It is hard to believe that the NRL finals series is already a week old. With poor crowds and one-sided affairs in the opening week, it has sparked the debate on the final series format yet again.
I personally would like to see the finals series revert back to the old system of a top five, with games played on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Eight teams are too many, but unfortunately it is here to stay because it provides more revenue for the stakeholders of the game.
So what is all the complaining about? Well, it all started mid-week with Manly fans and officials complaining that they would have to travel 21 kilometres to the Sydney Football Stadium to watch their team play the North Queensland Cowboys.
A dismal crowd of 13,972 bothered to make the massive trip with a small section being Cowboys supporters, but not a whisper was heard from these loyal fans.
Two hours earlier we saw the same scenario in Brisbane, but unlike Sydney supporters, Brisbane fans turned up to watch the Broncos and out-of-town team New Zealand Warriors do battle in front of more than 48,000.
Friday night’s game between so-called arch-rivals St. George-Illawarra and Wests Tigers also drew a poor crowd, in my view.
45,000 isn’t much to brag about considering both teams are Sydney based and both are merger teams, meaning they should have twice the amount of supporters compared to other clubs with Tigers, Magpies, Steelers and Dragon fans turning up. But no, Sydney people disappointed again.
The only game which could have been excused for drawing a poor crowd was Melbourne Storm versus Newcastle Knights. Yet they still managed to drag just over 14,000 through the gate, which is a damn good effort considering that next door 90,000 fans were watching an historic rivalry, Essendon versus Carlton, and also Channel 9 decided to show the game live, which would have kept the undecided fan on the couch to watch both codes on TV.
So, how do we solve this problem of poor crowds at finals football? Simply by Sydney fans and journalists getting out and supporting their team and the game instead of complaining!
I’m sick of hearing your excuses, Sydney. I live in Newcastle and travel to Sydney every second week, or when I can, to watch the Knights play, and I don’t complain – and neither do the Cowboys, Warriors, Storm, Titans, Broncos and Raiders fans that have to travel to support their team.
Sydney fans and, in particular, Manly fans should stop crying foul that they are hard done by. Use your voice by being at the game.
Whites
Guest
Over the last 8 rounds I think 2 or 3 Friday's had the same game on first in both states.
Jaceman
Guest
Over 3 weeks 5 caps NRL AFL Fri night (2 x NRL) 707-830K 514-710K Sat night FTA na 487-526K Sun arvo <492-509K 506-710K Remembering of course that NRL Friday night games are Nsw/Qld to maximise audience (pick 1 and 5) and pick 2 on Sunday afternoon. Regionals will boost the NRL numbers over AFL but the advertisers are keener on metro numbers. This year with SOO and tests and Toyota u20 the NRL will win by about 5m out of 115m.
Jaceman
Guest
Because NRL v AFL ratings will come up again and I have 3 media weeks in front of me I will jot down the various numbers to show that some weeks AFL rates higher than NRL and some weeks not just for those that think one is superior to another NRL 2 games Fri night
Corey
Guest
The problem with that is the regional areas are usually the people who have a lot of money when they come into town. I used to work all over South East Queensland, and I worked in the heart of the rich suburbs of Brisbane (Milton, St. Lucia, City, New Farm, etc.) right through to the poorer areas and the regionals. The number 1 place for setting up a department store, car sales yard and the big purchase places was in Toowoomba. Everyone, from Roma, and the likes would come in to "town" and have all this money they had saved from not spending it on snickers bars and LED lights would buy the biggest purchases. The regional areas usually have the bigger spending power. That's the irony, especially for companies like Toyota, Myer, Banks and the like. May be their advisors need a re-think.
jeznez
Guest
Anyone got any stats on how many primary school aged children participated in or watched thumb wrestling in the last week?
Corey
Guest
I agree as Broncos supporter, although I don't think all Brisbanites are Broncos supporters (there are more Roosters supporters here than in Sydney), but Brisbane crowds are dismal in my opinion. Until the Broncos sell out every round then there should be no 2nd Brisbane team (although, putting in a 2nd team might make our administrators pull their finger out and start to attempt to do some work). Brisbane Broncos have too many things going for them not to sell out each round - great, great stadium; largest supporter base across all codes in Australia; easy access to and from the stadium; great team that usually makes the top half of the competition. Someone asked me to tell them what the Broncos are like in their terms (I live in Uganda where they are soccer mad) so I said, we're like Manchester United with the crowds of Sunderland. No. 1 team supported in Australia, but terrible crowd attendance.
hutch
Roar Guru
But, but, but!!!! The same excused are getting tiresome! It's ok mate, let it out!
Greg
Guest
I agree with the stupidity of the Macintyre System. An even worst senario would have been if Newcastle had managed to beat Melbourne. Wests reward for beating Saints then would be to play Melbourne (team 1) while Saints would get to play Newcastle [team 8] despite being losers. Hardly fair. Don't expect this system to change anytime soon when you have an idiot in Gallop running the game.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Then Cattery I wonder what the advertisers will do ,when all Pay Tv comes under the Foxtel umbrella(that includes regionals) and we know the pay Tv ratings figures for rugby league. Secondly again what will advertisers do should all NRL be on FTA in 5 caps at decent hours. As the AFL guy Whately stated on the Offsiders, the TV ratings for both codes can be argued in many different ways.,as the ratings figures are so close.That being the case rugby league has at least the opportunity,to expand to the 3 other capital cities,further cementing their position.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
It's another reason why advertisers and the people that matter only really pay attention to the 5 city metro figure.
MyLeftFoot
Roar Guru
In support of Redb here - take note of Coll v WCE, on 5 city metro the figure is 944,000. On 5 city metro plus regionals, it increases 101,000. Now, really???? We can suppose there's stuff all in Nth NSW, Sth NSW and QLD, and that leaves Vic Regional. Because, Tassie, NT, WA country, SA country and Mildura and Broken Hill all miss out. Just off the top of your head, you'd think, and even with country footy finals underway, you'd think 101,000 was a tad small. That WA country isn't counted towards that published figure of 5 city plus regional given West Coast Eagles are playing - it's a tad bit disingenuous.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
i just fell off my chair.Good one The_Wookie.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
No the Cronulla sharks,in their new complex not relying on poker machine money,with little if any debt.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
That would be a change the NRL advertising widely.Learnt something from the Swans ? .
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
But 54% of the population is a minority apparently.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
still gets down to numbers in toto,even allowing for any double countirng in a couple of areas.Qld the most regioanlsed state and NSW with as many in regioanl areas as WA and SA and Tasmania combiined. Comparing 5 metro with 2 ,apples with apples LOL. Get both on the same basis,and you may have an argument.The AFL's metro footprint cannot grow another size,the nRL can grow 3 sizes.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
The two local teams did not represent the whole city of Sydney.The Brisbane one did.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
To compare regionals WA Sa,tasmania and Vic with the Nth States regionals is like comparing a pony with a draughthorse.A mile of a difference in numbers,even allowing for so called ,double counting in a couple of areas...
JVGO
Guest
How can we talk 5 metro figures when NRL is only shown in two metros? Seems pretty absurd to me, and deliberately misleading. The only real point of discussion, until the NRL is in Perth and shown at a reasonable hour in Melbourne is raw overrall figures. Or you could look at payTV which is national with the same product where the NRL dominates. To say that major advertisers like Coles or Woolworths and the petrol companies wouldn't be interested in regional ratings and advertising seems ridiculous to me. Even the AFL and the RU advertise during the NRL telecasts.
Jaceman
Guest
I repeat the AFL wins in total Aust wide week to week but in the last 2 years the NRL has snuck in front in total for the year with more rounds, SOO, tests and U20 figures. Any other prouncement on this is wishful thinking...The AFL has more games on FTA but has more games competing against each other and has more games in low demand TV times eg Saturday afternoon, Sunday afternoon. The NRL has maxed its TV figures because games do not compete against each other has 3 prime Games on Friday and monday nights. The NRL could run a game on Sunday night to get more I guesss but not much else. The 77/100 NRL games on Pay is true but as has been said a million times, the AFL runs games on FTA and Pay at the same time, has 2 games running together to split the audience and of course because they have FTA games on every day of the weekend, AFL Pay TV subscibers are lower. However keen NRL fans are likely to watch more games than their own team. Now can we stop rewriting the facts..