I didn't think much of the pre-game entertainment today, I have to say. I watched it, obviously, for the footy, so it didn't matter that much ... however on our biggest stage nationally (live throughout the country I believe - no other League event gets that), all we had to bring in the casual viewers (or their teenage girls?!) was a miming Jessica Mauboy (sp?) singing something like 'Go get 'em girls' (wtf?!), some american-wannabe group doing whatever it was they were doing, before You Am I (which I'll admit I was already out of the room by this time) came out and did 1960's or 70's rock. Relevence to actual League lovers? Minimal at best. When I came back into the room they were singing 'Start Me Up' while Ch9 showed clips of the footy from 2010. I didn't mind this bit.
What do the NRL need to do? How about demographic research? I understand the NRL wants to attract the females to watch, so they're targetting them as well as the younger audience, but I don't think you should do so at the expense of boring the rest of us.
You want a band/singer that's going to get the crowd pumping. Get them cheering and singing just before the teams run out. The atmosphere will feel great at the stadium, and it sounds and looks great on tv, which in turn will look good for the NRL. I've been to GF's where the pre-game show was pretty much aimed at the teeny-bopper girls, and from where I sat, it didn't seem to appeal to the 85,000+ crowds, who clapped politely as they finished. No-one really cared.
I know this would never happen, but how good would it be if the NRL could get AC/DC for the pre-match entertainment?! Okay, I'm dreaming here..!
