer out of the game...What happens over the next few years if TV interest and ratings actually falls???..Its possible...The product depreciates and and the the TV rights $$$$ take a huge pounding...what would make it worse is that no one gives a sh*t about gate takings and it just may end up being the thing that keeps many clubs alive...

 

[Teddyboy]

I guess this is what NRL fans are like though.
From my experience I have never seen an AFL fan do similar and appear to do the whole GF ritual or go to it regardless of who is in it.

I would probably go if I was down there,and I dislike Storm.

NRL fans in Sydney are fickle pricks and if i was the NRL,clubs and players i go looking esle where i.e go back to Rugby Union.

 

[Teddyboy]

heading to phillip island to watch the motogp. i wont even be watching the game.

No wonder League is dying with attitude like that.:x

 

[Parra]

So TV money received by the NRL assures the survival of all the NRL teams????...what a load of crap....So many clubs,especially Sydney ones are f**ked big time and loss of Pokie revunue ius pushing the issue even more...What do you think...the NRL are raking in the cash from Ch9 TV rights that they can just fork out the cash when needed???...Off course not....
Look at the AFL,their TV rights are much higher than the NRLs,but they contiually push memberships and gate takings...Why?...Because clubs MUST learn to pay their own way and learn to survive...and also with the AFL..They NEVER televise live against the gate in Melbourne unless its sold out....

Empty stands devalue the product..It creates a perception that the interest in the game is low considering no one is turning up to the ground..The NRL must get this cancer out of the game...What happens over the next few years if TV interest and ratings actually falls???..Its possible...The product depreciates and and the the TV rights $$$$ take a huge pounding...what would make it worse is that no one gives a sh*t about gate takings and it just may end up being the thing that keeps many clubs alive...

Everything you have tried to say points to the same thing - why did the clubs sell the game to a media company?

Answer - some were forced.

Thanks to the Bulldogs, Sharks & Panthers. The rest of the Super League garbage didn't matter.

So the answer to your questions is "don't sell out" - you can't buy it back again. No matter how many "Year of the List" events you hold.

 

[Cumberland Throw]

Another reason to hope Manly wins.... 7 out of 10 premiers since unification have been SL scabs

 

[adamkungl]

I wish I was going. Cash at the moment = 0 however. Why are some people even on a League forum weeks after their sh*thouse teams got eliminated if they don't care about the GF, and are just here to piss and moan about how uninteresting it is?

 

[Cumberland Throw]

It will be the most watched game of rugby league in the 221 year history of Australia... No matter how many are at the ground...

 

[Tyler Durden]

OK we didn't make it, we may never make it, but if cronulla was there the shire would be a ghost town on GF day. Call it desperation or whatever but I guarantee tickets would have gone in microseconds.

As for being a supporter of a team knocked out (badly) in the qualifying final, going to the GF would be just too painful an experience.

if the sharks fans were that desperate, they should have been able to fill a 45,000 stadium for their grand final qualifier against melbourne. And they had 2 weeks to plan and go to that game, so no excuses as to why they could only draw 27,000

 

[Brutus]

If we kicked Melbourne out of the comp we wouldn't have these problems.

We'd be left with semi finals like the Roosters v Brisbane only attracting 18k at the SFS.

Pathetic Sydney.

 

[Brutus]

You should all be made to live in an AFL city for two years then you'd jump at the chance of going to watch a GF!

Sad reflection of the team v's code argument. Give me fans that support their code over fans that support their team anyday!

Agree

 

[Brutus]

Another reason to hope Manly wins.... 7 out of 10 premiers since unification have been SL scabs

Who knows with the 5.15pm start.

 

[gong_eagle]

theres still hundreds of tix left on ebay unsold as well

 

[no name]

They were throwing tickets away on Sunrise this morning. The bloke even asked one lady how many she wanted.