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Dear Davo Smithy. Let’s talk Sydney stadium rationalisation. Here’s what you need to ensure:
1) The stadiums are rectangular not oval.
2) They accommodate the future crowd growth that comes with centralised stadiums.
3) They’re located in close proximity to rail lines and major roadways.
4) They’re located near dining and entertainment districts.
5) The NRL has some form of control over their leases and/or management boards.
6) At least one of the new venues has a retractable roof.
7) Ensure tickets to all venues incorporate ‘event’ game public transportation costs.
You’re always going to have people clamoring for the glory days of 20 people sitting around on some muddy hill. I’m not saying hills don’t have their place in the game but if we genuinely want to improve crowds, we need the facilities that can accommodate the numbers.
No amount of retrofitting can solve the problems at Homebush. The viewing angles are terrible, there’s little else nearby and transportation can be problematic at the best of times.
That said, if you were to go a little further south you would find the rail lines that connect directly Penrith, Blacktown, Parramatta, Cabramatta, Liverpool, Bankstown, Strathfield and all the way to Central.
This Western Football Stadium (WFS) would be in the focal point between the Eels, Bulldogs, Tigers and western-based Rabbitohs supporters.
On the other side, the SFS, while being a top class stadium, currently services only one NRL club and likewise has transportation link issues from Central.
If you go further south/west towards Sydenham not only do you reach a focal point between Dragons, Roosters, Tigers and eastern Rabbitohs supporters, you also have lines that run from Liverpool, Bankstown, Campbelltown, St George district and into Central.
Somewhere along the rail line into Central is where I propose we place an Eastern Football Stadium (EFS).
The Penrith, Campbelltown, Cronulla and Northern Beaches districts are too far flung to be adequately service by these facilities, so they would need to maintain/upgrade their current infrastructure.
Furthermore I would propose every Sydney team would play one home game on the road in an expansion or regional area.
To compensate for this they would be rewarded with mutual membership entry at the two centralised stadiums.
Canterbury Bulldogs
11 home games at WFS.
One relocated home game in an expansion/regional city.
Three mutual membership away games at WFS (against Rabbitohs, Eels and Tigers).
Cronulla Sharks
11 home games at Cronulla.
One relocated home game in an expansion/regional city.
Three mutual membership away games at EFS (against Dragons, Tigers, Rabbitohs or Roosters).
Parramatta Eels
11 home games at WFS.
One relocated home game in an expansion/regional city.
Three mutual membership away games at WFS (against Rabbitohs, Bulldogs and Tigers).
Penrith Panthers
11 home games at Penrith.
One relocated home game in an expansion/regional city.
Three mutual membership away games at WFS (against Bulldogs, Eels and Rabbitohs).
One away game against Wests Tigers at Campbelltown.
South Sydney Rabbitohs
Six home games at WFS.
Five home games at EFS.
One relocated home game in an expansion/regional city.
And three mutual membership away games out of:
Three mutual membership away games at WFS (against Bulldogs, Eels and Tigers).
Two mutual membership away games at EFS (against Roosters and Dragons).
St George Illawarra Dragons
Seven home games at Wollongong.
Four home games at EFS.
One relocated home game in an expansion/regional city.
3 mutual membership away games at EFS (against Rabbitohs, Roosters and Tigers)
Sydney Roosters
11 home games at EFS.
One relocated home game in an expansion/regional city.
Three mutual membership away games at EFS (against Rabbitohs, Tigers and Dragons).
Wests Tigers
Six home games at Campbelltown.
Three home games at WFS (against Bulldogs, Eels and Rabbitohs).
Two home games at EFS (against Roosters and Dragons).
One relocated home game in an expansion/regional city.
Snd get three mutual membership away games out of:
Two mutual membership away games at WFS (against Bulldogs and Eels)
Three mutual membership away games at EFS (against Roosters, Rabbitohs and Dragons).
As you can see, every club would effectively receive 14 home games a season. Based on this arrangement each of the two new stadiums would host at least 31 NRL club games a year (in addition to finals and rep games).
They could also host the two A-League clubs and the Waratahs.
I would estimate, given the fan-bases and populations surrounding each stadium and the number of intra-Sydney matches, we should be looking at having the new eastern stadium capable of hosting around 45,000 and the new western stadium capable of hosting around 60,000.
Some may argue that’s still quite large but if we do conduct a proper stadium rationalisation then along with ticket cost reductions, better scheduling, mutual memberships, match of the round marketing and strong promotion, I suspect in 10 years’ time the vast majority of match-ups between the big Sydney teams could start attracting regular 40-60k crowds – akin to the Good Friday classic.
We have the game. We have the fans. Now all we need is the will to make it happen.
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