Pathetic NRL Crowds Continue in Melbourne

[Macca]

I think Melbourne should relocate to the Gold Coast. I know there is potential down there but shouldn't we be getting 2 rugby league areas (GC and CC) sorted out before we try to lure an AFL city?

 

[ibeme]

If we give up on Melbourne now, we can give up on ever going there.

 

[Macca]

I don't think so ibeme. If the game is stronger in the heartlands then there is more chance for expansion. The extremities can't live without the body being strong. Once we can support 16 teams, there will be further mergers and and then we bring in another Melbourne franchise or relocate a side to Melbourne. It could be the Sharks, I hope not, but the game must move forward, it is idle in Melbourne.

 

[Parraren]

I think we need to stick with the Storm. It took a long, long, long time for the Swans to really become popular in Sydney. The crowds in Melbourne aren't too bad. I wonder if the NRL is doing enough to promote the game down there though? I wonder whether it might be worthwhile playing some test matches down there or maybe one of the State of Origin matches like we did a few years back :?:

 

[JW]

the second biggest state of Australia

It's amusing how Victoria is the shape of an arse and Melbourne is located right on the hole.

With a population of about 3.5 million

And I guess all the shit has to fall to the arse eventually.

Don't you feel sorry for Tassie - right in the firing line of the arse of Australia :lol:

Go back to Big Footy clown.

Cheers.

 

[Le Rouge]

Yep Melbourne must stay and if they are in trouble the NRL must save em.

We can't just keep creating all these out of League state teams and watch and let them die. Otherwise there is no hope in gaining support in those areas ever.

I say within 5-10 years bring Perth and Adelade back for good.

 

[Beaussie]

After the debacle of the Reds and Rams, WA and SA will never ever give RL another go. RU has more chance in those markets.

 

[Le Rouge]

Your right about one thing.. that was a debacle the Rams were a rushed job and the Reds were a victim of the War, the fools who were running league at the time let both of em die.

Something the NRL should learn from AFL rescue the teams when in need.
and/or weed out or relocate the old redundant ones.

The NRL need effective marketing and planning before putting teams in those areas not rush them in like before.

 

[CouldaBeenAnything]

If the programming is done right, Rugby League could go well in Adelaide again...

The funny part about the Union Wc was that thousands of people who had no idea went to the games and kinda got into it. Thing is, a lot of tghem use to go to rams games back in the day and pretty all of them could be heard saying "This is ok, but the Rams was heaps better"

AFL will always be number 1 in Adelaide, that is almost certain, but the market could support a league side if sold right. The Rams did ok for a shoddy operation, formed 3 months before their first game and got a lot fo people in. Given the same chances Melbourne has, I have no doubt they would have done ok.

But I also think the NRl would be better served using the CC and GC first, then WA, perhaps even NT as well and SA. Is a 10+ year plan.

AFL is going ok in Brisbane now cause they are winning, watch when the Victorians (Eddie McGuire) get their own way and salary cap concessions are dropped...Brisbane will tumble on down the ladder, as will Sydney and crowds will plummet also...no one wants to see their team lose week after week

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

After the debacle of the Reds and Rams, WA and SA will never ever give RL another go. RU has more chance in those markets.

How would you know corkhead?

Is there anything you are a self-confessed expert in?

My understanding is that there is still a lot of interest in the NRL in Perth and Adelaide.

Neither should be ruled out permanently.

 

[Beaussie]

My understanding is that there is still a lot of interest in the NRL in Perth and Adelaide.

You would be basing that statement on what, the fact that NRL (GF included) and SOO matches are replayed on TV at 1.30am in the morning or the fact that local RL competitions are almost non-existent.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

Twat.

I base that on the fact that EvilGrowler just came back from living in Perth where he said that interest was still high and I went to Adelaide late last year and unlike my last visit 25 years ago, people knew about the NRL and wanted to know about the NRL.

So what was your opinion based on?

Guesses?

A desire to continue being the head AFL troll?

 

[Chook]

How about 7 of the latest under 17 Rugby League squad to tour overseas came from WA!!

Piss off back to your quaint little domestic club code moron. Young Australian atheletes would rather play a game where they can represent their country on the International stage. The biggest game of this pathetic kick-catch kick-catch crap is played in Melbourne, whoopf**keneee!!

How many were at the last afl international game = 0
How many were at the last afl soo match = 0
How many were at the last afl test match = 0
How many were at the last afl tri nations series = 0

Your pathetic crap code can't even get a club going in New Zealand FFS.

The subsidising of afl clubs in QLD and NSW won't last forever didpshit and when they take away that funding and those clubs begin their inevitable losing streak you watch the bandwagon jump ship!

League will recover from recent events, it's a super strong code, it will always bounce back because the people love the game.

afl is glorified forcebacks that you played in the street as a kid! Skill level for this garbage game = 0.

Chook.

 

[League Freak™]

Only a simple minded idiot would claim the NRL should dump the Storm.


The Storm are not a six month project. One day the NRL WILL grow to have a team in ever capital city.

Right now NSW, VIC, QLD and the ACT are covered. Why would you want to cut that back?


Melbourne is a city of what....around 3 million. Its the second biggest media market in Australia.

The Storm get NO help from the NRL is way of promotion. They are in their very early stages of development down there.


Do you think the NRL spends the same amount fo TV promotion that the NSWRU and AFL does in Sydney?

NO.


The NRL need to become more accessable to Melbourne and its media. teams playing down there should spend a day helping to promote the game.


The NRL should hold regular functions down there and I cant for the life of my understand why we are not playing Origin football down there. It makes alot of sense....one game in NSW, one in QLD....the decider in Melbourne.

If its the decider of the series you get a sellout. If its a dead rubber you get a big crowd and your promoting the game.


The Storm have been left like a shag on a rock. New Ltd have done a great job funding the team and securing its future. Its about the NRL stood up and did its job because if you pull outs of Melbourne now you can NEVER, EVER go back!

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

Actually nospam49, you bring up a few good points. Not the least of which is that SOO gets a big crowd in Melbourne.

If the AFL played SA v Vic AFL in Sydney, they'd get 500.


Chook, well said.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

Remember AFL's attempt to get people interested in SOO, so they named one of the teams "The Allies".

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Southernsaint]

I agree that should the NRL abandon Melbourne now, there's no point going back. The Storm have been in the competition for seven years now & to cut them would mean that those seven years have been well & truly wasted.

AFL supporters will never have any proper idea of the real impact that Super League caused our game. Perth, Adelaide & the Gold Coast were casualties of war, cut from the competition in a bloody amalgamation. These clubs were in the emryonic stages of building fan bases & interest in the game before the coming together of News Lt & the ARL meant they were in the cross-fire during the compromise. AFL followers will never understand the full story - it's easier for them to make their own assumptions :roll:

I am a traditionalist at heart & I never want to see a Sydney club forced out of the competition like Souths & Newtown were. But if any club is to die leave Sydney it should be by natural attrition down to the Premier League or Jim Beam Cup, or with financial help should they relocate to another city.

Cheers,
Ben S.

 

[nqboy]

Only problem with Melbourne is they have a siege mentality when it comes to sports competing against AFL :roll:

That's not the ONLY problem with Melbourne, there's too many Victorians there for a start...

 

[Paullyboy]

if there is 3.5 million victorians at the moment, give it 2 weeks and it will be down to about 3 million as the migration north to QLD continues. Deadset there are more victorians moving to QLD each year then there are QLD kids being born.

And they have the nerve to tell me that Queenslanders actually like AFL? hahahah, its just the 500,000 expats who make up the numbers.

 

[nqboy]

No way Melbourne should be cut. Not a bad idea to take the 3rd Origin match there each year, worht loking at, but I think you would need a proper ground, I don't think the crowds would continue to turn up once they realise they're 50m at least from the sideline.

From what I can see of Melbourne, their two main problems are Olympic Park and the lack of support from the NRL by way of promotion and TV access. Melbourne msut look at other options to get a RL friendly ground and the NRL must act to get real footy on free-to-air tv at a reasonable time in Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide. Every year we hear the same whinge, interstate fans are crying out for the NRL to act. It's time.

And yes, we should be looking at going back to Perth and Adelaide. Requiring clubs to play trials in other states and forfeiting one home match per year to a non-league area would be a huge step forward and lay the foundations for the NRL's return to these markets. Then maybe we can truly call ourselves the NATIONAL Rugby League.