Sharks make Sydney switch off sport this September

Yes agree with the sharks not bringing big tv numbers but sorry to burst your Roosters hating bubble but they are one of the highest rating teams on TV in the NRL.I work in marketing and the Roosters,Rabbitohs,Dragons and Bulldogs were the highest rating Sydney teams by a big margin. The Roosters don't have a fan base bubble like Penrith and Cronulla who really struggle to bring in fans outside their area.

CC Imagine the AFL ratings if they had close games but then again we don't have refs like Cummins and Sutton. Some people are just tired of RL because of the "entertainment value" of all 50-50 decisions going to the team behind on the scoreboard to make it a one score game as happened in the GF this year again. Roy masters , warren Ryan and Fitzsimons have written about it but nothing changes...

Clip They came back because the AFL and 2UE part owned by Fairfax signed a deal to cover Sydney AFL matches (in August) - 2UE now being cash for comment which included better coverage I would suggest. As well SMH didn't cover AFL so as to force followers to become regular digital subscribers so u could access the AGE AFL coverage.

CC You claimed you worked in marketing but you missed the whole point. People are at home Sunday night and will be registered in the ratings. People are out on Saturdays at functions or the pubs so their watching will not be registered (eg their TV at home isn't on). I have said this 20 times over the years but some people just don't get it but some are wilfully ignorant and spend their lives spreading mistruths.

cc - I was talking about the drop in attendance, which directly relates to the OP's assertion that Sydney lost interest this year. A 30% drop in 1 year is quite significant. I have never denied that the ratings were the lowest of the Swans, but still beat the NRL GF on Sat afternoon compared to prime time Sunday - that is quite the achievement. Most GF's can be oversold - the AFL one I'm sure could've been sold out 3 times over.

Emric and Clipper are the same person anyway.

Yes Maestro and I criticised the ARL draft ATT ,which was knocked on the head "as a restraint of trade". You see its's OK when youngsters are quite content to go to where they are sent,but come a time one says hang on I don't want to be sent to X club,I'll fight this. The NRL system seems to be working pretty well (not perfect) but a much tighter comp,and with new Premiers on a regular basis,and not the big high profile teams always involved.Maybe a lesson there. If a club any club from any code competes in a Grand Final win lose or draw,their fans have paid with their hard earned and commitment,they should have a day after to shake hands with their fans just to say thanks. Your mate says it's my story,! I would be unhappy if my club lost and for whatever reason dished the fan day.It smacks of lack of fan concern.Clutching at straws.There is a big green park called Centennial nearby,if a club wants a fan day they can do it. If you wish to drag up Semi playing for the Pres 13.For a start it's not the Kangaroos.I understand it's hard to digest an Australian team or selection squad playing another country. He didn't make the Kangaroos neither did Fifita.I support that decision. So you are concerned LOL with the number of juniors playing in the NRL clubs on G/F day .Let me advise you as we don't have draft ,the best of the local juniors have the opportunity to go to a club they have an opportunity.IOW they can choose.Isn't that wonderful in democratic society? Cronulla has had one of its best juniors go to the Storm,for a start.They also have some up and comers being introduced into the main squad next year. Let me just say this as one in attendance on Sunday evening and in attendance at the Shark's fan day no Shark's fan gave a rats where the players originated.Some came from NZ,Brisbane,Central Coast. Mackay.It did not diminish one iota the community euphoria for the players,who all happen to live in the Shire,and assist with community activities and charities.they have committed. You sir are grasping at the biggest straws possible ,from the haystack. Hell we had Capper,Hall,Plugger,Franklin all imports ,the local our lack of local identity gets lost when they play in the team. I sense desperation in your post, with obvious nitpicking.

Clipper, I have spelt out the drop happened in regionals.WIN does not have the alliance with 9,that may have been a factor.I'm admitting there was a drop in one area. You guys cannot admit ,fans snubs,nor the fact the Swan's Sydney audience was the lowest of the 5 G/F since 05. The fact is and you will not unsurprisingly accept it.The NRL grand final: WAS A RECORD FOR THE 5 CAP CITIES. In 2005 the AFL G/F involving the Swans had 4.8m ,this year with the Swans involved 4.1m viewers. Now I'm not Einstein but that is a decent percentage drop over 10 plus years,and with 50,000 member5s(a record) Media in quite a few places have acknowledged that the heartland areas of both codes ,held up the overall audiences.If you cannot accept that,you are spin consumed.

And my point Maestro,you don't have to.A more than fair sample from sport's shows and morning shows and indeed radio is a far better sample than people sining up asking for a voting opinion. Koch's reaction when they handed him a RLWC jumper,rolled his eyes.Did you not Samantha Armytage calling rugby league" a simple game,really a simple game". I am more than capable of discerning pot shots,when I hear them. Perhaps you can explain why the Back Page has a "comedian Schiller " Hawthorn fan,Spencer No 1 Swans fan,Kelly Underwood an AFL broadcaster,Crash Craddock(News somewhat balanced)and the moderator T .Squires ( Swans now and again Dragon's fan). Spencer played the NRL expert,admitting he watched only half the G/F game,then proceeded to have a shot at the oratory of NRL players.Underwood did not understand the clubs employ the players,the ARL can pick our choose who they want for the National squad.Now and again we get the token rl guest. My Melbourne contacts are not involved here,my aural organs and optics do the job for me. Ch7 are not a charity,they see ratings in the RLWC, " I'm playing the victim " LOL my team has just had a premiership win .I'm spelling out overt bias.You guys are so used to having a sport dominate every moving part of the day,wouldn't know balance if it hit you . I am comparing the amount of media coverage of AFL in this(non bubble city) ,with the NRL and yes even soccer. The facts are ANZ Stadium said the demand for the G/F was such,they could have easily sold another 20,000 seats.The Metro ratings for the 5 caps,show the author to this thread,is on a different planet.

The Swans normally acknowledge their fan base - win or lose the day after - but having a big fan day at the SCG on GF day maybe the Trust drew the line as they have cricket coming up? Who knows - there was probably a reason but you wouldn't give them the benefit of the doubt - you are clutching at straws. BTW you criticize the AFL draft yet the NRL tried to introduce one but was knocked over in court (again bad goveranance - Semi playing the PM's 13?). I note there was one junior playing on NRL GF day whereas the day before there were at least 8 playing in the AFL GF.

CC My point is you cant watch Channel 9, ABC News 24, Channel 10, listen to radio, read every newspaper while watching the evil Fox and Seven. You look for bias and obviously find it whilst ignoring other areas of bias the other way.

cc - don't think you can compare a drop of 3% from the previous Swans GF to a drop of 30% for the NRL finals series - that's quite a difference.

Maestro. That is plain silly. So I am apparently incapable of watching Sunrise in the mornings,Back Page on a Tuesday night,Offsiders on a Sunday morning,and buy the Australian and read sport on the media websites.I have a fair idea what bias is all about ,yes I am biased with my sport,but I expect a sport's show to at least be even handed and morning show ditto. I had better get my eyesight,my memory,my Tv remote control checked,and reacquaint myself with my newsagent,because I'm a creation of my imagination.I can't be watching programs on at different times wow. Of course I'm at the U.N ,trying to solve the Syria crisis ,damn time consuming it is.

Outlandish LOL , Emric suggest you had better speak to many AFL club CEOs with a differing view to yours.You had better bag the AFL media at the same time,Don't blame me.I'm just a messenger. So you failed once again to understand the point being made. Also for your edification,I have stated I am aware clubs secure funding from ticket revenue ,sponsorship et al.Scoop .GWS and the Suns are not the only AFL and NRL sporting clubs to secure these types of revenue.I spent years in marketing ,it costs. Whether the $20m extra (which the other clubs are not receiving) is used for accommodation,star players top ups ,free tickets,promotion, schools whatever ,the fact is the other clubs are are not in the same ball park.FHS all clubs cost money to operate,these expansion clubs received extra and you appear to be denying it. Plus I repeatedly state GWS crack $2.3m pa from the ACT Govt for 10 years to play what(3 games a year).Nic work if you can get it. The Storm received an extra couple of $m to assist them in the past. You can spin it on your head,on one foot,from a great height.It is what it is. You don't;even read my prior acknowledgements that i'm aware of what it can be used for.Why me bother debating . The trouble is with you evangelists ,your code can't be questioned ,it's what the AFL "book says".At least some within your code like Maguire ,and the former Liberal Hawthorn head ,have the bottle to do so.

Well Clipper. if they didn't hold a fan day ,for the fans,they snubbed them plain and simple. So their fans thought it a great idea.LOL. FHS the Sharks had the club open and a special area outside for the fans to watch the game,with the big screen. Sorry it comes across as a snub,when you lose a game,and not at least acknowledge the passionate fans the next day for their support.The Storm did it in a city ,where they are small fry.Perhaps the Swans could take a leaf out of their book. So no one on the footy tab complained ,a case of being yes men,or not caring.Mate seriously it was bad PR,no matter what spin you apply. NRL clubs would be bagged for doing it. The fine spring day,so the 4 prior ones were all wet and windy.Maybe that's why the regionals for the NRL were down for my spin.Or because WIN TV last the 9 rights to the NRL G/F.I thought they were all devoted to the club.

Emric Give you one guess ,try the influence of News Ltd.that well known sporting authority,who became part owners of the NRL. Any true rl administrator with half a brain would not have done it.Trouble was News had the money the ARL did not.

CC One final point - if Manly and Norths hate each other so much whose genius decision was it for them to merge??

CC WE are here to clarify your more outlandish statements regarding other codes eg the AFL puts $20m into the Giants - it costs $20m to run an AFL club but you ignore willfully the $$ generated from ticket sales, membership, sponsorship, TV rights, AFL club distribution etc. maybe there is some money in there for AFL activities in Sydney where there are 60 adult teams and hosts of juniors in an expanding market and maybe they hide it in marketing you know like the Storm during at least 2006-2010

My point is you cannot watch all media - ie if you are watching Sunrise (last week- where they detest RL apparently but have the RLWC next year) you cant watch Today on the RL network. I notice soccer got headline billing in the SMH today so assume Westfiled is back on board - my point is you are playing the victim when surely there is bias across the media landscape on both sides and you cant monitor all the media to get a balanced view (talking to your Melbourne friends is not scientific analysis)

cc - the so called snubbing is your own creation, haven't seen anyone on the footy tab complaining about it - they did have free entry to the SCG to watch the game and the CEO sent a note of thanks to all members. I have already commented that the differing ratings are due to the fine spring day,by not having the GF in prime time you are at the mercy of casual fans finding other ways to spend the afternoon, far more people are captive in prime time. But not to worry, increasing the membership to 56k and having a 20k higher attendance than any NRL team in Sydney shows that there is plenty of support there - GWS even recorded a 20% growth in attendance - perhaps saturation may be a little way off - once they get a 30% decrease in finals attendance, you may have a point.