Sydney clubs' attendances - interesting stats.

[IllawarraGiant]

ANZ Stadium clean sweeps NRL’s top 8; 5 millionth fans beckons
Friday, 25 July 2008

The Bulldogs v Roosters clash in Round 4 attracted a massive 36,526 fans to ANZ Stadium and remains the biggest crowd for an NRL game ever in Sydney.

36,000 = "massive" hahahahahahahahahah. Come on, are we serious here? Lets not delude ourselves. Massive = 70,000-100,000. 36,000 is a good crowd certainly but nothing more, nothing less than "good".

As for crowds being 'up' this year... well up by about 250 per round... and last year we were up by about 250 a round on the year before, and that year was down on the year before. Any objective analysis would conlclude that 250 increases on crowds of around 16,000 is that attendances are basically FLAT. not decreasing, not really increasing. FLAT. If it werent for interstate team's home crowd figures, and ANZ counting bar staff & security in attendance figures ,infact, crowds would be falling.

I just want to point this out before anyone starts praising ANZ for doing anything for footy.

 

[bobmar28]

I would like to see the old sydney game return it was much more fun i wreckon if the more sydney clubs are axed the game will slowly die. there is so much history and tradition in the sydney clubs u cant just replace that

But do we want a truly national competition or an extended Sydney suburban competition? That's what we appear to have at the moment with 9 in Sydney and 7 for the rest of Australia and New Zealand.

History and tradition are all very well but if the number of Sydney teams is not reduced the game will slowly die.

 

[bobmar28]

Still crappy crowds compared to the AFL. They really need to look at ticket prices to make it more affordable for people and especially families. Rugby league is supposed to be a working man's game but it can hardly be that if it costs and arm and a leg to attend a match.

Maybe look at bringing in a Saturday afternoon (as opposed to evening) game as well.

Or charge $3 for kids like the AFL.

 

[LeagueXIII]

Let's not lose sight of the fact that crowds outside of Sydney, Qld and Newcastle are very ordinary. Should we get rid of these teams? People want to kill Sydney clubs so teams in Adelaide and Perth can average 10-12,000, what's the point? It's cutting your nose to spite your face.

Melbourne 12,258 (what would it be with a few ordinary seasons?)

Canberra 12,093

Warriors 10,960

 

[Follow Me Up To Carlton]

But do we want a truly national competition or an extended Sydney suburban competition?

The latter.

 

[Brycey]

Let's not lose sight of the fact that crowds outside of Sydney, Qld and Newcastle are very ordinary. Should we get rid of these teams? People want to kill Sydney clubs so teams in Adelaide and Perth can average 10-12,000, what's the point? It's cutting your nose to spite your face.

Melbourne 12,258 (what would it be with a few ordinary seasons?)

Canberra 12,093

Warriors 10,960

I would rather have 10,000 people turning up in Canberra, Melbourne, NZ, Perth, Adelaide than 10,000 turning up in Parramatta, Campbelltown etc.

Its not just about crowd numbers, its about giving people the oppurtunity to go to the game. People in Sydney have no idea how lucky they are, they're spoilt for choice and take the game for granted.

How do you think people in Perth and Adelaide and up to 2 years ago people in GC feel when they don't have an option whatsoever. You give people an option there is room for growth, Sydney has so many options yet has no growth.

 

[Follow Me Up To Carlton]

I would rather have 10,000 people turning up in Canberra, Melbourne, NZ, Perth, Adelaide than 10,000 turning up in Parramatta, Campbelltown etc.

Its not just about crowd numbers, its about giving people the oppurtunity to go to the game. People in Sydney have no idea how lucky they are, they're spoilt for choice and take the game for granted.

How do you think people in Perth and Adelaide and up to 2 years ago people in GC feel when they don't have an option whatsoever. You give people an option there is room for growth, Sydney has so many options yet has no growth.

I agree which is why I reckon Sydney clubs should opt out of the NRL alltogether.

We dont need you, you need us.

Forza Sydney Comp.

 

[LeagueXIII]

Don't get me wrong, I want teams on the CC, Perth etc however NOT at the expense of Sydney clubs, it is completely unnecessary we are being RIPPED OFF by News Ltd once this is corrected clubs will have more money, leagues clubs will look (property) to other forms of income streams as Balmain, Cronulla, Manly etc have, and we have barely touched on big private backers getting involved such as happened at Souths.

You may say clubs at Parramatta are getting 10,000, they have the ability to easily attract 20,000 as all Sydney clubs do. Whereas teams in Melbourne, Adelaide etc struggle for 12,000.

Why can't we have a strong Sydney and expansion why must we make a choice? When the game expanded in this manner in 1988 and 1995 it was at it's strongest. That is REAL growth.

 

[pcpp]

I agree which is why I reckon Sydney clubs should opt out of the NRL alltogether.

We dont need you, you need us.

Forza Sydney Comp.

That's perfectly fine - we'll just kick a few Sydney clubs out of the NRL and put them in the NSW cup.

 

[lockyrulz]

Why can't we have a strong Sydney and expansion why must we make a choice? When the game expanded in this manner in 1988 and 1995 it was at it's strongest. That is REAL growth.

Yea and wasn't that a raging success?

How many of those teams were even competitive let alone looked like winning a premiership?

And people what Qualye and Arthurson back my god...

 

[LeagueXIII]

In fact it was, the game had a massive feel good factor about it compared to now.

It must have been going VERY well for Murdoch to go after it and not AFL.

Also there is something that ensures the competition is even now it is called the salary cap which is policed properly now. So clubs share the success or good times around, unlike before.

Wollongong is averaging 11,903 this year, another great merge. Only league would take 25,000 people and tell half to PO, now that's good for RL how?

 

[Day of Rockening]

In fact it was, the game had a massive feel good factor about it compared to now.

It must have been going VERY well for Murdoch to go after it and not AFL.

Also there is something that ensures the competition is even now it is called the salary cap which is policed properly now. So clubs share the success or good times around, unlike before.

Wollongong is averaging 11,903 this year, another great merge. Only league would take 25,000 people and tell half to PO, now that's good for RL how?

no way league 13

he went after it because it had the largest tv audiences in the biggest tv markets, nsw and qld

 

[lockyrulz]

In fact it was, the game had a massive feel good factor about it compared to now.

It must have been going VERY well for Murdoch to go after it and not AFL.

Also there is something that ensures the competition is even now it is called the salary cap which is policed properly now. So clubs share the success or good times around, unlike before.

Wollongong is averaging 11,903 this year, another great merge. Only league would take 25,000 people and tell half to PO, now that's good for RL how?

The new clubs all failed entirely or limped along, because there were not enough quality players to play for them.

Throwing all those teams in at the same time was probably the dumbest decision in league history.

League never told anyone to PO it was sulky wankers like you who got their knickers in a twist and abandoned the game.

 

[Chapsta]

Don't get me wrong, I want teams on the CC, Perth etc however NOT at the expense of Sydney clubs, it is completely unnecessary we are being RIPPED OFF by News Ltd once this is corrected clubs will have more money, leagues clubs will look (property) to other forms of income streams as Balmain, Cronulla, Manly etc have, and we have barely touched on big private backers getting involved such as happened at Souths.

The ARL were seriously considering scraping some Sydney clubs. It isn't all News ltd.

 

[Teddyboy]

Yea and wasn't that a raging success?

How many of those teams were even competitive let alone looked like winning a premiership?

And people what Qualye and Arthurson back my god...

If it was club Rugby Union then i say yes the crowds where very strong in 1988 and 1995 but in truth the crowds where very poor back in 1988 with only the Newcastle Knights having the good crowds with aprt from the odd big game and finals Sydney crowds where sh*te.
1995 it was only the Broncos,Cowboys,Crushers,Auckland and Newcastle with the big crowds the other. 16 teams where either sh*t poor or ordinary.
They should have started to cull most clubs back in the early 1980's.

 

[boonboon]

I still have not heard any reason to cull a sydney team
Will we get
More crowds - No - we loose fans from the sydney team , we loose derby matches , we loose that teams fans all around the country
<ore merchandise Sales - No - we loose a team we loose thier merchandise
More pay tv money - No - people will give up paying if thier team isnt in it
More FTA money - nope less fans in the biggest market
More sponsors money - nope taking out a team in the largest business market

I definatley see we should expand but not at the expense of a sydney club - I am in business (Commercial manager -large multinational) and it just doesent make sense as a business decision as well as the emotional issues

We should be focusing on making more money for those clubs and thier is a lot all of them can do to improve thier positions

 

[LeagueXIII]

Exactly boonboon what do we gain by culling Sydney clubs? As I have said many times just look at St.George, Illawarra and Norths as an example.

 

[LeagueXIII]

This whole discussion on Sydney teams has distracted people from the REAL issue in our game and that is News Ltd's involvement and decisions based on self interest, lack of leadership and no plan or direction for the sport.

 

[LeagueXIII]

RL is now where near maximising it's potential in all ares, if it were then I would say there was a problem howevr it isn't so there is heaps of potential.

 

[Cheezel]

Many of the so called issues have been covered by the media over the last month. It looks like their might be some action moving forward but like anything it will take time.

The NRL is still the best rugby comp in the World. The crowds we get are also the best club rugby crowds in the World.

If league can build it's club membership "Which it is" the Sydney clubs will be okay moving forward. All the other codes are just waiting for League to relocate or kill teams in Sydney so they can move in and get a new market from disgruntled fans.

ANZ is the problem at the moment. The stadium is not designed for league. They should increase the capacity of Parramatta stadium to 40,000 and play the game out of there and SFS. Keep ANZ for SOO and Grand Finals.