Rugby league clubs are constantly accused of massaging crowd figures to suit their own purpose.
Sometimes you’re left to wonder just how many people are in the bathroom or lining up for a beer and a drink because you swear you can’t see that many in the stands.
So it says a lot when an official from a club is so blunt in his assessment of how many people he expects to show up to a ground on a particular night.
Grant Mayer, the former Sea Eagles CEO who is now working for the Wests Tigers, tweeted this call for help, or perhaps call to arms, on Wednesday night.
“@gcmayer: sad to say that ticket sales for @Wests_Tigers game on Friday are shocking. Great pricing, great talent on show, is it just unhappy fans?”
That prompted a barrage of responses from Tigers fans with reasons ranging from the weather, selections, the inevitability of another flogging and one supporter even pointing out that it’s perhaps because there isn’t great talent on show.
Yes, the Tigers are doing it tough because of an injury ward that is bursting at the seams, but Leichhardt Oval has always been the exception to the rule.
Rain, hail or shine and win or lose – the last remaining bastion of rugby league nostalgia has always stuck solid.
The surge of people through the streets all snaking their way towards the floodlights as each turn also brought you closer to a local manning a makeshift sausage sizzle stand.
It’s the closest thing you’ll find to what your father or grandfather might’ve experienced in years gone by as you jostle for positions on the hill.
Now, it seems, you might be able to stretch out and relax on that same expanse of land.
Losing the Leichhardt faithful is surely the last step before hitting rock bottom face first.
The team has been through bad patches before, but last Friday night might’ve been the final straw.
Their performance against South Sydney, where the Rabbitohs ran through, around and over non-existent and ineffective tacklers was embarrassing to say the least.
The 54-10 loss led to a chorus of greats questioning whether the players were still having a “dig.”
It’s the ultimate insult for a professional athlete.
They cop plenty of criticism on the chin, but question their desire and heart and the rage starts to build.
It’s up to this group of players to show whoever actually turns up at the ground tonight that they do care.
If they’re not able to match the Cowboys in the skill and experience department they must at least play tough.
That is the minimum requirement.
Playing tough might not lift the side off the bottom of the ladder, but it should at least go some way to making sure people once again feel the need to hang out of trees and sit on rooftops just to get a glimpse of the footy.
oikee
Guest
? Are they in danger. Strewth, if it was not for the caribbean refs who got this team of juniors over the line , then the Tigers 7 thousand would have been about right for such another underperforming Sydney team. While the NRL continue's to allow dogdgy refs, (caribbean refs) to penalise Queensland teams out of the game, powerhouse clubs will continue to rot, rot on the vione while 7 thousand , 10 thousand crowds continue to make a mockery of a billion dollar code, fast becoming a joke, run by the jokers of a fantasy batman world.
Atawhai Drive
Roar Guru
KiwiBear, this is what I know about what has led to the current situation: Balmain and Western Suburbs carried on in the NSW Cup from 2000, after the joint venture Wests Tigers became part of the NRL. In the NSW Cup up to and including 2012, Balmain competed as the Balmain Ryde-Eastwood Tigers, after a merger with the Ryde-Eastwood Hawks. The Western Suburbs Magpies also competed in the NSW Cup up to and including 2012. But this season, 2013, the joint venture Wests Tigers team is playing in the NSW Cup. Western Suburbs have dropped back to the third-tier Ron Massey Cup, although there is talk they might have another go in the NSW Cup in 2014. Balmain Ryde-Eastwood does not have a senior rep side in 2013. It seems unlikely that Balmain and Western Suburbs will return to the NSW Cup, although you never know. Your idea for the joint NRL venture to be renamed Western Sydney has merit, although established clubs in the west such as Parramatta and Penrith might disagree. The joint venture has had its fair share of problems in the 21st century. My impression is that Wests have felt hard done by at the hands of Balmain.
KiwiBear
Guest
I think we need to ask some questions about the merger, does it reflect the market its trying to engage with? Here is my idea rename the team Western Sydney engage more with the larger area. If it is done for soccer and AFL copy it. Then alternate the strip use the old balmain strip with the western suburbs one either that or use them more frequently along side the "new" strips hence reengage all the partners. And play a western suburbs team and Balmain in the NSW cup get them supporting their traditional club and the combined NRL identity. I think half the trouble is that one side feels left out and one side makes all the decisions at least there is a perception that this is the case and whatever the reality and whatever is the truth that perception will still persist unless it is 50/50
Australian Rules
Guest
Allan, What do the Giants have to do with the Tigers' crowds at Leichardt?
Johnno
Guest
Yes it's in sydney, Sydneysider's a bunch of couch potatoes lol
daniel p
Guest
Lol jade nice one comparing a 100 year old club in the middle of rl territory to one that has existed for less than 20 in the afl heartland
Johnno
Guest
Maybe something lies deeper in Sydney. Either Sydneysider's are all a bunch of homebodies lol. Or rent or mortgages eat up all your cash for Sydneysider's now, Or once again, Sydney being a poorly planned city, public transport access, and traffic are abysmal. Brisbane and Melbourne are much better planned cities, and this is reflected in better public transport proximity to stadiums, and that equals better crowds. And better stadiums to. Docklands and the MCG, are World class spectator experiences, with high priority on viewing comfort.
Allan
Guest
Are AFL fans still desperately searching under the couch for reasons as to why the GWS Giants have been an unmitigated disaster ?
Australian Rules
Guest
That's a boring comment Jaiden. I dont even live there but know that aside from the sport, Melb has higher attendances for cultural events (art, theatre and music) than Sydney. The typical response to that is that all Sydney-siders are out doing water sports & going to the beach ...apparrently at night.
Fuz
Guest
You are right MM. If there were 40k stadiums with roofs and facilities near public transport, restaurants and pubs the turn out would be much greater, even for games like this Tigers Cowboys one. The problem is they need to be relatively close to their fan bases. The only way I can see a stadium strategy if the grounds built are equi-distant from at least 2 clubs. So Liverpool makes sense for Tigers and Bulldogs. Build it like Hunter or Suncorp stadium - one big stand at a time over 15 years. Initial capacity 30k, final capacity 50k Blacktown makes sense for Panters and Eels. Build it like I've outlined for Liverpool, but stagger its development relative to Liverpool. Initial capacity 30k, final capacity 50k SFS makes sense for Rabbitohs and Roosters. Build a proper roof, rebuild the North and South ends as two tiers closer in. Improve facilities. Abandon ANZ - its a horrible venue, no amount of money can fix that white elephant. Keep it as a "National Stadium" for events, but not club footy. But what of Manly, St George and Cronulla??? Manly is so isolated from public transport. It simply MUST keep using a suburban venue. St George should be trying to develop its 6 Sydney games into blockbusters at the SFS. ANZAC day is good, it needs 5 more of the same against Sydney clubs. Cronulla... well, they are a long way from any existing or proposed major stadium and its fans are very perochial. Maybe a 30k ground shared with St George near the Georges River?
Jaiden Florimo
Roar Rookie
It should be played at Campbelltown. A growing area needs a league team to play more than 3 matches a year. Its a farce how Campbelltown have been treated.
Jaiden Florimo
Roar Rookie
Too busy counting their enormous pay packets to have a go...
Jaiden Florimo
Roar Rookie
Melbourne Storm is a farce. Could you imagine if Souths had had that team for the last 7 years. They would have got 30,000 to home games no matter who was their opposition
Jaiden Florimo
Roar Rookie
dont forget seeing your team lose by 30 points gets thrown in as well!
Jaiden Florimo
Roar Rookie
one day a year is perfect these days for leichardt. The Campbelltown Tigers should play one match a year there and the other 12 matches in Campbelltown.
Jaiden Florimo
Roar Rookie
Melbourne fans get out there and support their team rain, hail or shine. One reason is they love their team, and main reason however is there is nothing else to do in that dump.
Jaiden Florimo
Roar Rookie
The Worsts Tigers should move permanently out to Campbelltown and be called the Campbelltown Magpies or Campbelltown Tigers.
Jaiden Florimo
Roar Rookie
you probably enjoy watching them get pumped...
matt h
Guest
Yes but the point is valid. Melbourne supporters no longer have to put up with suburban ground standards. Sydney supporters do. I'm with Johnno on this one. The food is better, the beer is colder, no one is standing in front of you smoking and swearing in front of your kids and it's warm.
Australian Rules
Guest
ANZ and Allianz are rarely 1/3 full. So suburban or modern stadium, Sydney seems to snuggle in at home more than any other city in the country.