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We live in an age of technology where supporters would rather watch the footy at home, in the comfort of their lounge rooms then brave the traffic and cold to get to the stadium.
And once you’re at the venue? You’re most likely sitting in the open, nursing a half-strength beer, which is warm by the time you get back and tastes more like water than anything else.
Don’t get me wrong, going to the footy is great but it could be better, right?
Here are my solutions.
Solution number 1# – Star Power
As cliché as it is, star power helps. People flock to see the big names because they create excitement, produce highlights and win games. Let me give you a figure.
In 2012 the Sydney Roosters averaged 12,500 for home crowds but after signing Sonny-Bill Williams the average crowds for 2013 are over 20,000 at Allianz Stadium.
Teams that are playing well, have a couple of marquee players and are executing an exciting brand of footy will attract the crowds in droves.
Solution number 2 – Salary Cap
It is all well and good for the teams that are in the top eight but what about the rest of the crop. The Parramatta Eels for example are favourites for the wooden spoon and their average crowd of 17,000 in 2010 has dropped to 13,000 this year.
The Eels have overpaid their players and their not getting any tax back in return. The salary cap needs to be revised or used more wisely by teams next year to ensure that crowds are interested, but hey, someone has to lose.
Solution Number 3 – State of Origin
There is no solution. Obviously crowds are going to be stripped down when heads turn to the Origin period.
Personally I think it’s a blessing in disguise, it shows the depth of teams and it gives up and comers the opportunity to express their talent in the absence of marquee players. The game’s superstars can’t keep playing forever and eventually new legends must be born.
Solution Number 4 – Social Media
Currently, the NRL has a remarkable social media infrastructure, which out performs that of Super Rugby and the AFL. Whether they enjoy it or not, the players have a responsibility to promote the game and set an example for the rest of us.
The big three, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are the future of NRL promotion and the athletes play a key role in attracting fans to the games and boosting the sport’s public image.
Solution Number 5 – Bring back the hill
Now this may be a stretch of the imagination but we should bring back the hill to stadiums. There is a reason why Manly boasts one of the biggest fan groups in the game and it is because of the atmosphere Brookvale Oval delivers.
The ability to casually sit on the hill and watch some of the best players in the game takes rugby league back to its grassroots. It creates a social atmosphere and although the Manly fans may not be the friendliest, their team remains the number one side that everyone hates losing to because they boast a big home crowd.
Solution Number 6 – Match Scheduling
The latest debacle in the NRL is around the scheduling of the Canterbury sides home ground, which is being used to host the Swans versus Hawthorn AFL blockbuster on the 30th of August.
Every dog has his day and there are bigger games to be played on that Friday night considering Manly plays Melbourne and the Warriors have a clash with Canberra. I’m guessing the Swans fans aren’t overjoyed with the move either from their cherished SCG to the concrete giant.
All the hysteria about rugby league attendances of late are subject to the standard complaints of tickets, food prices and the lack of biff but these are just fish in a pool of sharks and things actually aren’t as bad as they seem.
In fact, this year, the average crowd numbers represent the fifth highest average in the history of the game.
So man up, throw your jersey on and enjoy the warm beer because this could take awhile.
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