RIP Nrl

[DC_fan]

The thought of more NRL games at anz is hardly inspiring!

I can see a central strategy working for most clubs except manly, Penrith and cronulla. Not sure what the answer is for them as they are drawing low crowds as is and their facilities are hardly of the standard to encourage more fans to go to games. Maybe the NRL needs to accept Sydney will end up a two tier level with 4-5 clubs drawing 20k+ and 2-3 not able to achieve more than 15-16k.

PR seriously I can see this move (if it happens) being the way the NRL cuts back the number of Sydney teams. Which in my opinion will be great for the game.

Teams I have great doubt about their long term future are the here teams you mentioned Manly, Penrith and Cronulla.

 

[Miller was a legend]

They should just bite the bullet and represent the eastern suburbs with a merged Souffs and Easts.

The cute furry chickens

 

[Perth Red]

Looking at how much it has cost to bring nib up to a half decent standard ($100mill) it is hard to see how we are going to upgrade those 3-4 suburban stadiums. That and the fact that manly and cronulla both seem to have very geographically focused fanbases whilst Penrith region seems to have everyone following a team other than the Panthers does create some difficult questions to be answered. As I said maybe the NRL just needs to accept there will be a small number of clubs (inc regional teams like nq, Canberra and games in Illawarra) who are not going to draw big crowds and work to ensure the other clubs with bigger fanbases and better facilities are more consistent in drawing 20k plus.

 

[sharko]

He is softening up some Sydney teams for forced mergers..quite obviously they already have West Tigers and SaintsIllawarra but the ARLC figure they need another merger..maybe Eels and Penrith to make a strong club in western Sydney, then maybe Easts and the Bulldogs as the Bulldogs have supporters and Easts have money but no fans and no juniors..it will be interesting to see if this eventuates.

 

[Loudstrat]

They want 20k average crowds in 3 or 4 years. That physically cant happen in suburban stadiums.

So why force Sydney teams to carry the burden of non Sydney teams that have no hope of getting there? Canberra for instance - no matter what they do in terms of marketing or on field brilliance, their population base, the Brumbies/AFL influence and the freezing weather in this current era of night game love means it will never happen.

Another example, a hot Parra side would achieve it (setting aside the capacity restrictions of PS). The NRL doing their best to deny us players like Folau certainly dont help.

I think within 5 years we'll have almost every single team playing 10 games a year at either SFS or ANZ. That is the direction the leadership of the NRL want to go in.

Manly, Cronulla and Penrith will never achieve it. Saints tried Moore Park years ago and it was a failure - and half their games are at Wollongong anyway. Wests succeed with a 3 stadium policy because they draw from areas far away from each other.

Sydney, Canterbury and Souffs already play at those grounds.

Which leaves Parra - who already play two games there and are looking at playing more games there. That means the pressure to get the 20k average lies with us. There is no way we would ever average 40k or whatever is needed to compensate for Canberra, NQ, Gold Coast, NZ, Melbourne and arguably Saints playing at WIN - who wont get to an average of 20k.

Besides, no possible expansion point will average 20k either, except for a decent, well promoted team playing out of Gosford.

That's another thing. With 3 or 4 teams based at the ANZ and at the SFS tickets will be cheaper. Logic tells you if you have 80,000 to sell you sell them for cheaper than if you have 20,000 to sell. Same goes for food. With more games at each major stadium they'll be able to offer cheaper food because of bulk.

SOO and the grand final make a liar of you.

 

[doggzfan4lyf]

This could work as long as you have reciprocal rights for teams that play each other out of ANZ or Allianz like the Dogs, Bunnies and Eels have

 

[Yosemite Sam]

Parra is the only other club that could make the move successfully.

It's never going to happen for the rest, no matter what idiots like BM and DC Fan try to tell you.

 

[The.X.Factor9]

I thought I read somewhere n this forum that they were going to configure ANZ into a rectangular stadium and put a roof over it; is that still happening ?

Tbh the only way I can see a large shift of teams playing out of ANZ is if the above happens.

 

[Perth Red]

I'd say NZ, Melbourne and possibly Gold Coast have the long term potential to break the 20k avg
I'd say st's, Wests, bulldogs, souths have good potential to regularly top 20k
Parra, nq and roosters have the potential to be regularly around 18-20k
Canberra, sharks, panthers and manly probably 15-17k would be best they could hope for.

Expansion wise I can see a brisbane2 team topping 20k and a Perth team (&gosford team) being in the 17-19k range regularly.

With st's, parra, dogs, sth's, roosters and Wests playing out of central Sydney stadiums the NRL could certainly comeup with some membership options that encouraged away fans and more neutrals to attend games. A Sydney stadium membership for example that got you in to any NRL game played at Allianz or anz.

 

[Kiwi]

You know what, here's and idea NRL. Why don't you take some of that extra cash each year and invest in some of these suburban grounds and boost their capacity to around 25k each. Why wait for state and federal governments to pay for it. Get the ball rolling yourselves and get it done.

the way I see it, buy 2017 the NRL could easily invest 30 - 40 mil a year into this, and get Leichhardt, Brookvale Oval, Campletown, ect up to standard. Then it's a win win for everyone

 

[Perth Red]

Erm that's a lot of cash!

 

[Kiwi]

Erm that's a lot of cash!

Yes it is, but in the long run not only will it increase numbers at these games, but also go a long way to helping these clubs become stronger financially with the great gate taking ect. It's a win win.

 

[Timmah]

I'd like to see 80% of games played at ANZ/Allianz by 2020. There is certainly still a place for suburban grounds, traditionally lower drawing games should be played there to generate interest.

 

[ek999]

The point he was trying to make is that suburban venues aren't going to be big enough for them if they are to reach the crowd and membership figures they are targeting.

 

[juanfarkall]

The point he was trying to make is that suburban venues aren't going to be big enough for them if they are to reach the crowd and membership figures they are targeting.

And whilst the NRL continues to treat the paying punter like shit, the targets are unlikely to ever be met.

 

[Perth Red]

Yes it is, but in the long run not only will it increase numbers at these games, but also go a long way to helping these clubs become stronger financially with the great gate taking ect. It's a win win.

True but its money the NRL doesn't have. One decent main new stand that sits 10'000-12'000 like at nib or newcastle undercover with decent facilities is going to cost in the region of $50-70million. The game doesn't have $200mill (without inc the same needs other non Sydney clubs like nq and Canberra has) to spend on suburban grounds.

 

[Nugget10]

And whilst the NRL continues to treat the paying punter like shit, the targets are unlikely to ever be met.

exactly

 

[firechild]

I've been to all but 1 game at Brookie this season (couldn't make it to the Dogs game) but if the games were at ANZ or Allianz I think I would have gone to about 2-3. I'd be less than 0% chance of making a friday or monday night game at either ground. Improve crowds by making it more difficult for fans to get to games, great logic NRL.

 

[BunniesMan]

Todd Greenberg is a very smart man. He knows what our goals are and he knows how to get there.

The road to 20,000 goes through SFS and ANZ and can only happen when the majority of Sydney RL games are played at SFS and ANZ.

There will still be room for 1 or 2 suburban games a year for each team but no more than that.

 

[Parra]

The match schedule is set for TV.

This has the biggest impact on crowds. If you want live crowds then set the schedule accordingly, but that will affect TV income.

The next main factor is cost. Ticket prices are too expensive. Particularly when all games are live on TV anyway.

The main benefit of playing all matches at one or two stadiums are fixed costs for the broadcasters. Easier to set up TV crews in modern stadiums than the detailed planning that has to be done for each of the smaller grounds.