So let’s paint the picture: you have a team with three wins in their last four games. They possess the second-best fullback in the world and the most skillful big man in the game.
They play an attractive brand of football, with strike weapons across the park.
This team lines up to play an opposition that has won six consecutive games. This opposition is back in the top four for the first time in a decade, featuring possibly the best forward of the modern era.
The two teams have a night game all to themselves, the solitary match of the day. A genuine top-of-the-table meeting: Souths versus Cronulla on Monday night football.
And they get 13,000. Pathetic.
When fans of South Sydney filled the streets in protest back in the early 2000s, attempting to get their team reinstated to the NRL, my first thought was, “Where were you when they were actually in the comp?”
Ten years on, with glamorous ownership and a quality team, the same old problems remain.
The majority of Souths fans don’t love their team. Not really. Given their membership numbers and the legions that turned out to protest their club’s removal from the premiership, Souths should average well over 20,000 per game, especially when they’re going well.
But, as usual, fans don’t love them quite that much.
Roosters fans are no better. They are a top eight team this year and every second weekend, league fans have to suffer the embarrassment of an almost-empty Allianz sprayed all over our TV screens.
Just this weekend, they played a fellow top eight contender in the Knights. Another lame turnout ensued.
The league Commission has a responsibility to weigh up all options when it comes to expansion and what should be its necessary cousin, rationalisation of Sydney. John Ribot and Ken Cowley, attempting to get the ARL to adopt a ‘Super League’, proposed it back in 1995. It should have happened then.
Fans can whine about the ‘lack of atmosphere’ at big grounds. Trust me, Souths wouldn’t get any more at Redfern, even if it were upgraded. There’s a reason they abandoned it.
We need to take a long look at where we want to take the game. Expansion across the country requires rationalisation in its biggest city. Average crowds in the 25-30,000 range for Sydney clubs can only occur through the aforementioned reduction in the number of Sydney teams.
Yes, fans will be lost in the short term but a fully vital, national competition could be realised.
Ultimately, despite all the heartfelt rhetoric, Souths and Roosters fans are not ‘loving’ their teams enough for league to take the next step in its evolution.
Bretto
Guest
Wake up and get your facts right MG. Souths avg just under 20k per game, highest number of paying members in the NRL. Add to that 36,000 against the Bulldogs on Good Friday, 27,000 at a trial with the Charity Shield, over 20,000 in Perth. Monday nights are the grave yard shift and it is a floored concept. I think it is about time the Super Greeders aka. Brisbane Bronocs have a fewvMonday night games instead of cannibalising all the Friiday night games. Go back to Super League, another floored concept.
Jo king
Guest
On a crowd size arguement how do the storm stack up? If this is the expansion model then surely by mg theory they would be drawing 35-50 thousand week and week out. How many do they get to a Monday night game?
marco
Guest
they are building a 70000 to 80000 stadium here in Perth mainly for the AFL games. They expect to fill it several times during a season. The Nrl would like to have a team in Perth one day. If fans haven't got the passion to turn up to the sport in Sydney. What hope has a team got playing rugby league in Perth. If two top teams got less than 15000 to a game in the AFL there would be an outcry.come on rugby league fans.support your team. Cities like Perth need to see that people like the game. It is played on tv here on Gem but the match attendances are shocking almost laughable in some cases. This doesn't help the cause of putting a team over here.
HBG
Guest
I can't afford Foxtel, and struggle paying the power bill to run my old 68CM TV. ;-)
Harry The Hammer
Guest
MG This ignores fundementally the problem about how the fans have been treated poorly by too many coporate interests not having a unifying vision........this is what the AFL have besides $$$$. Firstly, the pathetic transport infrastructure of Sydney compared to Melbourne makes it a 'no' proposition for Friday & Monday nights to attend on time. Secondly, not having a fixed schedule is seriously killed the option for families, shiftworkers or mates in general to plan a social occasion around the footy....no thanks Channel 9. It is a joke to put the Roosters in the same case as Souths consider you cherry pick one game against the Cowboys and the Roosters would have been lucky to get 10K .........so much so they moved the game to Darwin ! How many times Roosters give away tickets and counting hands instead of people for figures.....remember the Penrith CEO sending a photographer to the SFS with a wide angle shot to say where are the 10K people............seriously!! Thirdly playing in local stadiums would provide better atmospheres but the same whingers seriously do not put in the cash to make these clubs work. Hence clubs are FORCED TO for financial reasons because people who say that they are passionate,does not translate to the bottom line $$$. When I hear people say they wont go to this or that ground or aren't members of their clubs should really decide to bugger off or join up........it is that simple. It seems like ANZ stadium still is in debt and the boffins at the SCG Trust have not worked out yet they are no longer the centre of the sporting universe. ANZ atmosphere is OK, not barren as the sound is there at the Rabbitohs and Dogs home games. Transport is far better than getting to the SCG trust ...hello ANZAC Parade, Eastern Distributor,.......need I go on......it is a shocker for transport. Yes atmosphere is better at ANZ ....but at what cost to parking and time! Best option here to to play 'occasional' events like block busters at either ground. MG need to be far more open minded and understand the leadership and vision has barely able to master its future. With the Commission I live in hope !
Ads
Guest
Oikee I'm not going to get into a personal slanging match, as I know you'd win :) But your broad generalisations are just that. All states in Australia are represented in AFL and passionate about the game. Some states more than others but these people do exist, they attend games, they buy merchandise and they watch it on TV. Just because you have only come across 2 victorians in your life doesn't mean that AFL supporters are only melbourne based. By your rationale no-one in WA,SA or Tas or even Vic give '2 hoots' about league. So thereby forget any expansion of the 'national' rugby league. How many Victorians, South australians, western australians and tasmanians are playing in the NRL? In contrast ask yourself how many NSWelshman and QLDnders are playing in the AFL? In terms of the crowds you have no comeback because 80,000 for a home and away crowd which happens reguarly does not occur in league and nothing do with choice, because all codes are played down there. Why do they attend becasue AFL is a great game in their eyes and I agree. In your eyes it isn't, so we'll never agree. Looking forward to GWS and Suns this weekend. Is your money on the Queenslanders??
clipper
Guest
JVGO, I wasn't writing a critique on the Duck Inn - eatability (where they are scored highly) or another similar blog would be the place for that - but any pub that can get by without the pokies is OK with me.
clipper
Guest
The point, Renegade, is this situation would never occur in Melbourne (or out in the western suburbs), and illustrates why the Roosters and to a lesser degree Souths, don't get the big crowds because league is not followed as much in the inner city and east as it is out west.
Australian Rules
Guest
Ok, I took those numbers from this link: http://www.nrl.com/membership-on-track-to-hit-record-levels/tabid/10874/newsid/66212/default.aspx Still, my point remains.
oikee
Guest
It is tough because like English soccer, you could never expect to overtake soccer in the UK or Europe really, in the case of AFL, we cant expect to overtake AFL in Melbourne, but that is the clue. Lets not bother. I am big, i am mean, i am angry, and i dont care what your cooking, i will eat you for Breakfast. ? Who am i, Mossie Mosao. The meanest human wrecking ball to walk the planet, currently doing a a degree on the art of human behaviour. :) What makes humans tick. I made that up, but he is doing some studies.
oikee
Guest
No excuse the Broncos crowds have to get to Friday night games by kickoff, remember everyone keeps saying how lucky Brisbane are to get Friday nights, well try going home from the city and getting ready to be back to the game by 7 pm. You constantly miss the under 20 game. Ads, only Melbourne fans follow AFL teams around the country. We had a couple here where i live, talked about AFL all the time, so they were told to pull their heads in, we got sick and tired of them talking crap no one else gave 2 hoots about. Under your so called senario, the MCG would have 100 thousand craowds every week, because Collingwood and Esserton have 70 75 thousand members, bullocks mate, the only time you fill the ground is once a year, even Anzac day only got 86 thousand, with Melbourne and no other codes for 100 years, no wonder they turn up to the MCG, like robots. Comeon mate, punching the ball and stopping to kick a goal and get rewarded is not a skill. The players get tapped now the crowd goes off, next they will have master chef baking cakes on the field while the boys have their nails done and manhug for catching a ball.
oikee
Guest
Again, you missed the point, it is not only league that needs to beg, as you say, but 3 codes use rectangle fields, thats 3 lots of junior fans, 3 lots of parents, 3 more than AFL. Now, i dont know fiscal, and i dont know leaning to the left or right, but common sense tells you you keep catering to a third of the population, you will not only get your pants pulled down, you will get spanked, Yes, like the Queensland government got spanked. So what i lean, i got sick of being spanked. Some people get sick of being used as punching bags, these are the ones you need to fear the most. You heard me talk of taking no prisoners. Well take me on my word. Some extremists give only one chance. I am not one of them, i was the punching bag guy.
Renegade
Guest
The sharks have around 6'500....
Renegade
Guest
It's not hard to follow i just don't understand what that has to do with anything.....what's the point of your statement? Who cares what is on in one of the thousands of pubs in sydney. It's not like the waratahs and swans are getting 40'000 every week so i think it's more likely that the problem is that people in Eastern Suburbs just generally don't attend sport.
Australian Rules
Guest
How could the ARLC make a "rule" on the number of memberships? So far in 2012, the following clubs have less than 10k: Raiders, Titans, Sea Eagles, Storm, Cowboys, Panthers, Roosters, Warriors...and the Sharks have less than 5k.
peeeko
Roar Guru
souths are averaging 19k per game this year. very respectable for a regional game in a small country
peeeko
Roar Guru
souths are averaging 19k per game this year. very respectable for a regional game in a small country
peeeko
Roar Guru
sometimes growth into areas that dont have enough support sends the game backwards. yes Rockhampton is really spreading the game
peeeko
Roar Guru
parra and penrith merge? thats a huge area of sydney. as for eagles and roosters, you obviously know nothing about the geography of sydney
peeeko
Roar Guru
i think NRL crowd figures are quite respectable considering the Australian sporting landscape. MNF is all about TV, comparing with AFL crowd figures is tough because they have very strong crowds on a global scale