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NRL Round 7 starts with a bang

Roar Guru
27th April, 2013
20

If one had to pick the opening three games of a round that might encapsulate where league is headed, we’ve just been given them.

By now we expect the Dragons-Roosters ANZAC match to be 35,000 plus, although filling the stadium as happened on Thursday is still impressive.

But to see AAMI park filled with 25,000 Melbournians (I don’t care how many are ex-pat New South Welshpeople) warmed the cockles of my heart.

This Storm club loses money every year and has had its share of critics calling for the franchise to be disbanded.

This was asinine stupidity at the beginning and must rate even more daft now.

Most clubs lose money and need propping up. But few of the 16 NRL clubs can claim to be growing the game as much as the Storm.

The 25,000 we saw at the ground on Thursday night were 25,000 more than would have been attending rugby league had the Storm been disbanded by now.

Expansion clubs have an extremely high ceiling for success and that must be remembered when the new Perth team comes in – not to mention the south island of New Zealand and, eventually, Adelaide.

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My only complaint about the crowd at Brookvale was that it was at Brookvale.

Allianz Stadium is not the answer for Manly, due to Sea Eagles fans’ fear of being mugged the second they cross the Spit. I think Brooky is the only suburban ground that will remain a fulltime base in future years but if that’s the case it must be developed to house at least 30,000.

And what about the football itself? All I can say is that no other football code contains the same mix of power, brutality, speed and skill that league has when played at this standard.

Big crowds generate much of that; this is why Dave Smith’s goal of a 20,000 average across the game is critical.

Rugby league transforms on the big stage. Colosseums like ANZ, Allianz and Suncorp provide that stage in a way Leichhardt and Penrith do not.

After the excellent appointments made by the game’s CEO midweek and the games that have followed, all league fans should be giddy at this moment.

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