No Test for Sydney

[nqboy]

So if we are all baring our souls on the support for League in each city, lets have a closer look:

1. For the 2006 Season, the total home crowds for Sydney based teams where 1,452,000. If we halve the StGeorge number (due to Wollongong games), we get 1,375,000. Now there have been teams playing some home games elsewhere, but I am not adjusting for that. It will not make a massive difference. I am happy for someone else to have a go.

2. For the 2006 Season, the total home crowds for Brisbane where 374,494.
http://stats.rleague.com/rl/crowds/2006.html

3. Thus, 374,000/1,375,000 = 27% of the Sydney crowds.

4. Population of Sydney 4,250,000, Brisbane 1,810,000 (any updated numbers here, and we can adjust the figures).

5. Thus, 1,810,000/4,250,000 = 42% of the Sydney population.

Therefore, despite Brisbane being 42% the size of Sydney, its crowds are only 27% of the Sydney total.

Yes, Sydney has more teams, but it is not as if the Broncos have a full house at every home game. Instead of putting the boot into Sydney over the Tri-Nations Final, always keep these numbers in mind chumps. ;-)

Oh Ziggy, the living embodiment of the saying, "Figures don't lie, but that doesn't mean liars don't figure." :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[BrissyRef]

I think Brisbane is a bandwagon town. In 1997 when the Strikers won the NSL Lang Park was packed with 40,000 fans. The Lions fans of the early 00's are now back on the Brisbane Broncos.

It's not meant to be a bad thing but QLD love winers and when the team is winning they sell out home games.

After Brisbane were dusted by Saints in the first semi last year I saw next to no jumpers being worn in the streets, the media was all over them calling for Bennet to be sacked (again) and most Bronco fans I knew had brushed them for another year. Then they win the comp and they come out of the wood work claiming that they knew all along they were going to win the comp.

Sydney has a far more wider entertainment zone too with many distractions where Brisbane is still a sleepy little town in that sense. If Brisbane had 6 or 7 clubs they would have similar problems to Sydney teams.

You just have to look at a quality comp like the QLD Cup to see how good the football has been up here over recent years. I wonder how many football mad Queenslanders have bothered to take in a Q Cup match in recent times?

 

[danmiles73]

Perhaps the final word on this topic could go to the ARL themselves. This comes from today's Sunday Mail:

Australian Rugby League officials were apparently unimpressed by Sydney's poor turnout for the Tri-Nations final in November...

Queensland Sports Minister Andrew Fraser said the decision to play the April Test at Suncorp made the stadium "the premier venue for rugby league in Australia".

Another big Test turnout would provide further ammunition for Brisbane's bid to host the World Cup final, the culmination of rugby league's centenary celebrations next year.

In a further boost for the code's Queensland headquarters, the Sydney Bulldogs have confirmed they will play their "home" game against the North Queensland Cowboys at Suncorp this season.

http://www.news.com.au/sundaymail/story/0,23739,21020740-10389,00.html

 

[McCrud]

I think Brisbane is a bandwagon town. In 1997 when the Strikers won the NSL Lang Park was packed with 40,000 fans. The Lions fans of the early 00's are now back on the Brisbane Broncos.

It's not meant to be a bad thing but QLD love winers and when the team is winning they sell out home games.

After Brisbane were dusted by Saints in the first semi last year I saw next to no jumpers being worn in the streets, the media was all over them calling for Bennet to be sacked (again) and most Bronco fans I knew had brushed them for another year. Then they win the comp and they come out of the wood work claiming that they knew all along they were going to win the comp.

Sydney has a far more wider entertainment zone too with many distractions where Brisbane is still a sleepy little town in that sense. If Brisbane had 6 or 7 clubs they would have similar problems to Sydney teams.

You just have to look at a quality comp like the QLD Cup to see how good the football has been up here over recent years. I wonder how many football mad Queenslanders have bothered to take in a Q Cup match in recent times?

That's a high-quality bait you have created there mate - good stuff.

And I'm sure these 'bandwagoners' don't come out of the woodwork in any other cities or NRL clubs eh?

Back to the main point, Brisbane deserve to host the 2007 Test match purely based upon a comparison of the crowd figures of LAST YEAR'S Test series - it's as simple as that. After watching the displays of some pitiful cretins on here (ahem, Misty) I can't help but point out that you can't labour on about crowd figures from the 1990's in a pathetic attempt to divert attention away from the present situation. I however would not mind if the match was taken to Melbourne - We need to push much harder into this market.

 

[ShineDog]

All Tests Should Be Played In Brisbane As Suncorp Is The Best Stadium In The Nrl.....

 

[Perth Red]

2008 WC final? Suncorp or Telstra?

 

[mattyg]

Telstra...it can fit more, and it will sell out. I'm not going to complain if Brisbane get the same amount of games as Sydney either.

 

[Quidgybo]

Telstra...it can fit more, and it will sell out.

If that's going to be the logic then it should go the MCG. It's bigger than Telstra and will no doubt sell out for a World Cup final. But the reality is that size isn't the only consideration.

Leigh.

 

[Perth Red]

Or so your wife would have you believe Quidgybo!

Think we will see a semi in Melb, a semi in Brisb and final at Telstra.

I hope they don't give a semi to SFS instead of Melb.

 

[Quidgybo]

Think we will see a semi in Melb, a semi in Brisb and final at Telstra.

I expect that to be the outcome too (my opinion on the allocation this year's Anzac Test and the WC Final not withstanding)

I hope they don't give a semi to SFS instead of Melb.

Surely not. With Sydney's recent attendance issues it'd be hard to argue for two big international matches in the city in the space of a week. The risk is the same as the hostng of two Tri-Nations matches this year. One or both will impact support for the other.

Even if we assume that Sydney and Brisbane will split the final and one semi, there's two questions I'd like to pose - will any matches be held in New Zealand? And if so, is Auckland in the mix for the second semi final? I've participated in threads speculating on the first question but I am yet to see anything official one way or the other.

Leigh.

 

[nqboy]

Are NZ co-hosting? If not, then no. It's not like they have set the RL world alight with their test crowds recently.

I think Brisbane have earned the right to host the final and I would give the semis to the SFS and Telstra Dome.