Parramatta to NOT move Dragons blockbuster to Homebush

[Timmah]

Sorry, should've mentioned. Hindmarsh is on 260 now, 5 behind Kenny, who's played the most matches for the SquEels. His 266th will make him the most capped player at Parramatta in their 63 year history.

 

[Loudstrat]

I don't get how Parra v Saints is suddenly guaranteed to be bigger than any other home game they will have this year. Considering Saints collapse at the end of last year, and Parra's abysman trial form - -where is there any indication of a 60k crowd for round 1 - or that a resurgent Souths won't draw a big crowd for their ANZ clash with the EEls?

All of a sudden we are pressured into 2 huge changes. It's not as simple as choosing a different pub to have a beer at. Grounds have a huge task to organise things for game day - catering staff, security, ground preparation, etc. Besides, I cannot think of any other instance where a club has moved grounds for a premiership match with a weeks notice - ever.

So all you whingers get back into your cave. Eels v Saints round 1 at Parramatta Stadium. End of story.

 

[Willow]

Sorry, should've mentioned. Hindmarsh is on 260 now, 5 behind Kenny, who's played the most matches for the SquEels. His 266th will make him the most capped player at Parramatta in their 63 year history.

Ah, ok. Thanks.

It comes down to where Parra fans and the club would like to see it celebrated.

Who knows, Hindmarsh might even get a say in it.

 

[Loudstrat]

There Loudstrat, proof that I didn't thibk there would be 50,000 at the ground! Why take me out of context for? Why not quote the whole post?
Sounds like a Daily Telegraph reporter...

Yeah you do - you sound like Bourbon Beccy. I acknowledged that you didn't think there was going to be an extra 30k dumbass. But the enxt paragraph you are bagging Parra for shutting 30k out! Now you have suddenly retracted and are bagging them for shutting 10k out. Make up your mind ffs!

And if there were an extra 10,000 wanting tickets than it is an issue. 10,000 people miss out because Loudstrat wants his own comfy seat at Parramatta! One minute we want big crowds to compete with the NRL (and Brisbane), which means bigger crowd averages, better recognition. But then... some annoying selfish internet fans want the game at Parramatta, so it can be sold ou for ONE game, and have a great atmosphere for ONE game, which will soon be forgotten with all the other games. But yet, this game did have a chance of breaking the 41,000 the Bulldogs got last year, which would have been seen by a lot more people and earned full recognition it deserved, but oh well... one more 20K crowd for the NRL.

OK sh*t for brains - if that's the case how come it's suddelny an issue one week out? Did you have concerns for thuis back in November? No. You only jumped up and down because some Traitorgraph journo with nothing else to print decided to sensationalise the issue. Going by your dumb paranoid logic, the Titans would never ever play Brisbane at home.

 

[Springs]

I ain't bagging Parra for shutting 10K out, I'm bagging the whining fans on this forum who are willing to shut 30K out! You still haven't come up with a good reason to shut 30,000 fans out of a match. And just so you don't get confused, I am not saying there would have been 50,000 at Eels v Dragons.

OK sh*t for brains - if that's the case how come it's suddelny an issue one week out? Did you have concerns for thuis back in November? No. You only jumped up and down because some Traitorgraph journo with nothing else to print decided to sensationalise the issue. Going by your dumb paranoid logic, the Titans would never ever play Brisbane at home.

Well, look who's resorted to name calling. Anyway, I only heard about this when Osbourne said he wanted to move the game, and i praised him for it. Now I'm criticising the decision and the selfish fans on this forum. And I don't care if the game is at Parra, you still do not understand that.
And the Titans playing at Skilled Park is fine, the other game between them is played at Suncorp, which doesn't sell out, so why have two games at Suncorp for?
I would actually rather the Eels play Souths and bulldogs at parra because we already play them at ANZ once a year, but with the Dragons we play at two 20K capacity stadiums and fans always miss out.

I think Parra should schedule all their games at Parramatta and leave an option open for them to move to ANZ if the demand for tickets is very high. I can see Souths playing Parramatta, when both are bottom 8, in front of 10,000 crowds twice a season.

 

[Goddo]

Well, there have traditionally been big crowds at ANZ for round 1, especially if its a double header. They have had sell outs in the past. This game could draw 40k being the runners up v minor premiers, two of the big 5 Sydney clubs, but it would need to be marketed right.

Why didn't someone think for five seconds at the NRL months ago about maybe a blockbuster double header, Eels v Dragons, Rabbitohs v Roosters and/or Bulldogs v Knights to open the season?

That said, it is no guarentee they will get any more in the doors at ANZ than Parra.

I think that the game should be at Parra. Home ground advantage, its good for the Parra sponsors at the stadium, rewards the members... basically all the things Doust said when the Dragons did it last year. I can understand the Stadium trust being unhappy, they sign an agreement with a club who then looks to get out of it.

Parramatta should have realised that this would be a biggy last year and scheduled it as one of the 2 ANZ Parra games. It took Osborne to realise the irony of the situation (given his comments last year about St George), but really, he should have been thinking about this 3 or more months ago.

As Loudstrat says, its really too late to change it now.

 

[Loudstrat]

Parramatta also realise that we could start like a clapped out Leylend P76 like we usually do too.

The thing people forget is that there is no bigger statement for Sydney League when a local ground gets a full house. If Parra, Kogarah, Brookvale, Penrith, Leichhardt and Campbelltown each get one or 2 packed home games this year that will send a bigger message than filling ANZ to 3/8 capacity. All those sides should have strong years - the biggest issue in the game is the thought that Sydney is slowly dying as a League stronghold.

Any Queenslander at Origin time will tell you that having a sellout is a far better statement than having a large crowd figure. If the Crowd figure was the be all and end all, then all of Brisbane's away games would be at Lang Park, and every Origin would be at ANZ.

Besides, anyone interested enough to buy a ticket will certainly watch it on TV if they can't get one. And if the hype would make a 20k crowd into a 30k crowd, the same hype would make a 700k TV audience into a 1 million TV audience. There is NO ONE that could say they would miss seeing this game.

Besides, Parra haven't sold out yet, have they?

 

[Hindyscrack]

And Hindy, you do understand that if Parra moved the game to ANZ they'd be out of pocket by $200k in compensation to the Parra Stadium trust, don't you?

Read my post pal, and you will see that I acknowledge the fact, and even understand the stadiums trusts desire to request compensation.

 

[ME SO HORNBY!]

Parramatta Trust holding the game back in my opinion. We need bums in seats to keep our game going and a half full ANZ is better than a full parramatta stadium in terms of revenue any day of the week and we need to think about revenue for our clubs first and foremost.

 

[RL1908]

Parramatta Trust holding the game back in my opinion. We need bums in seats to keep our game going and a half full ANZ is better than a full parramatta stadium in terms of revenue any day of the week and we need to think about revenue for our clubs first and foremost.

So should the Dragons be working the phones today....swap the home advantage for the Rd 1 and Rd 12 Dragons-Eels games, making the Rd 1 game now a Saints home game, and put it on at ANZ.

The Dragons & Eels could split the gate-takings for accumulated total of both Rd 1 and Rd 12 (at 50/50 each or some other agreed rate), or the Dragons could reap a bonanza from Rd 1 on their own, and the Eels can have Rd 12.

 

[Timmah]

Dragons moving a match away from Kogarah presents a similar, if not greater problem. There's already been conjecture over the 'Gong having one less game this year instead of Kogarah.

 

[Mark Rudd]

Anyone who doesn't think this game should be at ANZ should hang their heads in shame. You really want the game to grow or continue in the dark ages?


20,000 at Parramatta Stadium will be a great start to the season.


60-70,000 at ANZ will generate more interest in the game and more national inerest then your normal surbuban battle ever will.

Hell, fans STILL talk about the 70,000+ from the game last year.



Bums on seats is what the game needs. New fans to enjoy the atmosphere and great facilitys.

Talk sh*t all you like about the AFL, but 90,000+ at the MCG rates higher in talk and media then 8,000 at Canberra or Hobart and you know it.


Time to support the NRL or clubs choice to move away from your home ground to a stadium to bring in more fans.

 

[Loudstrat]

If you reckon they would get 60k to ANZ you better change your medication!

There has to be over 50k for it to be worthwhile to Parra. These games at ANZ usually get between 25-35k. I don't see anyone rushing in to cover the $200 000 fine Parra would have to pay to the PST. Just lots of sensationalist crap driven by the Telegraph - convinced League has to match AFL's crowds or die.

A season opener at Parra Stadium in front of 20 is a fantastic way to start the season. Why whinge at that?

 

[Loudstrat]

Parramatta Trust holding the game back in my opinion. We need bums in seats to keep our game going and a half full ANZ is better than a full parramatta stadium in terms of revenue any day of the week and we need to think about revenue for our clubs first and foremost.

Hypocrisy from a Dragons fan?

 

[Red Bear]

Dragons moving a match away from Kogarah presents a similar, if not greater problem. There's already been conjecture over the 'Gong having one less game this year instead of Kogarah.

I would say most gong dragons would be happy a new western stand is being built which should help ensure the long term furute of Win as an NRL venue. Happy to sacrafice a couple of games over the next couple of years.

As far as revenue goes, doesnt moving to a different stadium usually make clubs worse off anyway? Dragons would've been worse off for example if they took the Gallop cash and moved the Semi last year than if they played there.

 

[IFR33K]

Hypocrisy from a Dragons fan?

I don't think all dragons fans were keen for the game to stay at Kogarah. I'm sure some would of wanted it moved.

 

[duck_dodgers]

the real issue is why parramatta stadium has been allowed to shrink crowdwise over the decades ...

27318 to a kangaroos v france game in 1994 and barely 20k now ... wtf

some vision beyond the next fortnight is required .

the ground should be 40k ... with an emphasis on getting people to use public transport to get to the game .

with a western a-league side starting up in 2011 (along with other events ) the ground can be used 12 months of the year making an upgrade more than viable .

 

[bazza]

the real issue is why parramatta stadium has been allowed to shrink crowdwise over the decades ...

27318 to a kangaroos v france game in 1994 and barely 20k now ... wtf

some vision beyond the next fortnight is required .

the ground should be 40k ... with an emphasis on getting people to use public transport to get to the game .

with a western a-league side starting up in 2011 (along with other events ) the ground can be used 12 months of the year making an upgrade more than viable .

It was reduced by putting seats at the ends uinstead of the hills.
I believe this was for safety reasons as there were a few crowd problems there in the late 90s.
There are long term plans to add another level at each end. I think one end should be starting soon

 

[petetheileet]

All suburban grounds to have 30k capacity by 2020????....

 

[Babyface O'reilly]

Can't really blame Parra here as 200k is a lot of dosh when rain could be a factor.

I would’ve liked to see this game at ANZ too but a packed local ground looks and sounds equally good on television. A lot of people will tune in to see what all the fuss was about won’t they?

To me, a packed out Parra Stadium will have an ‘exclusivity’ or ‘hottest-ticket-in-town’ feel about it. That in itself could attract future fans.