Rugby league crisis not hitting WA interest

[Perth Red]

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=147&ContentID=147874

South Sydney coach Jason Taylor says his side’s sole focus will be on winning rather than carrying the burden of WA’s rugby league expectations when the Rabbitohs clash with Melbourne Storm in Perth tonight.
The Rabbitohs enter the match at Members Equity Stadium sitting three points adrift of the top eight and are coming off a bruising 46-12 loss to the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville last Saturday.
The Storm have arrived in Perth in contrasting form, having smashed the Broncos 48-4 in the previous round to be sitting in fifth spot.
Taylor said yesterday the Rabbitohs would concentrate on recapturing good form ahead of putting on a spectacle for Perth fans.
“We’ve got enough to worry about over and above putting pressure on ourselves that we’ve got to play well because of the future of the game in Western Australia,” he said.
“I’m really supportive of what the WARL is doing and we really want to get a bit of a foothold here in Perth and this game is important for us but when it’s all said and done it’s another game and that’s how we’re approaching it.”
South Sydney yesterday predicted the match would be a sell-out — a result that would be a massive boost to the WARL’s plans to have a Perth side in the NRL in 2013.

 

[Brycey]

Whats the capacity for MES, nearly 16k and it didnt look like you could fit too many more people in.

 

[Nuke]

I thought the capacity was 17.000 or so, but I was there and I really don't think another 2,000 people would be able to fit in there.

 

[Perth Red]

According to the stadium website it is 18,500 but either there was alot more than 15,000 at the game or the real capacity is around 16-16,500. It was packed with only a few seats here and there empty.

 

[MsStorm]

According to the stadium website it is 18,500 but either there was alot more than 15,000 at the game or the real capacity is around 16-16,500. It was packed with only a few seats here and there empty.

I was so wrapped to hear the attendance at the game.
Imagine what it would be like if the WA Govt got behind your bid.

PS..had to slip this in, glad the Storm spoilt the Rabbits party;-)

 

[Loudstrat]

Pity it wasn't a storm home game - they could do with the inflated crowd stats ;-)

 

[Perth Red]

Apparently they actually sold more tickets than the 15,200 that turned up so either gates weren't counted properly or quite alot of people didn't turn up after they had paid (which I would be very surprised at). May be why the ground looked so packed for a below capacity attendance.

 

[MsStorm]

Pity it wasn't a storm home game - they could do with the inflated crowd stats ;-)

ha ha Loudy, knew I would find you in this thread
You were probably hoping and praying on Sat. that only 8,000 would attend the game;-)

 

[MsStorm]

Apparently they actually sold more tickets than the 15,200 that turned up so either gates weren't counted properly or quite alot of people didn't turn up after they had paid (which I would be very surprised at). May be why the ground looked so packed for a below capacity attendance.

At Storm games people always tend to come real late and sometimes when there's a big crowd outside trying to get in thru the turnstiles, the gate attendees have opened up the side gates and people streamed thru those gates without scanning their tickets.

I've seen that happen a number of times at Storm games, which is a shame, because not everyone at the ground is accounted for.

Maybe that happened on Sat. night.

 

[stormtragic]

its a 18k capacity stadium ...I would think it was a 17 k crowd

 

[Perth Red]

yeh it is either a 16,500 capacity or there was 17,000 at the game. Whichvere way the ground was full and great to see.

 

[Hoggy]

Couldn't have a bad word about the game at Members Equity at all, walked from the city, although apparently there is a train station close by (their public transport sh*ts on Melbourne's and Sydney's quite easily as well I might add), got a standing room possy in the Shed End, the weather was quality, there wasn't a bad view of the ground, and the
Storm won.

Only thing that was required was a match clock!

 

[Noa]

Having spent the last week in perth the NRL needs to get there. the people I talked too are certainly alot more open to league then in Melbourne and the amount of money in the state makes the Central Coast look like Macquarie Fields or Moree.

Beautiful Place.

 

[Brutus]

We've heard nothing from Gallop though about the crowd.

 

[Perth Red]

Of course we haven't, it doesn't fit his agenda. There is a very good reason we have used the WAReds, we know we have a war on our hands to get the NRL to sit up and take notice.

 

[MsStorm]

We've heard nothing from Gallop though about the crowd.

Come to think of it, he should have flown over for the game.

 

[Perth Red]

Gallop, promote the game? Your having a laugh!

 

[HardcoreWally]

Yeah, it's been a while since I've been to MES with a decent crowd like that but I thought for sure it looked more than just over 15k.

Don't even get me started on Gallop & his agenda.
Now Ch 9 pull Gus for the radio convo they had monday.
Gallop maybe good for a CFO or something but need a better CEO.

 

[Brutus]

What was the radio covo Gus had?

Did they pull him from the Footy Show last night for a reason?

 

[Nuke]

This is the first I've heard of anything like this.
What happened? What did he say? I'm guessing he's bagged the NRL for some reason (I'm also guessing he was speaking the truth), they didn't like it, cracked the sh*ts, and told Ch9 to pull him from the air as a punishment.