NRL clubs to review stadium strategy

Dear god, I wish Stadium OZ was rectangular. I was visibly crestfalen when I heard the news back then. I could not believe it. Our "dream" stadium, ruined. They Govt in NSW and indeed qld all through that time, was retarded. Quite simply i qld, and in nsw, we are still just coming to see how truly horrible these govts were. No clue! ___ I console myself with a new dream now. Westefallen stadium. We can't build another stadium australia thats a rectangle, and there is less hope of of reconfiguring it unless I am mistaken. If only we can build a new rectangle stadium. Hopefully I can enthuse people. Parra has a chance of becoming it. ,.....even if they have to leave one grandstand (ala Suncorp or Old Trafford) and build the new one on one side for now. Could save costs.) I am well aware they have 0 dollars.

Right and Canterbury, Souths, Easts and Parramatta (3 of the biggest followings) play at big stadiums and dont fill them. The AFL put funding into Etihad before it was built by guaranteeing games likwise with extension of Southern Stand at the MCG. Therefore they had some leverage - where is the leverage for Sydney RL clubs..Wests play everywhere which gets them a good deal but means the councils wont upgrade the grounds and their supporters must travel Sydney wide...The RL did away with match of the day because St George got it nearly every week but I guess such dominance doesnt exist now. Of course it was Saturday arvo which the code has ditched anyway.../

This Sydney club think tank on stadiums ought to add to its agenda exerting pressure on the NRL and government to reconfigure stadium australia all together to the rectangular stadium that it should be. I am talking spend a billion dollars and totally rebuild. It should be the pride and joy of NSW as well as the NRL, ARU and FFA.

Completely agree. Was not on my mind. Of course, I was talking about mid week. I do like the Sunday Option and have heard it mentioned before. It would surely be a ratings winner. Should be better than Mondays for crowds as well.

You are dirty boy posting yourself all over the internet !!

Too long did not read !

Monday Night Football should be replaced by Sunday Night footy. Put it on GEM (the other 9 digital channel) and Foxtel at 7pm. This will rate just as well as MNF coz everyone is generally home at this time OR can easily get to the game whereas MNF is straight after work.

Double oops. By that rationale I think maybe Mondays will get better for crowds. If they get on FTA it may sway people to the idea of attending. Also, Sydney is hard to get around at the best of times, maybe more out of town monday games could go ahead. Maybe there should be some weeks without monday games; maybe Monday should be moved to Tuesday, or the mid week game should happen on Thursday. Maybe some weeks there should not be a mid week game. Since we know clubs are not fond of it, maybe more compensation needs to come about - but I think that will stop the promotion for crowds somewhat. if you remember back when it first came in http://www.arldevelopment.com.au/news/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1391&cHash=029499ee2eb403fc4bfd0e8b0bad53fb I think they just need to get the right games and if thats not every week so be it. We want to bend over for the networks, but not if it hurts us. On balance it seems like we should play Monday/mid week often; but I think we need to show restraint. But look at this. Only one I could find of the story. for this year - they were hopefully of 30k, but only got 18? http://forums.leagueunlimited.com/showthread.php?t=398230 If you consider this, on balance, you may want to change it up. But the ratings are important. For me, we must just compensate clubs up to the season average they got last year. And allow them proper rest

oops. I however do not agree with Monday Night footy being removed. I think its too valuable. Unless they can get thursday night footy up and running somehow. Reasons: the weekend is fleshed out now with the games just right; it seems hard for me to think of taking notice of one extra game - I believe this is also a problem with my thinking; but I do believe on the other hand that we have few slots in our brains for paying attention. Its important that no team gets forgotten - crowds and ratings wise, and "in-thought" as well. For instance, in the EPL - they have 15 games over the week - sure, I know they are not all on saturday/sunday, but the saturation is such that no day is ever overwhelmed. I think for us, and our level of support, the games are spaced just fine. Revenue is another reason. It rates well. Monday may not be the best time to attend, but the fixture day has become an ingrained part of the game now. Its unique that league has Monday games. I think, too, its underutilised. I think more work needs to be done to pull people from the surrounding areas. Having a season draw fixed for most of the year would help in this. I can see a certain crowd going to monday games, IF you can pick the right monday games/teams. I also think clubs should get compensation for fall-offs in crowds if they do not already do so. Also, I honestly think that it should be like "tuesday at the movies" cheap to go. Kids free. Deals when in the stadium. But to get them there, I think we will need a fixed schedule and promotion of just what a good night it could be - if we targeted the groups of people more who are "hanging round" the area, or live around the area, ect. We would all like to see big crowds, but maybe we will have to wait for those things - and of course membership pressures to come into being. BUT I do not think it means we should abandon Monday Games. Since they bring in so much money. (as to my thursday footy comment; I think being end of the week, it seems more natural to go, but Monday is working, apart from the crowds) The one major flag I will hoist upon it and thats "turn around" time for teams. I wish no team had to suffer a small turn around period. And I wish with a fixed schedule, and even before, this will be sorted out. (I think we need to continue to look after our players and teams above all) * I only have one last thing I would consider, and that is Tuesday games. Maybe the problem is that game is too close to weekend fixtures. And it seems to 'drag' rather than be 'separate' and stand alone enough....?? ** Makes me wonder.

Turbo as to your other points I agree, yet I think they are issues of compromise. Its not going to help crowds by having the game like it is, but there is only so much time (didn't they suggest Friday/saturday origin??? I liked that idea with a suspesion of NRL rounds - split rounds don't do it for me). I am of the understanding that they need the extra rounds for revenue at the moment. In the future I hope we can get to a point where we can reduce the season length and take time out for origin and more test matches. But the NRL is where its all at right now. I think the same of the mcintyre system and its persistence in being around. For revenue for clubs. I think everyone agrees its removal came a few years too late. Sure, the majority of fans had no idea something "better" existed out there (tho its not hard to look over at AFL); and it was just long overdue. I guess that was my whole point about test matches - income. At the time I wrote that - and its still, and always will be, the case - the Wallabies were going gangbusters. League rated on tv too, but we placed no importance on test matches. Thankfully these days we are talking up test matches, and in the following years between then and now, international league is far more competitive. Now we look forward to test matches again. ---> So I look forward to a time when there are almost NO such compromises. If thats the best thing for the teams.

thats going off what we know now. I am putting faith into the future that such well supported teams develop with all the new initiatives in place; I think the main problem is that we until now have not associated league with those kinds of crowds. But in 10-15 years that may all change. In terms of the future teams - it may become that a second brisbane side "averages" out any losses in aggregate crowds of a Perth team, so it may return a figure of 25k, which for some years to come, will help that growth curve in average crowds climb quicker than otherwise

Thank you Ian for pointing that out. Having a large drawing team in the sydney area will be a help to that. The thing is, just WHAT club will be able to jump its attendance in ten years to that level, I don't know. I do think one thing of that. Leagues growth curve will almost certainly be flatter if it can't uncover such teams. I see growth in Newcastle, Brisbane, Melbourne (a bit) and even Aukland fleshing out the average, but they are not sydney teams, and not such a large jump. Of them I see the bulldogs going well off memberships (rather than stadium issues) and souths if they can get some success. For others, correct me if I am wrong, but the likes of Parramatta and wests, would need to have the benefits of the new club co-operation helping them out. Thats just off the top of my head, and I didn't really think about that. I've personally always hoped St george got larger crowds in Sydney, and wondered if Oki jubilee was a reason. Turbo, I WISH NRL games took longer. I often am in the stadium in brisbane, enjoying myself, and think the same thing "I could be here for another hour and it would be great! " Ok, it may not need be an hour, but I wish they actually would increase the time somewhat you get to be out at the stadium. And not just to watch lower grades, while thats ok, I would like it more when the entire crowd is there and its something to do with the main game (but not entertainment so much).

The AFL has an advantage in terms of game length, its so long that you can make a worthwhile day of it. But NRL games are over so quickly, its just not worth the effort for some casual fans some of the time. It can take more than 90 minutes to leave your house and find your stadium seat and return home. 2ndly, NRL games and SOO should never compete for players or valuable air time. SOO must be on a dedicated weekend. The bonus here is that SOO in Sydney would always sell out on a weekend, but on wednesday night it doesnt always sell out which is utterly inexcusable. And those 80,000 fans on a wednesday night...how many will go to the club game 2-3 days later?! Not many. 3rdly, season is too long. It should be only 22 or 20 rounds. 24 rounds over 26 weeks is waaay too long. In the NFL its 16 rounds over 17 weeks. As Gorden Tallis suggested, 20 is the sweet spot. 4th - ditch MNF, its a crowd killer! Give us sunday night instead.

Poor Boy Blues, The important point you missed about the growth in the AFL's crowds from 1990 to 2000 is thats when they abandoned the suburban grounds. In 1990, Essendon's 7 games at Windy Hill averaged 19 336. In 2000, Essendon no longer played at Windy Hill, and their home crowd averaged 48 353. If rugby league wants the same thing to happen, once the clubs start to grow their crowds, they'll need to do the same thing. http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/1990.html http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/2000.html

I really enjoyed this article. I want to express right from the get go my passion for rugby league and my appreciation of yours. I want to thank you for the article, and also express to you, my over-arching view for the game. It involves your story, the past, and the future. ------------->>>>>>> So, I think, given time to grow, rl crowds will get up there in sydney. Wait until memberships hit 15-20k ticketed for clubs or thereabouts. That takes time. Our competitior. AFL commission 1985. Average crowds 20k. [similar to rugby league 17k)... Ok. Take the point By 1990 its 23k. By 2000 its 32k By 2010 its 36K (so go ahead and graph that; its not unlike other sports around the world; and its topping out) There is a period of growth, whereby word of mouth and infectious wagon-jumping (and indoctrination) hits in. Its about at the 20k average. I.e Rugby league is on the verge of an accelerated growth period, provided the stadia are there to support it. For our population, I would suspect the afl is topping out, as stated. Take the point. But note the steep curve from 1990 to 2000. If sydney can get rid of transport niggles and take the best games to larger venues, and promote them, it may start slow, but the rewards will be great. If you get kids out to the game, get them into a habbit, within 20 years, you will have an extra 10-15k on your average. Why? Because the kids of the original attendees are going, and everyone is attending more in general at that same rate. Its just the thing you do: go to the big league game. Go become a member. It won't be considered abnormal or from a perspective of "oh, he's just a massive league fan." It will be more accepted and expected. The thing you do, as per normal. *** Now take this point *** Why did I log on, like 5-10 years ago, on League Unlimited for one, and say to people: 1. Go independant commision. 2. Build prestige for international football and get competitiveness back up, no matter how tasteless it seems right now [in 2003ish]? 3 Get memberships ramped up. 4. Move to better stadia (especially for bigger matches) - require all seats for that if possible, you must leave the suburbs behind. 5. Entice Juniors everywhere. Make League easy to get into, motivate the young and impress upon them. 6. Make it a family atmosphere. Have family sections. Have family memberships for cheap. We want to start rugby league family dynasties. 7. See to game-day experience. You must make people want to come. Not because they just support you, but because its compelling/addictive/awesome. Whatever ideas you can dream up to make game day experience better (longer games, atmosphere, supporting/cheering culture, as in fan segregation to get some competition amongst the supporters). 8. See to club finances, and make sure you do not rely on pokies. Rely instead and invest in your fans, members, corporate (reason to move to bigger/better stadia - the Arsenal example of Arsenal earning more in corps from new ground to the entire sale/corps of their old 40k seater... 9 Kids in for very little. 10. Get decent placement of stadia, make them cathedrals and easy to reach. We want nothing stopping the people who are compelled to turn up, from turning up. 11. Share revenue if you must, share merchandise, share planning, share efforts, take a cut of each others gate....so you all work it together to promote and no one gets left behind off others efforts. 11.1 Has cross benefits to all other areas...for instance a member of Souths can get into a Bulldogs homegame for 10% off, ect. There must be benefits to any club. 12 Love league and promote that love. Celebrate it. Do not berate it. Stop people from critisising it so much. We must celebrate the game. (oddly enough the next year or two, that was the slogan. ) Why did I say all that? It was so we could save rugby league. In 2003/4. I said it. I meant it. And we are still mulling over it today. People complained to me - it won't happen. Well, it IS happening, and now with the commision, we are doing it or will do it. (In 2003, I was answering the questions you guys are still asking today) Trust me, there is a plan. My plan is common sense, and it is your plan. Its the NRL's plan, because its just logic. It can be tweaked, but it can never be deviated from. The opposition will swollow you if you scatter and run and cower and hide. This is why I can unequivically sit here and express to you, my undying certainty that rugby league will average 30k before too long. Build it. I basically said all that, and fought with people, because I KNEW I WAS RIGHT. And its not rocket science, it just takes a will to do it. It was to get crowds. To have the game STOP BEING a LEACH and start to F E E D itself. If you drive season tickets, and crowds, and allow our market dominance to be free [of news], nothing can stop league. Its too good. Now the yanks want a slice, and NZ. Are you starting to see? It actually is probably the best game in the world, allowing for peoples preference and taste notwithstanding. #end memory lane for just now. ____ --> So basically, I am looking at all that is going on now, and I am very pleased. I knew sense would prevail. The fact that the govt looks to be putting 1/3rd of the budgeted monies they have for this, into the two big stadiums is great. I would hope for Parra to receive its upgrade in the future, and transport links to be of a priority for the increased attendances. Helping to pay transport costs may be a part of the ARLC's plan. The problem with sydney and its distances. Well its always a time, distance, cost factor. But the whole movement of population can be streamlined; its just up to people to find where savings can be made. The other cities will handle themselves. Its good to see Sydney League working together. This always underpinned my strategy. And like I said, its not like I invented the plan those years ago. Just that I saw a need, and I am glad people are working at it and focusing on it. We've all waited a long time for this to happen. Direction.