Who said the SCG was a great ground for league?
Roar Guru
By Steve Kaless, 6 Aug 2010 Steve Kaless is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- NRL, Rugby League, SCG, Sydney Roosters
There are some things in rugby league that I just don’t get. One of them is the attraction of playing games at the SCG. That the place has a history is used to silence dissent and to question it is akin to spitting in a Digger’s beer on ANZAC day.
Well, Henson Park has history, and I don’t see NRL teams forming an orderly queue to play out there. Sure we used to play heaps of games at the SCG, but that was almost exclusively before we had decent grounds to use instead.
I’ve spent plenty of time watching rugby league from the cheapest seats available and those at the SCG are some of the worst around to watch rugby league.
That more people would attend a match at the SCG instead of rolling up to the SFS is for me for one of the great mysteries of our time.
I can appreciate that the Roosters battle to get decent crowds but find it simply staggering that they will improve things by moving their game against the St George Dragons to a worse venue to watch the match.
You are miles from the action and ground level seats are far too low. Okay, the members stand has a certain charm, but if you are in it, you stare at the Brewongle Stand, which is hardly an architect’s dream.
The history argument is also pretty overdone.
Yes, yes, the two teams have played each other, but that is what tends to happen when both have been playing in the same competition since 1921 (which, of course, omits the fact that one club is now a new entity and has only been in existence since 1999).
If we want to get fair dinkum about these historic fixtures, let’s make the players play with leather balls and wear cotton jerseys, knee length shorts and ankle high boots.
Games such as the one on Sunday shouldn’t need such naff promotions.
Sure enough, we’ll have shots of fans as Phil Gould waxes lyrical about Sunday afternoon footy and the SCG, but the game should have enough attraction without relying on Gould’s ramblings.
Two of the best teams in the competition going at it with the chance of a minor premiership dangled in front of them. Surely an easy sell.
All the subplots are there: the Dragons suffering annual late season jitters, while the Roosters play this season’s role of the bad boys come good.
Wayne Bennett carries the clipboard into his 600th game, a tremendous achievement for the man who is probably the greatest ever rugby league coach.
Still despite his milestone, Bennett has challenges: how to return the Dragons to form, and in particular, how to “fire up” Mark Gasnier and blend him into a team which seems to have clocked off since he clocked back on.
It will be a great game and I’m looking forward to it. I just wish it was at a better ground.
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Chris said | August 6th 2010 @ 7:53am | Report comment
Living in Canberra it is pretty rare that I get to go to a Roosters game (my favorite team). Usually I go the Roosters v. Raiders game and perhaps a game in Sydney if I was up there for the weekend already.
As soon as I saw the Roosters v. Dragons at the SCG I ordered the tickets – me and three mates are driving up on Sunday. That is 4 tickets (or $100) that Rugby League has made by moving the game to the SCG.
I agree the SCG is horrible for watching Rugby League – but if I was interested in getting the best view of the game I would just watch the TV every week instead of trotting out to Bruce Stadium to watch the Raiders. The SCG has something special about it – and it isn’t the view of the game.
StGeorge 4 Life said | August 6th 2010 @ 8:06am | Report comment
The SCG is the true heart of rugby league in NSW, It has hosted many great grand finals. I agree with Chris, its not the view of the game, its the true feeling of being at a league match.
The Link said | August 6th 2010 @ 8:07am | Report comment
Steve – looks like they’re also doing a promotion for the 1975 GF and an unveiling of the next SCG player statue, which will be a RL player (hope its big Artie, but probably Reg Gasnier). The SCG still means alot to the players and many fans, if people want to go there to watch footy then I guess who’s to tell them they can’t.
Ken said | August 6th 2010 @ 8:34am | Report comment
Agree with this, people like a little nostalgia and playing a game between 2 teams with a long history at the SCG fits the bill. There’s no doubt Steve is right that it’s a crappy place to watch footy but that’s the reason it’s a one-off and games aren’t played regulary at the grand old lady anymore (great for a day out at the cricket of course!). I don’t think you’d draw a crowd there every week like the old days now that better options are available, it’s interesting to note though that ‘headquarters’ has hosted more first grade games than any other ground but of course it chalked these up when it was the only big stadium in the city before the SFS and, later, the Olympic Stadium came along.
Ryman said | August 6th 2010 @ 8:27am | Report comment
This is a shocking article Steve that goes against the true values and motivations behind sport.
Mushi said | August 6th 2010 @ 8:31am | Report comment
I live in surrey hills and so can walk to the ground and I declined tickets so that we can watch from the pub and actually see what is happening.
Live sport in Sydney without foreign fans pretty much lacks atmosphere anyway so may as well enjoy the match.
Matt_S said | August 6th 2010 @ 8:35am | Report comment
must admit one of the best games I attended last year was the Rabbitohs v Tigers game at the SCG with Merrit’s fieldgoal.
Loved walking to the ground with stop over at pub and had pretty good seats but can see where you are coming from with not all views good for watching the game. But also being allowed onto the field after the game was special.
Sam H said | August 6th 2010 @ 8:35am | Report comment
Depends where your sitting Steve. From the Noble stand the view of RL is absolutely fantastic; you can enjoy the SCG atmosphere and have a great view of the game at the same time.
From a lot of other places it is hopeless when you’re at or near ground level.
But the proof is in the pudding crowds wise. Last few Tigers v Souths games there have had great crowds, as did the Centenry Test in 2008, as will Easts v Saints.
M1tch said | August 6th 2010 @ 9:04am | Report comment
Tigers v Souths 2009 29k
Tigers v Souths 2019 31k
Aus v NZ 2008 35k
There are some parts that its better than ANZ to watch the footy at and some that are worse, I was at the 2008 centenary test match and the atmosphere was great and the crowd loved being at the cricket ground.
As long as the crowds turn up, its a great place to play rugby league!
Sam H said | August 6th 2010 @ 9:19am | Report comment
I was at all those games M1tch and they’ve all been unreal (notwithstanding heartbreaking losses to the Tigers in two of the three).
If its a nice day on Sunday they might beat all of those numbers…
Jay said | August 6th 2010 @ 9:35am | Report comment
cant argue with the punters…
this is what the league needs to start doing.. making more premiership games into events. a nrl game at the scg is so rare, that it is an event that people flock to.. but it should stay at 2-3 games a year
as for your point on the sfs steve – i think a game at the scg would get more people than the sfs.
boysy said | August 6th 2010 @ 9:07am | Report comment
You are being a kill joy. No doubt the SFS is a far superior place to watch the footy but one game a year at the SCG is a nice promotion and an appropriate nod to history. No need to get too worked up here – people like the sense of occasion and respond accordingly (by turning up in larger numbers). People like nostalgia, like sharing experiences with their kids that they experienced when they were kids. It makes us what we are. Should be a cracker of a game.
Tom of Brisbane said | August 6th 2010 @ 9:13am | Report comment
Banging on about how important the history of the game is really gives me the pip. Apparently history is only important if you live in Sydney.
I know, how about we promote the next Wests vs Brothers game at Purtell Park. Can’t you say? Whyever not? Oh I see, those teams don’t exist any more, pretty much killed off by the Broncos and changing inner-city demographics.
st penguin said | August 6th 2010 @ 10:20am | Report comment
It would have been great if teams like Brothers could have entered the NRL.
Never saw them play but the name always intrigued me.
Tom of Brisbane said | August 6th 2010 @ 12:07pm | Report comment
It’s from Christian Brothers, because (as I understand it, not an expert by any means) the team was originally founded by Catholics and was for Catholics to play in, in the days when such things were important. Interestingly enough there was a Brothers team in pretty much every comp in Qld at one time, and many still exist. In Toowoomba however they are called the All-Whites for some unknown reason
devilsman60 said | August 7th 2010 @ 8:35pm | Report comment
Sadly some of the old Brisbane clubs have died (financial death) Wests still go around in FOGS Challenge and Colts in the Brisbane. Gone Valley’s and Brothers. Still Norths, Souths, Easts, Wynnum and Redcliffe still compete in the Q Cup and hold onto a great tradition. Pity more people don’t come to those games as they are a very high standard feeding players in to the NRL competition. So come down to Bishop Park, Davies Park, Langlands Park, Kourgari Oval or Dolphin Oval for some of that traditional feel of Rugby League.