Future NRL Stadiums

[Captain Apollo]

A bit late on the whole suburban ground death shit but how anyone can think it's a good idea is beyond me. It's a last resort option and the funds being placed to the side for ANZ and SFS improvements should be spent on improving the suburban grounds because simply, they should be the first priority. Yes, ANZ has its problems, but they're not in dire need, no matter how exaggerated its flaws are. Want to kill rugby league in NSW? Kill the grounds; the communities and traditions that have been built at suburban grounds. South Sydney and the Bulldog's move to ANZ shows very, very little positives come out of it and better crowds aren't one of them.

It's actually pretty sad how much of an impact the case of "If we can't have it, neither can you"

Just muh 2 cents.

You are entitled to your 2 cents.

Thing is why would the State or Federal Government fund upgrades to grounds owned by local councils solely for use by an NRL team 13 times a year? The State and Federal Governments get nothing out of it, and the Councils continue on the expectation that someone else will foot their bills.

As such, the NSW Government have decided they will look after the grounds they actually own (i.e. Allianz, ANZ and Parramatta Stadium).

 

[Perth Red]

Also Sydney is falling behind the world cities in terms of sporting facilities. It's one of life's strange oddities but cities love dck measuring contests and stadiums are part of that. Nsw govt recognise this and want to ensure they have world class facilities on show. Spending $50mill on brookvale does nothing in this regard. Shame for our sport as would be great to see it like London with world class facilities across the city but it isn't going to happen. These outlying clubs need a plan B) and reasonably quickly.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

You can kiss the Panthers support, Sharks support, West tigers support in cambelltown goodbye. It is just takes to long to get to and from the game

Most people will connect via TV, so their experience wont change whether their team plays in a suburb or a central stadium. When you consider that these games in Campbeltown/Penrith/Cronulla are consistently pulling under 10k people, and sometimes go as low as 6k, its not a huge loss. (And most of these small crowds are diehard fans, so even if they go to less games they will probably not giving up the sport). The support will still exsist, even if its not direct attendance.

Then you realise that, in most cases, for every 1 perseon that will only go to games at Suburban grounds, there are 2 or 3 or more people that only go to games at premium-quality stadiums.

Thats not even taking into account that suburban grounds are, as the name suggests, located in suburbs; areas that can barely handle 5-digit crowds before it becomes gridlock. Compare that to centralised stadiums; ANZ, for example, is designed to accommodate 100,000 people within a period of only a few hours.

 

[Timbo]

I know people are saying 'they won't build a new stadium' which is fine, but hypothetically, if they should (and for arguments sake, I'm saying at Blacktown Olympic Park), here is the problem as I see it. If the following team/ground lineups happen:

Refurbished Allianz - Roosters, Dragons (half), Wests (half). (With the Waratahs and Sydney FC).
Refurbished ANZ - Souths, Canterbury.
New Blacktown - Penrith, Wests (half).
Refurbished Parra - Parramatta. (With the Wanderers).

The NRL eventually won't stand for it but how long will they be able to continue to attract decent players if they're playing out of suburban rubbish tips like Endeavor and Brookvale? Even the regional clubs like the Raiders and Cowboys are expecting new 30,000 seaters in the not too distant future.

I think one of the main reasons they've been able to continue playing at grounds like Endeavor and Brookvale is because they exist in a world which also has Penrith, Campbelltown, Kogarah, Bruce and Townsville. When they're gone, those two grounds will stick out like sore thumbs.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

You are entitled to your 2 cents.

Thing is why would the State or Federal Government fund upgrades to grounds owned by local councils solely for use by an NRL team 13 times a year? The Sate and Federal Governments get nothing out of it, and the Councils continue on the expectation that someone else will foot their bills.

As such, the NSW Government have decided they will look after the grounds they actually own (i.e. Allianz, ANZ and Parramatta Stadium).

Thats not actually how government funding works.

Just sayin....

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

I know people are saying 'they won't build a new stadium' which is fine, but hypothetically, if they should (and for arguments sake, I'm saying at Blacktown Olympic Park), here is the problem as I see it. If the following team/ground lineups happen:

Refurbished Allianz - Roosters, Dragons (half), Wests (half). (With the Waratahs and Sydney FC).
Refurbished ANZ - Souths, Canterbury.
New Blacktown - Penrith, Wests (half).
Refurbished Parra - Parramatta. (With the Wanderers).

Id imagine Wests are more likely to want to take games to ANZ than SFS

Also, i dont know how much longer Parra Stadium will be considered above the standard of Penrith or Shark Park. I realise they have recently been approved for a renovation, but thats a $20 patchjob (the kind of thing that the Gov says they wont do anymore). If Blacktown gets the Stadium (which it SHOULD!!!), i doubt Parra Stadium will keep getting funding aswell. Eventually itll be untenable, ant Eels/Wanderer will do a similar split to Wests.

Edit: Id hate to see the stadium placed at the Blacktown Olympic Fields, Prime spot would be the Showground right in the CBD...

The NRL eventually won't stand for it but how long will they be able to continue to attract decent players if they're playing out of suburban rubbish tips like Endeavor and Brookvale? Even the regional clubs like the Raiders and Cowboys are expecting new 30,000 seaters in the not too distant future.

I think one of the main reasons they've been able to continue playing at grounds like Endeavor and Brookvale is because they exist in a world which also has Penrith, Campbelltown, Kogarah, Bruce and Townsville. When they're gone, those two grounds will stick out like sore thumbs.

I think its more to do with the fact that all of the teams have been at the same shitty standard for such a long time, it just became acceptable, "sure Brisbane is getting huge crowds, but theyre in a different market so we dont need to feel to bad..."

It wasnt until Souths decided they could be the biggest team in Sydney, then the Bulldogs decided that was unacceptable, now theyre just embarrassing everyone else into performing...

(incidentally, this is why i think Brisbane need a second/and maybe third team; Broncos are cruising, but if suddenly theyre getting smaller crowds than the new guys, each will start competing with the other to be the biggest club)

 

[Timbo]

Don't get me wrong, I don't think Parra Stadium is a 50 year option, but I do think these current upgrades, which would be the last from the state government, makes it a viable 20 year prospect if the council commits to maintain what is there.

25,000 all seater would be fine for that period of time, and as they start to grow they can take the big games to ANZ.

As for Wests, they need to cater to their inner-city fans. I think if they punted Leichardt and played half their games out of Blacktown that Allianz makes more sense. But that's semantics -either way they'll be 100% in major stadiums.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Thats not actually how government funding works.

Just sayin....

Mate I know quite a lot about how Government funding works. I also know what the last 3 NSW Sports Ministers have said about funding of stadiums in NSW. They will only fund those that they (i.e. the NSW Government) own.

 

[bazza]

You can kiss the Panthers support, Sharks support, West tigers support in cambelltown goodbye. It is just takes to long to get to and from the game

Yes - it takes too long for most people to get to Penrith, Campbelltown and Woolaware - so these fans can instead go to more accessible venues in the the city.

Manly support never crosses the Harbor Bridge............what makes you think they will go to Alliance/ANZ.

Yes - getting across 2 bridges to watch a game at Brookevale is a pain - hopefully most people will get to watch a game somewhere more convenient

If these changes go ahead then imo these NRL clubs will suffer.................i hope i am wrong about this i really do.

Penrith and Cronulla suffer because they don't have that many fans
By the time that they came into the competition people in the area all ready had a team to support, and new residence in the area came with attachments to other teams. They haven't been able to reach out to supporters outside their traditional territory like Souths, East, Manly, Parramatta and Canterbury have

When i say sport i mean the NRL.....................no other sport will be effected by these changes, not even aleague will be effected.

The 2 A-league teams in Sydney will have better stadiums to play out of

 

[BlueandGold]

Id imagine Wests are more likely to want to take games to ANZ than SFS

Also, i dont know how much longer Parra Stadium will be considered above the standard of Penrith or Shark Park. I realise they have recently been approved for a renovation, but thats a $20 patchjob (the kind of thing that the Gov says they wont do anymore). If Blacktown gets the Stadium (which it SHOULD!!!), i doubt Parra Stadium will keep getting funding aswell. Eventually itll be untenable, ant Eels/Wanderer will do a similar split to Wests.

Edit: Id hate to see the stadium placed at the Blacktown Olympic Fields, Prime spot would be the Showground right in the CBD...



I think its more to do with the fact that all of the teams have been at the same shitty standard for such a long time, it just became acceptable, "sure Brisbane is getting huge crowds, but theyre in a different market so we dont need to feel to bad..."

It wasnt until Souths decided they could be the biggest team in Sydney, then the Bulldogs decided that was unacceptable, now theyre just embarrassing everyone else into performing...

(incidentally, this is why i think Brisbane need a second/and maybe third team; Broncos are cruising, but if suddenly theyre getting smaller crowds than the new guys, each will start competing with the other to be the biggest club)

You do realize how much money this brings into the Parramatta economy when WSW, Eels are playing all year round?

Parra council will fight tooth and nail to keep those teams at pirtek.

Parra is the city of the west and the 6th largest city in Aus, Pirtek will be maintained imo.

Souths and Canterbury left people behind..................hahaha how so?

Members yes Souths have done quite good, Dogs members are less then Parra and WSW.

Crowd ave for Souths has risen nicely, Dogs is pretty much stagnent.

You cant call this centralization plan a success on the back of South Sydney alone.

Most games that get taken to ANZ already are the larger crowd pulling games, what heppens when the games against canberra and Cowboys gets taken to ANZ........what will it look like? Imo it will be ugly.

 

[BlueandGold]

Yes - it takes too long for most people to get to Penrith, Campbelltown and Woolaware - so these fans can instead go to more accessible venues in the the city.


Yes - getting across 2 bridges to watch a game at Brookevale is a pain - hopefully most people will get to watch a game somewhere more convenient


Penrith and Cronulla suffer because they don't have that many fans
By the time that they came into the competition people in the area all ready had a team to support, and new residence in the area came with attachments to other teams. They haven't been able to reach out to supporters outside their traditional territory like Souths, East, Manly, Parramatta and Canterbury have


The 2 A-league teams in Sydney will have better stadiums to play out of

WSW have already committed to Pirtek for the foreseeable future................Sydney FC play at Alliance...............the Aleague is not effected by these changes it is the NRL taking all the risk so the Government can save some money.

These changes will make or break NRL in NSW.

 

[bazza]

These changes will make or break NRL in NSW.

yep - thousands of people who like sitting on dirt to watch a football game will be very unlikely to go to stadiums with comfortable seats and roofs which are favoured by very few people

 

[morley101]

Does anyone know when Parramatta Stadium upgrade will start ?

 

[Perth Red]

Mate I know quite a lot about how Government funding works. I also know what the last 3 NSW Sports Ministers have said about funding of stadiums in NSW. They will only fund those that they (i.e. the NSW Government) own.

yep when the WA govt committed to redevloping nib rather than build a new one (which they bloody well should have done at Burswood grrr!) they then spent a packet buying the lease from the Town of Vincent and the stadium management contract.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/rugby-union/a/10096437/boost-for-perth-rugby-soccer-stadium/

 

[Perth Red]

WSW have already committed to Pirtek for the foreseeable future................Sydney FC play at Alliance...............the Aleague is not effected by these changes it is the NRL taking all the risk so the Government can save some money.

These changes will make or break NRL in NSW.

what NRL risk? The NRL has no say in it, they can;t make the NSW govt spend hundreds of millions on suburban grounds nor will they make clubs move. The harsh financial realities is what will make clubs move. It may be a good thing, forcing clubs to get their sht together and have a broader appeal across sydney, or they may stay in their dinosaur ways and go extinct as they ring their hands that Manly fans won't travel to ANZ or Sharks fans to Allianz.

 

[BlueandGold]

yep - thousands of people who like sitting on dirt to watch a football game will be very unlikely to go to stadiums with comfortable seats and roofs which are favoured by very few people

It is not about facility's it is getting to them in a timely manner that will be the killer for Panthers, Sharks, Wests cambelltown and Manly fans.

Friday night footy, Monday nights games starts at 730.......................if the game is central for these teams then most people will not be able to attend due to work commitments and mondays is a school night so that will drop off even further.

Who in there right mind wants to watch 40min of footy for those prices?

Having great facility's is fine but not having the modes of transport to get people to the footy in time is going to be a killer.

 

[BlueandGold]

what NRL risk? The NRL has no say in it, they can;t make the NSW govt spend hundreds of millions on suburban grounds nor will they make clubs move. The harsh financial realities is what will make clubs move. It may be a good thing, forcing clubs to get their sht together and have a broader appeal across sydney, or they may stay in their dinosaur ways and go extinct as they ring their hands that Manly fans won't travel to ANZ or Sharks fans to Allianz.

Look your entitled to your own opinion but it is in your best interest being a Perth fan that a Sydney team is killed off, so i will agree to disagree. ;-)

 

[Perth Red]

I've always said our best hope for a club is
A) All clubs get their sht together and are sustainable and healthy
B) Someone falls over

Ultimately that is in each clubs hands. We have to just sit and wait and wait and wait.......................

 

[BlueandGold]

I've always said our best hope for a club is
A) All clubs get their sht together and are sustainable and healthy
B) Someone falls over

Ultimately that is in each clubs hands. We have to just sit and wait and wait and wait.......................

You do not live in Sydney........................you really have no idea what this will do to some of these clubs.

This is all my opinion so whatever.....................it does not effect my team but i care about the game and imo this will not be good for the fan day experience. It will effect crowd in a negative way............i hope i am totally wrong and crowds start lifting to this magical 20k ave mark but i just cant see it happening.

If this goes through Friday and Monday will be even worse for fans than it is now.

 

[CowboyFuriousFury]

You do not live in Sydney........................you really have no idea what this will do to some of these clubs.

This is all my opinion so whatever.....................it does not effect my team but i care about the game and imo this will not be good for the fan day experience. It will effect crowd in a negative way............i hope i am totally wrong and crowds start lifting to this magical 20k ave mark but i just cant see it happening.

If this goes through Friday and Monday will be even worse for fans than it is now.

If fans love the suburban grounds so much they should be selling them out, some of these clubs had 40+ plus years of history and still struggle to pack a suburban grounds in 'heartland' its pathetic the constant excuses supporters use to not attend games.

rugby league must be the only sport it which supporters comes up with more excuses to not attend a game while the other codes have a complete opposite mindset of attending games.