Poor Crowd Figure

[Stomp]

Less then 7000 people turned up for the Aus v PNG match in Townsville.

Pretty poor effort, thought there would have been more up there .. and with Bowen there would have thought a few more Cowboys fns would have turned up.

Stomp

 

[carlnz]

And they keep crying for rep matches!! That could be their chance gone...

 

[DIEHARD]

Don't insult the international game by calling THAT game a representative match.

It was a disgrace! It should have been a full test match and promoted as such. And there should have been a 20,000 + crowd.

Don't read too much into the crowd, I doubt many people even knew it was on and besides it wasn't like they were the Kangaroos or anything...

 

[# 8]

And they keep crying for rep matches!! That could be their chance gone...

Who keeps crying?
It was a bloody trial match.

 

[League Freak™]

Exhibition game.


This is what happens when you turn a game from a Test into a chopped up, mixed up game.

 

[griff]

I agree. If it was a proper test match, it would have easily got 20,000 and massive TV figures.

Instead, it was an event that damaged the status of international rugby league, ensured thousands less people saw it or knew about it, and raised much less revenue for the global game.

We really have to ask why.

 

[MOON MAN]

The massess wont turn up if it is not the true australian team. They are not stupid, they dont want to see junior kangaroos masquerading as senior kangaroos.

 

[DIEHARD]

Also no team but the Kangaroos should wear the green and double V. Emus should wear a reverse, majority Gold with green double V. And Junior Roos and school boys should wear green and ONE V.

 

[Kurt Angle]

No.

Only the Senior first side should wear the green with double gold V.

It is to represent they are the premier rugby side of this country.

Any one else, u19's, etc should wear a gold top with green bands on the sleeves.

Any Australian rugby side that wears a gold top woth green bands on the sleeve we all know is second rate compared to the elite 17.

 

[Lantana]

Ridiculous.

This was a game thatr contained 11 Kangaroos playing against a full intewrnational contingent.

Don't try and sugar coat a crap turn out by saying people want to see a full test?

Explain 55,000 to watch that hybred horseshit in Melbourne? Can you imagine if we had to play rugby league at the international level with a different ball, different rules, different posts and different scoring opportunities!!! Now there is a real reason not to watch something.

I'll bet a few ARL Officials were banking on this being a big crowd and are walking around scratching their empty heads this week.

The sooner the game comes under one juristiction the better it will be. The ARL cannot simply expect the NRL's advertising to be sufficient in promoting the sport at all levels.

I am not one to take shots at officials, however if somebody doesn't f**k Colin Love off then the game will continue to suffer embarrising set backs like Sat night.

 

[The Observer]

I think its a very good crowd considering:
1) It was scheduled the same night as a federal election, and thus few people would be focusing on sport let alone RL.
2) The ARL, NRL or QRL didn't promote it.
3) It was unclear exactly which teams (Senior/Junior Kangaroos/Invitational XIII, Kumuls/Presidents XIII) would be playing until a week ago.
4) The team was neither a Senior nor Junior Kangaroos outfit.
5) The players and coaches could have talked it up in the press.

The positives of the game - the Kangaroo squad members got a hit out, Townsville got a top class match (of sorts), the Kumuls got a game.

Some people say that that PNG would have competed better if they had their star players. However they were only missing Lam, Bai, Wilshere, Aizue.

OTOH Aus were missing 17 first choice players on Saturday night.

Lockyer; Sing, Berrigan, Lewis, Minichiello; Barrett, Johns; Crocker Fitzgibbon, Mason, O'Meley, Buderus, Webcke. Ryan, Wing, Gower, Tonga.

If some of those players were there on Saturday, a senior Kangaroos outfit could have racked up 100 points, which would have been embarassing for the international game.

I highly enjoyed watching the video footage PNG in action in RLWC 2000, the 2000 warm up game, the 2001 test. I strongly believe the Kumuls need more games. However they also need more revenue from participating in games.

However, there is more appropriate opposition than the full Kangaroos or the Invitational XIII. PNG's closest games have been against the Junior Kangaroos (Under 19s). PNG's first EVER win against Australian opposition was against the Junior Roos last year, so the Kumuls should play the Junior Roos home and away.
Add NZ A (Residents) to a 3 way tournament, and you've got an excellent regional tournament.

I agree. If it was a proper test match, it would have easily got 20,000 and massive TV figures.

Channel 9 didn't show the full test match in Townsville in 2000 (which attracted 21,000 fans), I doubt they would have shown it.

I believe last weekend's game should have been a double header, held on Friday or Sunday. The Kangaroos and Kiwis playing the main game as part of the Tri Series (replacing the London fixture). The PNG Kumuls could have played the Junior Roos as a curtain raiser. That would have given PNG a chance to be on TV, be it FTA or Pay.

 

[DIEHARD]

Why can't Australia have a late season Tri Nations game?

Why is the New Zealand v Australia game in London anyway?

 

[yakstorm]

Why can't Australia have a late season Tri Nations game?

Why is the New Zealand v Australia game in London anyway?

- Sponsors
- TV
- What the NRL clubs wanted
- What the ARL wanted
- What the RFL wanted
- What the NZRL agreed with

 

[The Observer]

Why can't Australia have a late season Tri Nations game?

Why is the New Zealand v Australia game in London anyway?

- Sponsors
- TV
- What the RFL wanted

I can understand this. If the match is held in London and UK, then sponsors like tournament naming rights sponsor Gillette will be exposed to a bigger market.

Regarding interest from TV and RFL, I can guess both the Sky TV and the RFL would be keen to host that match through the terms of their recently negotiated TV deal - Sky to maximise audience, RFL to get more interest in the game throughout UK and justify their funding from Sky.

- What the NZRL agreed with

Understandable. They'd have no big qualms wherever they play, but I'm sure they don't mind that Australia lose home ground advantage, plus it gives them a match getting used to cold match conditions in the UK for their games against GB.

- What the NRL clubs wanted
- What the ARL wanted

This is where I'm curious. The ARL may retain the stance (arguably a lazy one) that hosting tests in October is hard work. However, why would the NRL clubs want the game overseas?

In spite of the above, I agree with Diehard, I still feel the Aus/NZ game in Townsville would have been better for the international game. That said Storm, I'm sure you've had enough of me harping on about it ;-)

 

[thescrum.co.uk]

First "Test Match" PNG are given in 4 years, and this is how they are treated. good job..

 

[DIEHARD]

Yea it makes sense. I just hope when Australia hosts the tournament it is reversed.

I just wish Australia could be more of a part of the tournament, we feel so distanced. Hopefully this year can lay a platform for a future tournament hosted in NZ and Australia.

 

[TigerMo]

They should play the AUS v NZ game at Suncorp, not England. It would be a test to see if QLD people actually care about International RL. I'm not saying they don't, the ARL seem to think that because all the Test Matches are played in Sydney.

If the AUS v NZ match was held at Suncorp, It would sell out for sure, and generate unbelievable atmosphere.

 

[DIEHARD]

God Kangaroos at Lang Park. It would be heaven. It would sell out if it was promoted. What a great way to start the Tri Nations campaigin, a game in each country (New Zealand and Australia), to hook in the public's interest and then move on the to nitty gritty over in England with a further four games plus the final..

 

[The Observer]

Lang Park was mentioned as the likely venue for the ANZAC Test 2005.

 

[Lantana]

Lang Park was mentioned as the likely venue for the ANZAC Test 2005.

This game will be played at Suncorp and the City V Country fixture next year is to be played at Aussie Stadium.