The myth of the 'big 5' Sydney clubs

[Perth Red]

Wouldn't work, for several reasons. The Broncos worked in Brisbane because most Brisbanites hate Sydney far more than they hated the rivals to their old Brisbane team. The reverse is true in Sydney. For most Sydney fans, the hatred of rival clubs is stronger than their interstate hatred. Tigers-Wests only worked because both teams were on death's door at the time. Even now, despite a Premiership, the partnership is uneasy one. Saints-Illawarra worked because of Illawarra being a much younger club, Saints having strong historical links with the South Coast, and Saints dominating the partnership.

Also the mathematical relationships between crowd numbers, population, and number of teams is not linear. Also ground size. You don't halve the teams and suddenly double crowds.

agree whole heartedly with the tribalism argument and the historical context of family attachment to a club (though it seems less these days with plenty of families in crowds all wearing different jerseys, especially the kids who are more likely to chose a team based on what their mates are doing at school or a superstar player they idolise rather than who there dad follows, such is Geni!). The NRL and clubs have barely scratched the surface of how to grow crowds from their current static avg of around 12-17k in Sydney depending on weather and form and opposition. The outlying clubs are going to be the hardest to grow for a variety of reasons and i guess commercial reality and NRL tolerance will be deciding factors on their long term viability. Penrith, Manly and Cronulla all suffer similair issues in growing their fanbases. AFL has been able to sustain a larger than normal amount of clubs in melbourne and to a lessor degree soccer in London so no reason the NRL can't if it can get its act together.

The recent grant increase and committment to differing level of NRL funding based on need will see clubs safe for now and give them some breathing space to try and grow their crowds.

If and when the one team city clubs mushroom and leave the smaller suburban clubs behind will be the telling time, but that is a long way away and may never happen.

 

[Bandwagon]

It wouldn't work? OK, but stop bringing up stupid hypotheticals about how Sydney has a stronger supporter base. Because all of your clubs have a lot of ground to make up to reach The Broncos crowds.

I'm also sick of the need to bring in a 2nd Brisbane club to level the playing field. We shouldn't be making strong teams weaker, we should be making weak sides stronger. But "tradition" gets in the way :S

I wonder how well the broncos would be doing if they were just another BRL club.

Kinda puts it into perspective.

 

[Loudstrat]

Yep, absolutely. You can't argue against this, because it is fact. Which is why its ridiculous that Sydney continue to divide the fanbase into 9 parts. They have 9 poorly supported clubs when you could have 4 or 5 decently supported sides.

Look you f*cking dopey twit - get your avatar in sync with your favorite club instead of Newcastle for a start.

Second, if you think Sharkies fans are just going to wander up to Kogarah every home game if Cronulla go under, that's proof of a severe mental defect.

Third, its proven that - Knights aside - regional teams are the strugglers. Yet you plonk on about Sydney teams crowds - whats your plan for Canberra for instance? Sydney already has 4-5 decent supported sides.

Finally, There is only one side who jags 20k LESS per game now than it did around 2 decades ago. Yours.

Fix your own f*cking backyard first you meathead.

 

[Jason Maher]

You're good at this discussion thing, Jason.

Do you know what it's like to lose your team? I do. Until you've gone through that and actually know what it is you're continually telling Sydney fans to do, please shut the f**k up.

 

[The Voice of Reason!]

Third, its proven that...

Listen you "f*cking dopey twit" you'd be a "meathead" if you thought your word proved anything after you blatantly misquoted me on the last page. If you thought otherwise, that'd be "proof of a severe mental defect". :lol:

 

[Matrix]

The roosters figures are exaggerated by big crowds in round 1 against souths and the anzac day game against the dragons,at which both away clubs would have made up at least 50% of the crowd if not more.

 

[Dogs Of War]

The roosters figures are exaggerated by big crowds in round 1 against souths and the anzac day game against the dragons,at which both away clubs would have made up at least 50% of the crowd if not more.

Why is that a problem? Really making more games events should be the point. Have both sets of supporters come to games.

 

[Perth Red]

Why is that a problem? Really making more games events should be the point. Have both sets of supporters come to games.

It's not from an overall game well being point of view but I am guessing they are raising it as a counter argument to statements about the size of supporter base the Roosters/SBW has.

 

[BunniesMan]

Why is that a problem? Really making more games events should be the point. Have both sets of supporters come to games.

It's not a problem but it's just a point that adds context to the Roosters misleading crowd average. Their crowd averages are not indicative of their fanbases size because the average includes 2 special events early in the season among a small sample size.

Their average will be a fairer indication at the end of the season when they've had more average games to balance out the outliers.

 

[Jason Maher]

Loath as I am to give them any support, let's look at the Roosters home crowds this year not including ANZAC Day and the season opener:

Round 3 vs Brisbane: 13,047
Round 4 vs Parramatta: 18,014
Round 6 vs Canterbury: 22,552
Round 8 vs Penrith: 11,176
Round 11 vs Melbourne: 19,164
Round 14 vs New Zealand: 11,040
Round 16 vs Manly: 16,246

TOTAL (7 games): 111,239, Average: 15,891

Those are some decent numbers, especially for a team with a smallish supporter base and a current member count of 13,751.

Let's compare with lol@souffs, a team with a massive supporter base and 26,093 members (almost double the Roosters), and incidentally leading the comp (not counting the Cairns game against the Tits):

Round 2 vs Cronulla: 14,128
Round 6 vs Melbourne: 32,671
Round 9 vs North Queensland: 15,972
Round 10 vs Wests Tugers: 19,718
Round 12 vs Newcastle: 13,225
Round 16 vs Canberra: 11,167

TOTAL (6 games): 106,881, Average: 17,814

To sum up: LOL@souffs!

Seriously, with an 83k ground to play with, and their massive supporter and membership base, Souffs should be aiming for that Tigers crowd being the minimum, rather than their second best.

The Roosters know how to get their supporters arses on seats, something my team is woeful at doing. I think part of our problem is we have a lot of support outside our two areas (due, I suspect, to all the bandwagoners from the 50s and 60s who taught their kids and grandkids and great grandkids to support Saints). Thus we always bring a lot of support to our away games, but our home crowds generally suck.

 

[BunniesMan]

Souths are in the same boat in terms of very widespread support. We've got the biggest away crowds across the last two years.

 

[adamkungl]

Easts benefiting off a 'home' gate against Souths that was 65-70% Rabbitohs fans :lol:

We're halfway through the year and Souths have had TWO home games against Sydney teams all year.

40 years of sweet f**k all does strange things to a man.

So. You're saying Sydney people like winners?

Get out of town.

That's exactly my point, actually. Congrats, have a cookie.

What average would Easts have if they didn't get to host Anzac Day?

Ditto Canterbury and Good Friday?

lol sooking because some teams bother to come up with a decent concept and stick with it.
Good Friday was ours as well until the year it clashed with Anzac Day and the NRL gave it to someone else.

Why is that a problem? Really making more games events should be the point. Have both sets of supporters come to games.

This.

"But but, Roosters average crowd wouldn't be so large if they didn't get such big crowds for some games!" :lol: dribblers

 

[Ziggy the God]

Loath as I am to give them any support, let's look at the Roosters home crowds this year not including ANZAC Day and the season opener:

Round 3 vs Brisbane: 13,047
Round 4 vs Parramatta: 18,014
Round 6 vs Canterbury: 22,552
Round 8 vs Penrith: 11,176
Round 11 vs Melbourne: 19,164
Round 14 vs New Zealand: 11,040
Round 16 vs Manly: 16,246

TOTAL (7 games): 111,239, Average: 15,891

Those are some decent numbers, especially for a team with a smallish supporter base and a current member count of 13,751.

Let's compare with lol@souffs, a team with a massive supporter base and 26,093 members (almost double the Roosters), and incidentally leading the comp (not counting the Cairns game against the Tits):

Round 2 vs Cronulla: 14,128
Round 6 vs Melbourne: 32,671
Round 9 vs North Queensland: 15,972
Round 10 vs Wests Tugers: 19,718
Round 12 vs Newcastle: 13,225
Round 16 vs Canberra: 11,167

TOTAL (6 games): 106,881, Average: 17,814

To sum up: LOL@souffs!

Seriously, with an 83k ground to play with, and their massive supporter and membership base, Souffs should be aiming for that Tigers crowd being the minimum, rather than their second best.

The Roosters know how to get their supporters arses on seats, something my team is woeful at doing. I think part of our problem is we have a lot of support outside our two areas (due, I suspect, to all the bandwagoners from the 50s and 60s who taught their kids and grandkids and great grandkids to support Saints). Thus we always bring a lot of support to our away games, but our home crowds generally suck.

So we have had 4 out of town teams, the Sharks on a Monday, and the Tigers on a massive losing streak.

Further, no Sunday games.

Please continue.

 

[Bumble]

So we have had 4 out of town teams, the Sharks on a Monday, and the Tigers on a massive losing streak.

Further, no Sunday games.

Please continue.

This.

Why bother arguing Zig, we could get 80,000 to every game and it wouldn't be good enough for some of the people on here..

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

So, at the end of the day. This thread is just a few roosters fans upset that they have a reputation for small crowds.

 

[Valheru]

It's not a problem but it's just a point that adds context to the Roosters misleading crowd average. Their crowd averages are not indicative of their fanbases size because the average includes 2 special events early in the season among a small sample size.
Their average will be a fairer indication at the end of the season when they've had more average games to balance out the outliers.

Blah blah blah.

You guys had the benefit of the same thing (Good Friday instead) last year, does that make your figures misleading? Next year you will get the same with a possible GF replay to open the season.

For reference our average crowd figures since 2005 which is the year we started hosting both with all even years being the away team:

2005 (9th) – 16057
2006 (15th) – 14010
2007 (10th) – 11952
2008 (4th) – 13970
2009 (last) – 13211
2010 (6th) – 16184
2011 (11th) – 14344
2012 (13th) – 12482

So excluding this year as it is not complete yet we have hosted both 4 times and been the away team 4 times. In that period twice has our averages increased the year after hosting and twice has it decreased. Clearly the results are much more closely aligned to form.

 

[Matrix]

Loath as I am to give them any support, let's look at the Roosters home crowds this year not including ANZAC Day and the season opener:

Round 3 vs Brisbane: 13,047
Round 4 vs Parramatta: 18,014
Round 6 vs Canterbury: 22,552
Round 8 vs Penrith: 11,176
Round 11 vs Melbourne: 19,164
Round 14 vs New Zealand: 11,040
Round 16 vs Manly: 16,246

TOTAL (7 games): 111,239, Average: 15,891

Those are some decent numbers, especially for a team with a smallish supporter base and a current member count of 13,751.

Let's compare with lol@souffs, a team with a massive supporter base and 26,093 members (almost double the Roosters), and incidentally leading the comp (not counting the Cairns game against the Tits):

Round 2 vs Cronulla: 14,128
Round 6 vs Melbourne: 32,671
Round 9 vs North Queensland: 15,972
Round 10 vs Wests Tugers: 19,718
Round 12 vs Newcastle: 13,225
Round 16 vs Canberra: 11,167

TOTAL (6 games): 106,881, Average: 17,814

To sum up: LOL@souffs!

Seriously, with an 83k ground to play with, and their massive supporter and membership base, Souffs should be aiming for that Tigers crowd being the minimum, rather than their second best.

The Roosters know how to get their supporters arses on seats, something my team is woeful at doing. I think part of our problem is we have a lot of support outside our two areas (due, I suspect, to all the bandwagoners from the 50s and 60s who taught their kids and grandkids and great grandkids to support Saints). Thus we always bring a lot of support to our away games, but our home crowds generally suck.

Out of those 6 games for souths.Cronulla was a monday night game which always draw the smallest crowds.Melbourne was a saturday night game which drew an excellent crowd.The cowboys was a friday night game against a team that bring almost no away fans.The tigers game was again a friday night game against a team whos fans had given up by then and were claiming they had 10 players out and couldnt win.The newcastle game was raining with no origin players but yes there should have been a bigger crowd at that one and the conditions against canberra were just terrible.None of those 6 teams apart from the tigers if they are winning are big crowd pulling teams.Souths still have home games against the roosters and bulldogs to come which should push the average over 20,000 which is still better than most teams.

 

[Card Shark]

Seinfield thread if I've ever read 1.

 

[Tommy Smith]

So we have had 4 out of town teams, the Sharks on a Monday, and the Tigers on a massive losing streak.

Further, no Sunday games.

Please continue.

But, but, but...

Would you guys like any more excuses?

You have a "massive" supporter base. We have about "12 fans".

And yet our crowd average is better than yours.

I know, I know... "but, but, but, it's because of this and that!! Out of town teams, and 5.30 games instead of 7.30 games, and there was a traffic jam that night. But, but, but!!"

 

[betcats]

So we have had 4 out of town teams, the Sharks on a Monday, and the Tigers on a massive losing streak.

Further, no Sunday games.

Please continue.

Don't the bunnies have the most members? You are sitting on top of the table, theres no excuse for you not to have the highest crowd average out of Sydney imo.

Pride of the league.