Hang your head Sydney

[innsaneink]

I think the sh*t weather had a lot to do with the low crowd figure, but it was still shocking, I think the final will be a much better crowd.

I think youre right, we were in bay 11-12 (40-30m mark) and next to my son were two empty seats, likewise in front and to the right of us.

I imagine these wouldve been sold before others worse in the same category, but still a disappointing crowd.

That said, after spending near $100 to watch that tripe, I'd have to seriously reconsider going again in future.

 

[deluded pom?]

That said, after spending near $100 to watch that tripe, I'd have to seriously reconsider going again in future.

I would have paid $500 to watch that fantastic match ;-)

 

[wombat68]

Was the crowd figure a victim of the Aussie media berating the Poms from the moment they stepped off the plane ? It's ok to try and talk up the TN but to try and humiliate the opposition even before a ball is kicked is shameful . Aussie got what Aussie deserved on and off the field .

Whats shameful about it, the berating of poms is an accepted and widely used form of entertainment over here mate. On par with taking the p$ss out of the Kiwis. :lol: Be thankful we let u blokes win one game.

 

[mattyg]

That said, after spending near $100 to watch that tripe, I'd have to seriously reconsider going again in future.

Yeah i agree, the game had alot of potential after the first 10 minutes, then it went crap. Far too many penalties and dropped ball. Looks like there were 16 penalties all up, 10-6 in favour of GB. I got my moneys worth after the Mason fight however. ;-)

 

[nqboy]

I just don't know what more to say about Sydney Rugby League fans. They need to go without for a few years and then we'll drip feed them the lesser games until we see some improvement.

 

[deluded pom?]

Give them an annual game against PNG and give the real Test matches to Queensland and Victoria.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

I just don't know what more to say about Sydney Rugby League fans. They need to go without for a few years and then we'll drip feed them the lesser games until we see some improvement.

Aye. Origin too. One Origin game per year from now on, no Tests and home finals for all teams outside Sydney in the NRL finals who deserve them.

 

[mattyg]

if Victoria and QLD got the amount of Rugby League we got, the same thing would happen. In my case, i have been to more footy than ever this year, i don't know what to say about the rest.

 

[deluded pom?]

Thanks for supporting the game matty. Now get back to your colouring book.;-)

 

[mattyg]

Thanks for supporting the game matty. Now get back to your colouring book.;-)

I think that comeback lost its humour the first time you said it. But if you want to keep using it i won't stop you. Whatever works i spose.

 

[wombat68]

Give them an annual game against PNG and give the real Test matches to Queensland and Victoria.

Victoria. Wake up to yourself. It was bad enuff the scum down south took one of our origin games. If it wasn't for Murdochs deep pockets the storm and league would be dead in the water down there. Melbourne obviously reminds u of Hull, filthy hole that everyone hates.

 

[deluded pom?]

An Aussie with a tad of humility! Frame this thread.

 

[deluded pom?]

Victoria. Wake up to yourself. It was bad enuff the scum down south took one of our origin games. If it wasn't for Murdochs deep pockets the storm and league would be dead in the water down there. Melbourne obviously reminds u of Hull, filthy hole that everyone hates.

You've obviously been to Hull ;-)

 

[danmiles73]

Brisbane - 45000 plus.
sydney - 25000.

Mmmm, where should we play the final?

As someone who is flying from FNQ to Brisbane to see the game in two weeks, I think that Sydney shouldn't get a game for the next five years... just like the five year break that Brisbane had to endure from international footy.

 

[Neatoboy]

I think Sydney suffers from over supply since it has so many NRL games + one or two SOO games each year so I wasn't suprised about the poor crowd. Don't get me wrong... I think it was a pitiful effort! I don't think Brisbane will get a full house but I'm pretty sure they'll beat Sydney's crowd.

I think this game should have gone to Newcastle or North Queensland. I think they would both have filled their stadiums.

 

[TrevorAllan]

Sydney's the gay capital of the world. I'm surprised they don't turn out to watch 26 strapping lads going toe to toe.

 

[deluded pom?]

34 strapping young men playing with their balls surely? Well 17 strapping young Poms and 17 dicks should have got them through the gate :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[bartman]

Purely about bums on seats/ticket sales, I think with big international games they'd be crazy from now on not to give international finals etc to the crowd that would go to Suncorp. As an ex-Sydney sider that pains me but the proof is in the stats.

Give Sydney the Anzac test and one of three origins (Brisbane and Melbourne the others), and then end of seson international series home games could be at Melbourne, Sydney, with the final in Brisbane (that's as long as Australia stays pretty much guaranteed of reaching finals of things like tri-nations). Or for hosting a simple three match series, make it Melbourne, Sydney, and decider at Brisbane. Or use any minor series (with developing nations) to reward our developing areas like Newcastle, Townsville, Wollongong, Penrith, Cambpelltown, bush...

 

[Quidgybo]

I agree with a couple of the points made here - Sydney crowds suffer from event over-supply. Sydney already has an annual monopoly on some of the biggest RL events and rightly so, it is still a RL heartland. But the international games tend to get lost in people's priorities somewhere after the Grand Final, Origin and some of the bigger premiership games. And I also agree that for similar reasons holding Sydney internationals post season doesn't work as well as holding them mid-season. The market is ready for a rest by this stage of the year and we're pushing it asking fans to open their wallets again - especially twice. When I first saw the draw for this year's Tri-Nations I thought straight away it was a mistake to hold both a pool game and the final in the same place, it dilutes the novelty value. The pool game should've gone somewhere like Perth.

The solution isn't to sit back and throw insults at Sydney or its fans, it's to treat the problem. Play fewer big games in Sydney which would allow the remaining ones to be treated as more of a novelty or special event - or to put it another way, concentrate the big match crowds among fewer games. The matches still rate great on television so fine, let Sydney fans watch the games live on TV while the actual game is played somewhere where we don't have this saturation problem. I'm not suggesting taking away all international matches from Sydney full stop but rather decreasing the frequency - by only playing an international there every second, third or even fourth year. Turn the games into a novelty again, a real special event. And minimise the October matches by using the Anzac Test as the international vehicle for Sydney, not the Tri-Nations. A case of horses for courses.

Leigh.

 

[Quidgybo]

Give Sydney the Anzac test and one of three origins (Brisbane and Melbourne the others), and then end of seson international series home games could be at Melbourne, Sydney, with the final in Brisbane (that's as long as Australia stays pretty much guaranteed of reaching finals of things like tri-nations).

International games should be the promotional vehicle used in Melbourne and other non NSW/QLD capitals, not Origin. And they should be treated like Origin and given the same backing and promotion by the league. But Origin itself is NSW vs QLD and it's just not realistic to expect fans outside these states to keep turning up year after year to watch two essentially "foreign" teams. You can't expect someone to develop a life long passion for the game watching two teams that they can't identify with. It's just a novelty. I think that as Australia's biggest city, Melbourne certainly has the right to demand an annual Rugby League showcase match. But it needs to be something the local fans can identify with and become passionate about. IMHO it should be the Kangaroos.

In the same way that the June/July Origin series is the annual showcase for the game in the traditional heartlands of Sydney and Brisbane, the October Tri-Nations match should become the annual showcase for the game in Melbourne. It's the perfect time of year, the AFL season is over, the international cricket season hasn't yet begun, Union is nowhere to be seen and the A-League season is still winding up. We have little competition for attention, a choice of stadiums and Rugby League is fresh in the mind following a live Grand Final telecast a fortnight before. And it is a game that everybody, fan and non fan alike, can take a passionate interest in immediately - their national team fighting for their country. If you build the match up and turn it into a true annual tradition, I have no doubt you could sell out Docklands every time.

If you want to take Origin out of Sydney or Brisbane, then IMHO it should go to places that would really appreciate it - Newcastle and Townsville. Give Sydney and Brisbane their annual Origin fixes, they are true heartlands and deserve the games. But let the third game alternate back and fourth between a second city in each state - cities that have proved themselves year after year to be equally true heartlands of the game, even thru the bad times. It could also be used as leverage to encourage further ground improvement and development in these regional centres. Yes it would limit the crowd, but if you can't sell out the one match you are already hosting (as Sydney didn't this year) then you're hardly denying the locals the opportunity to attend. And prior to the Homebush and Suncorp developments, 30,000 and 40,00 crowds were the accepted norm for Origin anyway.

Leigh