The Game Future NRL Stadiums part II

[MugaB]

Whilst you could argue the priority its great to see a new stadium rather than wasting $150mill doing up an inadequate one. This will set the Panthers for the next 50 years. That's Eels, Panthers, Roosters (maybe Souths if they move to SFS) set for decades to come. Still long way to go for the other clubs. Shame that Wests/Dogs and Dragon/Sharks couldn't have got their acts together to have pushed for two other brand new stadiums for those 4.

Don't forget lipstick Manly... those 5 teams all made finals this year... coincidence????

 

[Perth Red]

Still have tigers, bunnies and dogs paying in an overgrown stadium, even if its intimate, its still gonna look like easts fans at the SFS... can't make 25k random club match look good in a 70+k stadium... defeats the point, but i get that homebush needs to be better for the bigger draw games, like SoO or finals internationals etc, looks like a pack of ciggies will cost $99 soon to get homebush upto standard by 2030

Must admit I've never been in a stadium that has an intimate mode set up so cant really say if it works or not. In theory if its well designed so the lower bowl is around 25k and the ceiling can be brought down to block out the rest I cant see why it wouldnt work?

 

[MugaB]

Must admit I've never been in a stadium that has an intimate mode set up so cant really say if it works or not. In theory if its well designed so the lower bowl is around 25k and the ceiling can be brought down to block out the rest I cant see why it wouldnt work?

Seems like its just hiding shit, almost like a souths game at homebush, with that massive banner to hide the top row... i suppose the best atmosphere ive had in aus, was the 1st year at pawwa new bankwest, being steep, yet packed...and magic round in suncorp 2019, 3 days of pure footy, drunken mates and goin for the underdog.... except when pawwa got smashed, we really wanted that... just a storm clinic

 

[AdelaideSharky]

That must be why clubs like FC, Wigan, Wolves, St's etc increased their crowds by 25-40% when they moved to new stadiums?

Like in football, different type of supporter.

Look no further than Man City, the old Maine Road rocked during a game.

City games at the Etihad are like a library.

 

[AdelaideSharky]

come on now, the ground has only got a few hundred extra uncovered seats in the corners and some terracing on the hill (not even sure if that is just a proposal or has actually been done?) It was closed so they could get on with the building work around the ground, not in it!

Have you ever lived in Sydney or been to a game in Sydney?

Fans in Sydney like the suburban grounds look no further than the Tigers at Leichhardt.

Your obsession with soulless crappy all seater stadiums tells me you aren't a real rugby league fan.

Do us all a favour and stick to Aussie Rules.

 

[Perth Red]

Have you ever lived in Sydney or been to a game in Sydney?

Fans in Sydney like the suburban grounds look no further than the Tigers at Leichhardt.

Your obsession with soulless crappy all seater stadiums tells me you aren't a real rugby league fan.

Do us all a favour and stick to Aussie Rules.

been to plenty of games and spent plenty of work weeks there yeh. You keep saying that yet the suburban grounds have the lowest crowd avg's in Sydney. It would seem they don't like them that much! Only been supporting the game, and travelling the world watching it, since 1980 so yeh I guess I'm not a "real" fan lol.

But we digress, you made a claim Shark park had received major upgrades over last 2 years it hasn't. Its got LC and is getting CofE upgrades and the sum total of the actual stadium upgrade is a few uncovered seats.

 

[AdelaideSharky]

been to plenty of games and spent plenty of work weeks there yeh. You keep saying that yet the suburban grounds have the lowest crowd avg's in Sydney. It would seem they don't like them that much! Only been supporting the game, and travelling the world watching it, since 1980 so yeh I guess I'm not a "real" fan lol.

But we digress, you made a claim Shark park had received major upgrades over last 2 years it hasn't. Its got LC and is getting CofE upgrades and the sum total of the actual stadium upgrade is a few uncovered seats.

Pretty simple reason for that and having a flashy all seater stadium isn't going to solve it is the fact the game is pretty much a TV game these days.

Families aren't going to fork out $300 to take a family with two or three kids out to a stadium or ground on a cold winter's night when they can watch it on tv.

Fans prefer daytime games for suburban grounds.

It's no secret most club's crowds have gone downhill with the NRL's obsession with night games.

 

[flippikat]

Does one city really need four stadiums?

With a decent transport system (especially public transport) and stadiums located at key transport hubs, surely 4 modern standard stadiums is all you need AT MOST?

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Pretty simple reason for that and having a flashy all seater stadium isn't going to solve it is the fact the game is pretty much a TV game these days.

Families aren't going to fork out $300 to take a family with two or three kids out to a stadium or ground on a cold winter's night when they can watch it on tv.

Fans prefer daytime games for suburban grounds.

It's no secret most club's crowds have gone downhill with the NRL's obsession with night games.

The Swans don't have any trouble drawing 30k to the SCG in a so called rugby league city, do they?

Apparently all of their fans are former North Sydney Bears tragics who travel from North Shore to SCG. Well that's what the "bring back the Bears" crew reckon.

But don't anyone dare suggest that Manly play at the SFS!

Their fans won't go!

It's just too hard getting from Northern Beaches to SFS, which is right next to the SCG. See Manly's finals games that were moved to SFS and the low turnout from their supporters around a decade ago, with the press and fans whinging nonstop leading up to the game.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

With a decent transport system (especially public transport) and stadiums located at key transport hubs, surely 4 modern standard stadiums is all you need AT MOST?

Old school Sydney RL fans who yearn for the NSWRL days will use any excuse to keep the status quo as it is. They never make any sense. They've managed to get the NSW Government to waste almost a billion dollars fixing up old grounds that will draw similar attendances to what they get now. All of this while the country's in debt and fighting a pandemic. It's insanity.

 

[AdelaideSharky]

The Swans don't have any trouble drawing 30k to the SCG in a so called rugby league city, do they?

Apparently all of their fans are former North Sydney Bears tragics who travel from North Shore to SCG. Well that's what the "bring back the Bears" crew reckon.

But don't anyone dare suggest that Manly play at the SFS...

Their fans won't go. It's just too hard getting from Northern Beaches to SFS, which is right next to the SCG. See Manly's finals games that were moved to SFS and the low turnout from their supporters around a decade ago, with the press and fans whinging nonstop during the week leading up to the game.

GRTD, Australian Rules Football is a better game to watch live at the ground than it is on tv.

It is no secret the Swans fanbase are mainly from the north shore and eastern suburbs although they do get fans from the Shire and inner west.

Having been to AFL matches in Sydney, Melbourne and here in Adelaide since I moved here Aussie Rules games are better to watch at the ground than on tv.

 

[Perth Red]

GRTD, Australian Rules Football is a better game to watch live at the ground than it is on tv.

It is no secret the Swans fanbase are mainly from the north shore and eastern suburbs although they do get fans from the Shire and inner west.

Having been to AFL matches in Sydney, Melbourne and here in Adelaide since I moved here Aussie Rules games are better to watch at the ground than on tv.

it really isnt, one of the reasons I couldnt get into it when I first arrived was that once the ball goes over half way you are so far away if behind the opposite sticks you end up watching most of it on the big screen!

 

[AdelaideSharky]

Old school Sydney RL fans who yearn for the NSWRL days will use any excuse to keep the status quo as it is. They never make any sense. They've managed to get the NSW Government to waste almost a billion dollars fixing up old grounds that will draw similar attendances to what they get now. All of this while the country's in debt and fighting a pandemic. It's insanity.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, TV has ruined rugby league despite the financial benefits it's brought.

It's not a secret crowds are down because the majority are played at night.

Play them during the day and the crowds will go up tenfold.

 

[AdelaideSharky]

it really isnt, one of the reasons I couldnt get into it when I first arrived was that once the ball goes over half way you are so far away if behind the opposite sticks you end up watching most of it on the big screen!

Depends on where you sit. I've sat in every stand minus the members at Adelaide Oval for a Port game and you can see everything.

 

[flippikat]

Old school Sydney RL fans who yearn for the NSWRL days will use any excuse to keep the status quo as it is. They never make any sense. They've managed to get the NSW Government to waste almost a billion dollars fixing up old grounds that will draw similar attendances to what they get now. All of this while the country's in debt and fighting a pandemic. It's insanity.

Precisely. Whereas if some of that money was spent on 3-4 strategically placed top-notch stadia (at transport hubs), and the rest ploughed into efficient public transport to get to those hubs, then win-win.. even for those who aren't sports fans, as they get transport upgrades.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, TV has ruined rugby league despite the financial benefits it's brought.

It's not a secret crowds are down because the majority are played at night.

Play them during the day and the crowds will go up tenfold.

The NRL's crowds peaked around 2012 (a couple of decades after night matches became a regular thing). However, I do agree that TV and TV timeslots probably have the most to do with stagnate crowds.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

GRTD, Australian Rules Football is a better game to watch live at the ground than it is on tv.

It is no secret the Swans fanbase are mainly from the north shore and eastern suburbs although they do get fans from the Shire and inner west.

Having been to AFL matches in Sydney, Melbourne and here in Adelaide since I moved here Aussie Rules games are better to watch at the ground than on tv.

In 1996 I walked down the road to Dittmer Park to see the Bears play the Vultures for a few minutes after the gates were opened for the 3rd quarter. I was right on the sideline leaning over the advertising signs, around the halfway line. I had binoculars with me to see action from afar. It was boring and I had trouble seeing everything, even with the binoculars.

The only thing I remember is seeing a Vultures player smash into the advertising board in front of me and getting a view of the Bears coach through my binoculars. I went home after 5 minutes because it was shit.

it really isnt, one of the reasons I couldnt get into it when I first arrived was that once the ball goes over half way you are so far away if behind the opposite sticks you end up watching most of it on the big screen!

In 2006 I went to my one and only AwFuL game at The Gabba.

I was behind the goalposts. It was Lions vs Eagles. I had trouble seeing anything when the ball went down the other end. It was hard to know how far away the action was when the ball went down the other end as I was near ground level. If I was in the top row I would have gotten a better sense of depth, but it's shit at ground level.

The crowd was allowed to walk onto the pitch after the game. I went onto the pitch, which was the only thing I enjoyed that day. The crowd then queued up to get an autograph with a few of the Lions players. Some fat bloke saw that I was wearing a Cowboys jersey and said "Cowboys are no good! They're shit! ". So I said "Yeah? What, like The Lions?" All the fumbleball fans queued up in their Lions gear stared at me after that.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, TV has ruined rugby league despite the financial benefits it's brought.

It's not a secret crowds are down because the majority are played at night.

Play them during the day and the crowds will go up tenfold.

Crowds have never been great in Sydney. They've remained fairly constant over the last 20 years and were far worse back in the 80s and 90s.

 

[Tiger Shark]

Precisely. Whereas if some of that money was spent on 3-4 strategically placed top-notch stadia (at transport hubs), and the rest ploughed into efficient public transport to get to those hubs, then win-win.. even for those who aren't sports fans, as they get transport upgrades.

That's all good in theory, but you're going to have a lot of fans who won't want to go to those stadiums. It's a very good TV product so they'll just stay home.

Unless the NRL or the Stadiums can guarantee an income like some clubs got from playing at Homebush there's a very big risk clubs could see membership numbers decline.

The Swans don't have any trouble drawing 30k to the SCG in a so called rugby league city, do they?

A swans crowd can consist of multiple league supporters and that's always been their home. I know mates who are Roosters, Souths, Sharks and Dogs members and are all season ticket holders of the Swans. A team untill only recently that had only one AFL team is rarely going to have crowd issues.

I'm mostly ignoring your posts so not sure if you want all stadiums to get upgraded or a few to be built and teams move there. First option is fine, but can't see it happening. Second option you're going to have alot of issues getting people there. Might takes years to get membership numbers up.

And its no secret how fickle fans can be, if that team isn't performing then the crowds could be real bad.

 

[Tiger Shark]

It's no secret most club's crowds have gone downhill with the NRL's obsession with night games.

Agreed. Putting games on Thursday night, Monday nights, Sunday 6pm is a recipe for poor crowds.

Need to do more day games.

2 on a Friday
4 on a Sat
2 on a Sun

Or something like that.

Though being a league fan I do like having games on Thursday night to watch, but they're hard to get to as a member

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Precisely. Whereas if some of that money was spent on 3-4 strategically placed top-notch stadia (at transport hubs), and the rest ploughed into efficient public transport to get to those hubs, then win-win.. even for those who aren't sports fans, as they get transport upgrades.

Improved public transport is a necessity right across Australia. The population has grown rapidly over the last 40 years and the infrastructure is about 10 years behind where it needs to be.