Someone tell me why

[Miller was a legend]

This may be true for other clubs but not for the Sharks as they historically pull better crowds on a Sat night.

Once that may have been true Joker's but most Sharks fans are screaming for afternoon games. Toyota Park in winter on a Saturday night may once have been a night out for many fans, but now families struggle not only with the cost of footy, like most fans, but taking kids etc to games on cold windy saturday nights really has had it's time.

If you want bums on seats, sunday arvo footy is the go. If you want pay TV rights, night footy seems destined to remain.

Really it's back to the same old argument. Make it easy for fans to stay warm in front of TV with the kids (intead of spending a shyte load to get cold and wet) or having a drink at the club while the footy is on and you get less bums on seats at the game.

This is happening to most Sydney clubs.

 

[gong_eagle]

Nah a new team up there would be better
Gosford Goannas
Central Coast Koalas
Central Coast Pirates

 

[Knightmare]

this phenomenon is not isolated to the nrl, brainiac.

plus, it means jack.

what clubs need, of any sport, is supporters supporting week in and week out. thats what counts.

fairweather supporting is not the issue.

sydney does not have decent support. stop kidding yourselves. when was the last time old trafford was less than 80% full for a man U game? Or what about nfl stadia? when was the last time they were not full to the brim, or what about afl teams and decent support.

you people live in a dream land if you think nrl standards are anything to be happy about. its pathetic on the whole.

Has it occured to you that ManUre are world-famous, and pack their stadium full of glory-hunting tourists week in-week out? If Souths had the same amount of success over the past 15 years, added with the same amount of worldwide exposure and marketing, I'm sure ANZ would be filled every weekend too.

 

[$$Poor Boy Blues$$]

Has it occured to you that ManUre are world-famous, and pack their stadium full of glory-hunting tourists week in-week out? If Souths had the same amount of success over the past 15 years, added with the same amount of worldwide exposure and marketing, I'm sure ANZ would be filled every weekend too.

glory hunters?

world-wide tourists who travel to old trafford?

Are you 13?

Get a clue.

man utd have about 60,000 season ticket holders. many live near by.

about the whole man utd versus a sydney rl club - I agree, its a HUUUUUUGEEEE MEGA, ASS WOOPING GAP.....KIND OF like the distance between our sun and the next.

But you got to admit what I am on about is VERY relevant.

How so? Well, obviously sydney rl is very low on support right now (always was)...and people in the game, and its fans, have to face up....and admit it, and yes, its partly due to sydney itself, sl war, whatever....

but my point stands, none of it matters, all that matters is how much it will grow in the future, because they cannot under any circumstance continue on like they were. Some may not even survive longer. And many have been saying that for many years now - that one day a few would fall over in a storm.

part of the whole owning-up coming-of-age for the nrl, is working out what it is....see what I mean below

the past: a sticthed together comp, mostly made up of an old but fundamentally flawed state comp plus a few additions with no plan. the fundamental flaws become swollen as one considers the quasi-national/international cloak the game tries to wear.

the future: a (inter)national comp with all regions equally represented, and no overlapping of resources. such a streamlined model is desparately needed in australia, as we only have 20 million people.

i stand by what i say, including the bit about you having no clue....sorry nightmare

 

[Knightmare]

ManUre have plenty of fans who travel from as far south as London for their games. Hence Man City fans singing "F**k off back to London!" when they play them.

 

[$$Poor Boy Blues$$]

ManUre have plenty of fans who travel from as far south as London for their games. Hence Man City fans singing "F**k off back to London!" when they play them.

congrats on the little tidbit of info.

i am sure people come from far and wide to watch them play.

 

[Loudstrat]

glory hunters?

world-wide tourists who travel to old trafford?

Are you 13?

Get a clue.

man utd have about 60,000 season ticket holders. many live near by.

about the whole man utd versus a sydney rl club - I agree, its a HUUUUUUGEEEE MEGA, ASS WOOPING GAP.....KIND OF like the distance between our sun and the next.

But you got to admit what I am on about is VERY relevant.

How so? Well, obviously sydney rl is very low on support right now (always was)...and people in the game, and its fans, have to face up....and admit it, and yes, its partly due to sydney itself, sl war, whatever....

but my point stands, none of it matters, all that matters is how much it will grow in the future, because they cannot under any circumstance continue on like they were. Some may not even survive longer. And many have been saying that for many years now - that one day a few would fall over in a storm.

part of the whole owning-up coming-of-age for the nrl, is working out what it is....see what I mean below

the past: a sticthed together comp, mostly made up of an old but fundamentally flawed state comp plus a few additions with no plan. the fundamental flaws become swollen as one considers the quasi-national/international cloak the game tries to wear.

the future: a (inter)national comp with all regions equally represented, and no overlapping of resources. such a streamlined model is desparately needed in australia, as we only have 20 million people.

i stand by what i say, including the bit about you having no clue....sorry nightmare

You might stand by what you say. Pity no one can f*cking understand it!

 

[KHunt]

Manure players are paid in one week what some players get in a year.
Comparing NRL and EPL is just like the idiots who compare the AL to the EPL.

 

[Perth Red]

Fact is generally speaking RL crowds have and still are poor in comparison to other codes in big cities where the code in the number 1 game.

I don't know why, its a great game, its great to watch live and the weather, stadia, cost etc etc are no worse than alot of fans in other codes face every weekend.

The good thing is they are getting better, the bad thing is only by a little each year.

 

[Bulldog Force]

Can someone tell me why the three Sydney teams that joined the rebel league AKA the super league not staying loyal to the ARL are still in existance today

Someone tell me why in 1999 there were 5 foundation clubs still playing first grade and the year after its cut down to one club

Someone tell me why the Bears still aren't in the comp and why they got kicked out in the first place

Someone tell me why scum like Cronulla and Penrith who have both only been in the comp since 1967, one between them during the super league era who continue to struggle to get crowds and borrowing money, betraying the ARL to join the traitor league still live on today

Someone tell me why the NSWRL/ARL/NRL have treated the foundation clubs like crap for 100 years


This is disgraceful. Can we please kick out Cronulla and bring back the Bears?

BRING 'EM BACK

The answer to all your questions } money!

 

[franklin2323]

look at the 3 Sydney SL teams.
Bulldogs: Had Oasis project to help club coffers. It fell over but they have other stuff in the works.

Sharks: Struggling now. However if they can survive 2 the developments of their land becomes developed they will be stronger in the long term.

Panthers: Who has been Panthers lately? A new Piazza food area 3 new bars (Not a single pokie in sight of these new areas), Putt Putt course, Driving range. Sold land worth $200m leased the ajoining Hotel for 98 years.

Besides Manly, Souths What are the other clubs doing for the future. SL Gave the clubs a business model to follow. While news doesn't pay them any more they left many with business plans to follow

 

[Lambretta]

My goodness gracious me. What a f**king load of noise about nothing.

The Super League was happened in the last Century and if you hadn't noticed our game is actually healthier for it. Yeah that's right - we're better off.

Can you imagine how teams like Illawarra or Wests would be going in the current financial climate?

In all honesty, the teams that joined the Rebel Leagues were the better clubs with the better resources. THAT'S LARGELY WHY THEY WERE TARGETED.

I'm a Roosters fan - but I'm also a realist. The ARL clubs were by and large in a mess or run by dogmatic morons who were holding the game back.

Souths were in a mess for years and years and years and did nothing but live on past glories. Their board was always begging for money from Souths Juniors - but they blocked Souths Juniors from having any say in the running of the team. It was a disgrace and it's only now they've been forced kicking and screaming into the modern era and they've improved out of sight because of it.

Wests were bankrupt and becoming a laughing stock. Coming bottom of the league every year and playing in front of 30 people in a flea infestested sh*t hole wasn't going to turn their fortunes around either. Joining another weakening club allowed them to pool their resources and they got a brand new stadium to play in as a result. They should make more use of Campbelltown.

Norths were situated in an area where no one cared about them and needed to re-locate. That should have happened and they should have continued in Gosford from the start. Thankfully, it looks like this will happen.

St George were playing in a terrible stadium and needed a new Juniors area. Their merger with Illawarra was an excellent one.

Parramatta have found that relying on a leagues club as a sole source of income is dangerous. Long term they look shaky. Need a better business plan.

Roosters - surprised they weren't a Super League Club as they have all the hallmarks - but that was more a Packer v Murdoch thing than anything else.

Since Super League era the game has spread to North Queensland, New Zealand to Melbourne (sort of). Super League wanted to make it a National game, instead of a code stuck in one City and they were on the right track. How much stronger will league be overall, if there is a team in Perth, three teams in Brisbane, two in New Zealand, one in Canberra and one on the Central Coast?

Do you really want the game to be stuck forever in Sydney, dying a miserable death because times have changed and the Worlds moved on?

Is that your idea? Why not just play games between one side of George Street and the other or the front room and back room of the pub where that meeting took place in 1908. Keep it real local. Shrink and die - that's the spirit.

For Rugby League to grow and prosper - the fans need to support the game - not spend all their time whinging and bitching and moaning about ancient history. It's boring. Results usually happen for a reason. It's the same OFF the field as it is on it. The teams that have the fittest players behind them and the best minds and the plans are the ones that prosper and win.

Get used to it.

 

[Knightmare]

Actually, Sewerleague only targeted the Sharks when they couldn't get St George to cross over.

Your suggestion that Sewerleague is responsible for expansion is laughable. The only expansion team they gave us were the Adelaide Rams to bump up the number of teams, and the Storm, although the ARL already had plans to introduce a side in Melbourne before Messrs Ribot, Maranta etc. spewed forth their wonderous "vision".

Every other team you mention was a result of ARL expansion. Before anyone had thought that Uncle Rupert might be interested in reaping mountains of cash from our game, the ARL had a 20 team competition with sides playing out of regional centres spread far as Townsville, Perth, Canberra and Auckland. Clubs like Souths were run like a park football team and Wests were on their last legs, no arguments there, but that has nothing to do with the supposed ills of the ARL.

Your statement that nobody cared about Norths is interesting. In 1991 they averaged 15,000 to North Sydney Oval, more than two of the Sewer League clubs you mentioned could average to their home games last season. Brookvale Oval attendances haven't doubled since Norths got the arse, so something tells me there are alot of Bears fans who are holding out to see their team return to the NRL.

 

[Lambretta]

Actually, Sewerleague only targeted the Sharks when they couldn't get St George to cross over.

Your suggestion that Sewerleague is responsible for expansion is laughable. The only expansion team they gave us were the Adelaide Rams to bump up the number of teams, and the Storm, although the ARL already had plans to introduce a side in Melbourne before Messrs Ribot, Maranta etc. spewed forth their wonderous "vision".

Every other team you mention was a result of ARL expansion. Before anyone had thought that Uncle Rupert might be interested in reaping mountains of cash from our game, the ARL had a 20 team competition with sides playing out of regional centres spread far as Townsville, Perth, Canberra and Auckland. Clubs like Souths were run like a park football team and Wests were on their last legs, no arguments there, but that has nothing to do with the supposed ills of the ARL.

Your statement that nobody cared about Norths is interesting. In 1991 they averaged 15,000 to North Sydney Oval, more than two of the Sewer League clubs you mentioned could average to their home games last season. Brookvale Oval attendances haven't doubled since Norths got the arse, so something tells me there are alot of Bears fans who are holding out to see their team return to the NRL.

So what you're telling me is that running local competitions in far flung places and not including teams from those areas in a National competition was a great way to carry on?

The ARL dragged their heels for far too long, hamstrung by the traditional clubs who were terrified of losing their grip on the game.

The one thing the Super League era did was it gave the whole game a shake up and professionalised the sport making it robust enough to survive into the future.

Sure it was painful and sure the people that tried to get it done, did so in an underhanded and nefareous manner - but there is no doubt that the game has seen some long term benefits from the whole exercise.

As for the Bears - I wasn't referring to their crowds - rather the fact that the team was no longer relevant to the area where it was situated. You would have found the vast majority of the 15,000 fans that travelled to home games each week came from a long way North of North Sydney. The Central Coast was (and still is) a far more sensible place for them to be based in the long term and I wish them the best in their endeavours to come back.

Ps. You forgot to mention the Hunter Mariners

 

[Joker's Wild]

Ps. You forgot to mention the Hunter Mariners

What a SL triumph that was :lol:

 

[franklin2323]

People forget how many 'SL' things we currently have in the NRL. ARL didn't have every game televised. No video refs. Perth & Adelaide had u19's and reserve grade. If NRL copied this format would we still be waiting for a VIC born and bred NRL player?

For all it's problems SL had some good points it's just the way they went about it that was the problem.

 

[KHunt]

Anyone who defends SL is a merkin.

 

[bartman]

"Educate yourself numbnuts, you'll find what happened during the war wasn't just the greed of SL, but the stupidity of the ARL management too.

I consider myself educated about the matter, and I and various others beg to differ...

 

[bartman]

The ARL dragged their heels for far too long, hamstrung by the traditional clubs who were terrified of losing their grip on the game.

The ARL expanded the competition to 20 teams in 1995, across in just as many states as we have now... doesn't sound like an organsation that was hamstrung by anyone.

SuperLeague in the southern hemispehere was all about a smaller core of clubs and their commercial/PayTV backer wanting to take away from that comeptition, and cream money off to keep just among themselves. That wasn't going forward, it was pure and simple greed.

 

[Knightmare]

So what you're telling me is that running local competitions in far flung places and not including teams from those areas in a National competition was a great way to carry on?

The ARL dragged their heels for far too long, hamstrung by the traditional clubs who were terrified of losing their grip on the game.

The one thing the Super League era did was it gave the whole game a shake up and professionalised the sport making it robust enough to survive into the future.

Sure it was painful and sure the people that tried to get it done, did so in an underhanded and nefareous manner - but there is no doubt that the game has seen some long term benefits from the whole exercise.

As for the Bears - I wasn't referring to their crowds - rather the fact that the team was no longer relevant to the area where it was situated. You would have found the vast majority of the 15,000 fans that travelled to home games each week came from a long way North of North Sydney. The Central Coast was (and still is) a far more sensible place for them to be based in the long term and I wish them the best in their endeavours to come back.

Ps. You forgot to mention the Hunter Mariners

The traditional clubs in Sydney which you are claiming was holding the game back would have either got into shape business-wise or died a death of natural atttrition. What Sewerleague did was speed up the process, giving some clubs (Auckland, Cronulla) a free ride when they were in a shaky financial position, while solvent clubs like Balmain and Manly were railroaded into mergers, or in Souths' case excluded under questionable "criteria". Norths were meant to be safe under the criteria as they had become a 'regional' club, yet the NRL, in all its' wisdom and its' hell-bentness on having the Sweet 14, decided that merging them with their bitter local rivals and giving a new market just 6 games a year was good for the games' futre. All that did was make alot of people turn their backs in protest.