Proof that Rugby League Isn't Working in Melbourne

[bartman]

I don't think we should get all precious about what some see as poor crowds in Melbourne, when Sydney can only muster 28,000 people interested in a competitive international test match, being a "rugby league city". That crowd was piss poor in a stadium that can hold 80,000... Melbourne is trying to grow in league from the ground up - what's our excuse?

 

[dubby]

I have to admit, soccer is getting great crowds so far. Interst and curiosity has peaked, so lets look at it in 3-4 years.
I remember when the Brisbane team won the comp about 5-6 years ago, they sold out Suncorp Stadium (40k+) and everyone was saying that "the sleeping giant has woken; watch out RL". The strikers were lucky to get 5k to most games until this year.
I also remember the Sydney team (spirit?), back in the late 90s drawing 15k to North Sydney Oval, everyone saying soccer will overtake all codes and be number 1 in Oz. Please ...:roll:

There is always interest in a product that has been marketed well, is marketed cleverly and lets face it, soccer does have a great participation rate at junior levels, even senior. But soccer has done it before and will do it again. Fall over due to poor management, that is.

I can't believe how many people are offended by the term "Mediterranean Descendant". Grow up guys, he wasn't degrading our beloved immigrants, just calling them what every yobbo does...;-)

And BTW, i wish Melbourne did not exist. We should have kept Perth Reds.

 

[innsaneink]

I don't think we should get all precious about what some see as poor crowds in Melbourne, when Sydney can only muster 28,000 people interested in a competitive international test match, being a "rugby league city". That crowd was piss poor in a stadium that can hold 80,000... Melbourne is trying to grow in league from the ground up - what's our excuse?

Our excuse?

It was live on TV.

Comparing the two is useless, Soccer is way more popular in Melbourne than Rugby League is, so its a given the Melbournes soccer team will get more people through the gate than the RL team. Although its still early days remember. Obviously it helps that only horse racing/cricket is on at this time of the year.

So why in hell would we take a RL team down there, when its gunna run a poor third to AFL and A-League?

If thats the way it is, then thats the way it is....you cant force people to like something.
RL will NEVER work in Melbourne.

 

[marshall stalin]

if the storm have a poor season it will be a big test for the league. I don;t think they should be in the NRL and should be relocated to the Central Coast and merged with Norths but that's another issue.

But if the NRL decide they must remain in the comp i feel they need to change the teams name from Melbourne storm to Victoria (something) and sell the team as a representative of the state in a VIC v NSW/QLD Format as well as marketing the game state wide in Victoria and the team as Victoria's own.

Basically the majority that attend the storm games in melbourne are ex NSW/QLD/N Zeds/Brits and their crowds have been dwindling since 1999 which is a major concern for not only the viability of the team but of the game in Victoria.

 

[simostorm]

Storm need a Italian or Greek player that the Mediterranean Descendants can relate too, sought of like what El Masri does with the doggies then that should add another 5k to the pax,
plus that is crowd figures for a newly developed comp with a newly developed team,
Storm put up 20k on there first games.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

just tell them Billy Slater is greek/italian, or he can change his name to Billy Slateri or Billy Slateropolous.

 

[Rammo]

Thank you Mr Fitzgerald.

:lol:

 

[UndertakerMike]

So why in hell would we take a RL team down there, when its gunna run a poor third to AFL and A-League?
If thats the way it is, then thats the way it is....you cant force people to like something.
RL will NEVER work in Melbourne.

Thats you conceeding that RL is a sh*t 3rd rate product.

I will never conceed that.

 

[Raider Ultra]

Some of the teams in the Victorian Premier League crowd averages aren't far off the Storm. Shows how popular soccer is down there. Comparing the two is like chalk and cheese, soccer has a very long history down there, while RL has only been down there 6 years.

 

[russ13]

So what if a Melbourne NRL gets the second or third bigest average crowds in Melbourne. The NRL is robust enough to have one fully transported team playing in a hostile enviornment.

The Storm may be making a loss at present but so are all the A-League Soccer teams.

Remember 515,000 Melbournites watched the NRL GF.

 

[da_sharks]

some people just dont have brains...

*already moderarated*.

round ball game? that's why its the most popular sport in the world.

minority? lol, why dont you ask your neighbour who the minority is?

fine shores? *edited out by Admin*

boat? last i heard, my parents came on planes and convicts came in chains.

beirut? im not even gonna go there...

Why are people calling soccer 'football' on a football forum?

umm... because thats what its called...

I can't believe how many people are offended by the term "Mediterranean Descendant". Grow up guys, he wasn't degrading our beloved immigrants, just calling them what every yobbo does....

*edited out by Admin*

yobbo? i think the term your looking for is redneck...

just tell them Billy Slater is greek/italian, or he can change his name to Billy Slateri or Billy Slateropolous.

that was actually funny... back in 6th grade...



the reason why rugby league isn't so popular in melbourne has all got to do with advertisement and publicity, and nothing to do with soccer or union...

has nothing to do with Mediterranean Descendants, if anything, there are more Mediterranean Descendants following arl than any other sport in australia...

so if arl dont publicise enough in melbourne, then thats just there fault, and no one elses...

oh yeah. there are a lot of chinese and vietnamese migrants coming over so be prepeared for communism people!!! :lol:

di*ckheads...

 

[da_sharks]

Some of the teams in the Victorian Premier League crowd averages aren't far off the Storm. Shows how popular soccer is down there. Comparing the two is like chalk and cheese, soccer has a very long history down there, while RL has only been down there 6 years.

good point...

 

[marshall stalin]

Storm need a Italian or Greek player that the Mediterranean Descendants can relate too, sought of like what El Masri does with the doggies then that should add another 5k to the pax,
plus that is crowd figures for a newly developed comp with a newly developed team,
Storm put up 20k on there first games.

There is a big Russian and Little Russian ( Ukrainian) Community down there in Melbourne too - maybe slater could change his name to say salteroff or Slaterova -

 

[UndertakerMike]

Or Kidwellski

 

[dubby]

QUOTE:*already moderated*

yobbo? i think the term your looking for is redneck...


*edit* Mate, you are way off course here.
I guess you are a peaceloving humanist with visions of multiculturalism and ethnic groups living in an Australian Utopia where there are no violent yobbos and rednecks to upset your peaceloving whale saving butt?

Now THATS sarcasm.

 

[dubby]

I am not a racist. I am not a redneck. I hate rapists. You mate, make no sense in your posts. Read the manual? I'm not taking any advice from a super-sensitive sook like yourself. I would only be confused if the book was written by you anyway...

 

[eelandia]

there are tons of Mediterranean Descendants in melbourne ...Mediterranean Descendants love soccer.

Unless you are one yourself I don't think you can say that..??

 

[da_sharks]

I am not a racist. I am not a redneck. I hate rapists. You mate, make no sense in your posts. Read the manual? I'm not taking any advice from a super-sensitive sook like yourself. I would only be confused if the book was written by you anyway...

mate, my firsts comments weren't made about you, you involved yourself by defending what these people are saying, so i assumed that you agreed with them.

what i said was related to the quotes that i put in my posts, so, learn to read.

i am not having a whinge, its called an opinion.

 

[eelandia]

Fact:
90% of AFL followers hate League. I live in an AFL obssessed city. They deliberately say they prefer union than League as a stubborness.

Of course they do....union isn't a threat to them.

 

[steaming stormer]

compare the crowds in a few games. We had 23000 at the first Storm game. Haven't seen that at a Victory game yet. Also, some of the lies being published about the Victory are laughable propaganda. After the first game, I read in the paper that the crowd was the biggest at the stadium since it was turned into an all seater stadium. Don't know what f**king ground that bloke was at, but it is far from all seats!!!

Lies will be caught out, plus Victory are flying at the moment. We'll see what happens when Aus lose to Uruguay and the fans drop away again