Crowds, crowds, crowds. It seems to be the word of the month in NRL circles.
Ever since Dave Smith boldly outlined the NRL’s five-year plan, there has been a flurry of criticisms and queries about the progress toward these goals and the state of the league in general.
The latest gift of ammunition from the code-waring gods has been the A-League’s triumph in terms of attendance compared to a mediocre reception for the NRL, especially when comparing attendances between the two derbies that occurred over the weekend.
However the mediocrity of the Souths versus Roosters match is not the be-all-and-end-all for rugby league and those paying careful attention to the finer details should see that the weekend’s crowds aren’t the massive collapse many make them out to be.
The previous two Souths versus Roosters matches both had an extra sprinkling of hype surrounding them.
The season opener last year saw the debut of Sonny Bill Williams for the Roosters, as well as a host of other off season acquisitions, while the Round 26 match-up was to decide the minor premiership.
This year’s season opener didn’t really offer anything new. It was pretty much the same teams as last year, just playing a day earlier.
And as much as league fans bemoan the hardships they experience getting out to ANZ and the ridiculousness of holding NRL games on school/work nights, a much bigger factor lies in the motivation of hardcore fans to get to games.
Unlike most other sports in Sydney, the NRL has a very high concentration of teams.
Most locals are sold on supporting one team in particular and the job isn’t to try and entice people to come to games, but to try and entice the fans toward higher and higher levels of investment and involvement.
Other sports can put on derbies which generally can appeal to the entirety of Sydney. This generally (supposing the stars align and both teams are reasonably palatable) will result in a decent reception from the public, with decent attendances and ratings.
They have the advantage of having a large neutral audience that could sway toward their sport for an event if given enough motivation.
The NRL must work much harder to get a similar reception, due to the geographical limitations of teams.
The Roosters versus Rabbitohs match on paper is a match between two eastern Sydney teams, with very small geographic catchments in the scheme of things.
Both these teams have considerable followings considering their age and the legacy they have left on the Sydney sporting landscape, but compared to other sports, which have the entirety of Sydney to engage, the Roosters versus Rabbitohs rivalry is always going to be left at a distinct disadvantage.
NRL teams have to proportionately engage a higher proportion of fans and entice them to games in Sydney due to the high concentration of teams. To entice extra fans, these games usually have to have some added weight or unique property, which just wasn’t really there this time.
As for the poor crowds for the round as a whole, it fell down mainly to circumstance.
Sharks, Panthers and Eagles (all traditionally low-to-moderate crowd drawers) all had home games. Suncorp was busy with the Reds and the other big matches fell flat.
We should wait and see the season develop a bit first before ripping our teeth into our convenient scapegoats.
2013 may be seen as a dour season in respect to crowds, but those teams which did well managed to set some impressive benchmarks.
Souths, the Roosters and the Storm all had their highest-ever average crowds in 2013 but due to the falls of the bigger players these figures got lost in the swell of press that followed a ‘bad’ year crowd-wise.
The smaller teams managed to get a leg up last year, while the big crowd pullers stuttered.
Nothing serious to worry about, unless these stutters remain constant when these teams return to form.
It’s not healthy to micro-analyse every little dip and sway in attendances, and then scream and shout when any one of these movements isn’t in the direction we want it to be.
For now, I advise it’s probably best to sit back, relax and just watch some footy for a few weeks.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Two refs are the reason.Then the crowd announced at Suncorp that will turn up,appear not to have noticed two refs too much. You should have seen refs in the Hartley,Harrogan days.Most of these current guys are Ferraris compared to some of the slow refs in those days. Refs are human will make mistakes,and yes some go overboard with penalties.But jus maybe the players have a little to do with that.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
Hey, am not lambasting the AFL for their match day entertainment as it is no more than what I experience at an NRL game aside from ANZAC day, GF, Semi's, etc. But I am just wondering why is there all this criticism about the game day experience when a day at the NRL is similar to the AFL minus the huge crowds at times but then there is the spiritual home ground aspect of a few clubs like Leichardt, Brookvale, Shark Park, Panthers Stadium etc, which adds to the experience. It just amazes me the NRL seems to be the one targeted by such drivel. No offense but not every NRL game is like a morgue just like not all AFL games. The dees clash from memory was not a good one for the home team and the crowd was very mute but I didn't see it make pages & pages of the sports news, and nor should it.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
You go on about independent checks but maybe you should concentrate on your own sport AFL. How was that Blacktown crowd for the Swans v WCE? Over 3,000? really?
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Because RL players actually aspire to play SOO,and coaches and clubs are actually accepting of the series. Why? It is one of the reasons the code helped achieve $1,2b for their 5 year deal.The series is shown nationally 12m over 3 games.As well as other countries eg NZ.PNG and England And as a result of SOO,they can go on and play for their country,if they are chosen.Representing a state and a country,now that's a novel idea,for some. To suggest club games are nowwhere near as serious as AFL's is one of the most ridiculous comment posted on this site.Whilst clubs are weakened at SOO time,the participating club players stil give their all,as the clubs need the 2 points on offer. An exhibition game? The more you post the more you expose the troll in you.Storm supporter LOL. So when 40,000 turn up to Suncorp this weekend,the club game is stuffed.Are you a Big Footy mod?Maybe you should ask why GWS are flogging $5 tickets for this rd. As to your last line do a bit of research re the average crowds for clubs playing at ANZ.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
Cathar - You keep referencing these two AFL games that you went to once upon a time and state that there was nothing really there outside of the game. This is generally how the regular season games go with the exception of say ANZAC day and Dreamtime at the 'G, finals, GF etc. The fans go to watch the game and their favourite team and players they are not there for all the other nonsense that some sports in this country are trying to lure punters through the gate with eg Cheerleaders, Fireworks, Trampolines, incessant music etc. People following AFL make the effort to get to the game and it appears that people in Sydney do not do the same with the NRL for a myriad of reasons - the biggest one being laziness. I will be at the Broncos v Cowboys game on Friday night and I suspect that there will be a crowd north of 40,000 because people up here want to watch their team play and get out of the house in doing so.
al
Guest
You are. And naive on top of that :)
Bob
Guest
Thats because you are a cunt
ctar
Guest
The NRL official facebook page has more fans than any other code, including AFL. Facebook may not be the most reliable source for popularity but it tells me that maybe the NRL is tapping into younger generations better than the other codes.
J.T. Delacroix
Guest
You may have misread me a bit there Cathar. I'm talking more about the on-field lead up, not the fans going to a game. Living about 2km from Hunter Stadium I know that Knights supporters are as passionate as any. A couple of beers in the General Roberts, then off to the footy. I can hear the tries from my place, about 2 seconds after the radio transmits them. So, yeah, I do listen. It's good stuff. I was talking more about the on-field lead up. Players amble out on to the field, & the kick off happens about 2 minutes later. Should be more time for the crowd to get involved. The AFL does this better. You probably don't agree. Cheers.
Sir Jamie Lyon
Guest
The refs are the reason fans are leaving the Nrl for other codes. Who wants to watch a sport that is decided by two guys wearing pink shirts instead of the players who people PAY to see? No one that who. I'm obsessed with Nrl so I can't turn away even though I have been close. After origin after last years Bs grandfinal. If they want to improve the product start with the guys running the match. There should be fines against them and they should front the media. Not only should there be an investigation but a full overhaul of the refereeing ranks. Hayne,Maxwell,checcin and the two refs from the storm v manly game on sat.
Jorji Costava
Guest
Having lived through SoO football for years and dreading the injuries to my club's players I was relieved they finally ditched the concept so only serious footy is played. Clearly in NRL, the club games are nowhere near as serious as AFL or you too would dump SoO in a heartbeat. Actually as a Storm supporter, I do not want the clubs players playing for NSW or QLD. Storm gets no benefit out of risking it's players for it. In fact it hampers the club. Why would sane fans want to risk their stars for what is just an exhibition that counts for zilch? Madness and it just shows how the club game of league is stuffed. No wonder people turn their backs on it.
al
Guest
While I love to criticize League (because I want it to improve), I'm fully aware of the world financial crisis and most people have less money for entertainment nowadays, that's a fact not to be ignored. The gap between the poor and the rich is widening and there is a growing number of full time slaving (aka "working") poor people who are struggling to pay their bills. I believe just about every sport in the world is loosing crowds.
al
Guest
$30 for a Broncos game is a rip off. 80 minutes (65 minutes in reality) of average quality ball game coached by an amateur... I'd pay 12 bucks max for that.
In Brief
Guest
Add to that changing lifestyles and you have a point. There is now more traffic on Sydney roads on the weekend vs weekdays. That means people are busy 7 days a week - taking kids to sport, shopping, doctors appts etc - there is no longer the flexibility to duck out during work time to get errands done so the weekend is full. People have such busy lives that many probably don't believe they have time to spend 2 hours at a match (whatever sport). Same is probably true of movies too. How much free time do people have these days?
Arthur fonzarelli
Guest
Thanks rod . Climate scientist are you ? Unusual for you to be posting on a sports site ?
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
I think those attending Manly v Storm games at Brooky, or Tigers v Souths at Leichardt for example would disagree. Again, I'd like a AFL supporter, for once, to give me the straight answer and tell me what happens at a game in terms of entertainment that engrosses their fans? I've been to two AFL games (MCG & Subiaco) and their was no frills presentation. For me, the aura of going to the game is getting there on public transport (fan banter), having pre drinks, eat perhaps (again atmosphere, fan interaction), a good game with decent priced food, after match at league's club, or local pub, mingle then home. If I could get this each time I attend then I don't care much for this so called 'éntertainment' that's supposed to go on in the ground. Perhaps ANZ should do what the NRL do to it on GF day cos it's a great event with plenty of atmosphere. And call me cheesy but the best thing that actually made me cack myself was 'kiss cam' but the stuff I enjoyed were the supporters, some live music outside and an array of food stalls, beer tents etc, made it a good day.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
he's just a troll and not a smart one either
Glenn Innes
Guest
Cathar raises a good point...we may infact be entering an era of declining crowds in all the major spectator sports given the ease with which people can watch not just from their lounge room but even when they are out and about. These days crowds are much like TV Gameshow audiences or canned laughter during a sitcom - they are there to provide atmosphere on TV (or whatever device you maybe watching on) the money comes via media rights. This is why I think the emphasis should be on well appointed boutique stadiums holding around 25k that will be close enough to full often enough to provide atmosphere on TV, Sadly The NRL are behind the times and flogging a dead horse by moving everything to Homebush in an era when crowds will probably at best tread water in both AFL and Rugby League.. I can see all the Sydney teams other than Manly Easts and Penrith playing out of Homebush usually with 80 -90% of the seats empty providing a crap atmosphere for the 90% of fans who simply have no interest in regulary attending games no matter how cheap you make it. Chasing huge crowds on a regular basis is probably 20th century stuff the future is small grounds regularly full that provide s good atmosplhere for the people who really pay the bills...the tv/digital device audience.
J.T. Delacroix
Guest
To an outsider, most NRL games get under way with all the excitement of someone going out to the shed to start up the lawn mower on a Sunday morning. Not SOO or some finals obviously. But the home and away games have got next to nothing. The dreadful crowds don't help.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
When I went to the MCG to watch an AFL game, and an AFL game in Perth I saw little in terms of fan engagement. The only thing I saw, which I also see at the NRL, is kids playing at H/T. Unless entertainment has radically changed, what is this stadium entertainment people talk about in any footy code here? Most people around me get bored quickly of cheerleaders, dance exhibitions, etc and say 'get on with the football'. I think most fans would be entertained by cheaper food & booze.