Right now, match attendances are rank. So what is the NRL doing to force more people to attend against their will?
Experts say one way to fix the crowds is to get more people to congregate at games.
The NRL must employ this strategy forthwith, especially considering they are currently skint enough to be borrowing cash, hocking clubs and bumming smokes.
People have coin, and this is why Todd Greenberg needs the crowds back. Not for atmosphere, not for appearances, but to make as much money as humanly possible at their expense.
However, this will only happen once certain insidious factors preventing attendance are eliminated. Will the NRL have the stones to make the below changes?
Abolish television
Some say telly is the game’s chief source of revenue and a crucial platform for reaching new markets, but really, it’s choking the game with a noose of greenbacks.
A prompt cancellation of all television broadcasts will force the public to attend matches in person.
Until the people begin to flock, the networks can share one game a week. And just to prove seriousness, it will only be broadcast through Periscope. And that’s not Twitter’s video stream, I mean an actual periscope.
Abolish venues
Until ANZ Stadium is upgraded to dust or there are guarantees against detonating a kidney while waiting to pee at suburban grounds, venues will continue to be a human-repellent health risk.
We must make games more accessible by bringing them to the people. Play matches in more fan-friendly accessible venues, starting with living rooms and back patios.
Family homes provide all mod-cons like start-of-the-art roofing, screens and walk-in wardrobes for sheds. Better yet, they are roomier than Leichhardt Oval.
Abolish pricing
This does not mean opening the gates to allow the awaiting flocks of 8000-odd to overrun the Olympic Stadium. This is just a proposition to simplify ticketing with a basic one-size-fits-all model.
Ticketing must be streamlined to one category of prices capped at zero or free, whichever is lower. This model is based on historical demand.
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Abolish distance
There is no greater downer to the match day experience than being racially abused on a bus or catching hepatitis on a train.
All fans need to be personally collected from their doorstep and transported to the game, free of charge. Sure, it would be expensive, but it shouldn’t cost more than John Grant’s driver service.
Abolish appetites
The need for nourishment at football is the single most detrimental factor to attendances after those listed above. Unless you’ve got the spare cash to conduct a plebiscite, forget about a pie.
In light of this issue, those hungry or thirsty will be banned from attending matches. This includes binge drinkers, sugar addicts, comfort eaters and fun lovers.
On the other hand, complimentary seating upgrades will be provided to supermodels, vegans and other unsavoury types like narcotic addicts.
It’s simple; ban people from attending, and watch the crowds skyrocket.
Norad
Guest
Judging crowd numbers against the AFL cross country netball is ridiculous. Does the NBA cower at the NFLs crowd numbers? Is the NBA not a very big sporting comp. Get over it peeps. The NRL is the biggest crowds for any rugby comp in the world. NRL should folow NBA lead not AFL. Appropriate size venues that suit the sport and fan experience. The back bleaches in a 80K stadium may be ok for AFL but for league it is not worth the money.
Hanrahan
Guest
He said " The NRL is still the most attended rugby comp in the world". That is Rugby, which includes both League and Union. I am not sure he is correct but it probably is the most attended domestic club rugby comp, if you ignore the presence of the NZ side.
Boban Fett
Guest
You might be right about getting rid of the TV coverage. I remember hearing Bobby Despotovski say that one reason Perth Glory's crowds were so high from 1998-2004 was the NSL's TV "deal" with Channel 7. If you wanted to se him and Alistair Edwards/Gareth Naven/Ivan Ergic/Jamie Harnwell etc, you actually had to go to the games!!!
Marco
Guest
Prime time News reports in the media, on channel 7 and in the press. Broadcasters have just been busted using fake vision , to make crowds look bigger. Wonder if the reporters will now go in and count the crowds. That'll be interesting. It'd be pretty easy to do. Particularly at ANZ and Allianz.
Your kidding
Guest
But Rick, the NRL are pushing hard for building and renovating the big stadiums . This will come at a cost. The government should rightly insist that more games be played at the new stadiums and they will charge a premium rent . They have to get a return on their investment as the projects will be open to public scrutiny. Only a year ago many, many league supporters were pleading for new stadiums. Now they are struggling to get crowds the intimate suburban grounds seem attractive. The NRL better make up their mind of where to focus their attention. The deal to play at ANZ at the moment is very financially beneficial to the clubs that play there. I'm sure that same deal won't be in place if the government spends a billion dollars doing it up.
Steele Rabbit
Guest
Most Attended Rugby League comp on earth bec there is only 2. Great argument Rod!
Jeff Morris
Guest
That's hilarious. Can't stop lol'ing. Great ideas.
BigJ
Roar Guru
Wasn't offering to join your club im busy enough with the five i already got. Just wanted to know were your allegiances lie.
Rick
Guest
Abandon the soulless mega stadiums and play at suburban grounds. If all Tigers games were played at Leichhardt their attendance rates would be much higher than they are now. Campbelltown drags down our overall attendance figures and our win rate there is pathetic. A successful Tigers team playing all home games out of Leichhardt would boost crowds enormously. Not only the Tigers but the NRL would be on to a winner. Having the team play in jerseys with more brightly coloured gold and less funereal black would be an added attraction. The black and white minstrels may have been acceptable in their day but that time has long passed.
duecer
Guest
2.5% in itself isn't too bad, but when you factor in population growth and trends, then it becomes a worry. The big problem is now the plethora of choices Sydneysiders have - a few decades ago it was only RL or RU - RU has taken the biggest hit, mostly due to sticking with their exclusiveness, but both will be worried by this continual decline, especially as their market share keeps slipping each year in attendance and participation. It's all very well talking about expansion and relying on SoO, but when you lose your dominance in a heartland area, that should be your priority.
Kevin
Guest
Thought I would specify USA football stadia v's soley NFL... It's clear that much of the USA football stadia encourages commuting by car thus attendance figures are fantastic...google any photos of the iconic stadiums and you will see they are surrounded by a sea of asphalt ..we have the space ..but continue to insist on public transport which no one wants or cares for in Qld and NSW where the state's and cities are so decentralised
republican
Guest
...........unfortunately tele owns sport and is symbiotic of the obscene amounts of $ that perpetuate what is akin to tabloid entertainment. The best any of us can do is give up our pay tv subs and start attending our amateur leagues in number...........
marco
Guest
"The answer to poor crowds is more people", nice work Dane , haha. Could you forward your solution to Greenberg and his mates. I'm sure like everything else they will take it on board and exercise due diligence where needed and put it in their 5 year plan. And maybe action it in 10 years.
Alicesprings
Guest
Serious crowd fudging going on lately at ANZ stadium. NO way was there 6k there last night. Just like there wasn't 8k there last week. Why sacrifice attendance for the sake of a few extra dollars?? Truly bizarre. Fudged or otherwise the reported crowds for the regular season are down 2.5% or down 7.7% when you factor in finals.
fix the scrums
Guest
I don't think they even count these days. They just make up a number that seems to sound good enough to save a few jobs at NRL HQ. Imagine if they reported the real figure. The media would be attacking them from all sides. It reminds me of Donald Trumps whitehouse spokesman insisting the crowd is bigger than it actually is LOL!!
Beavis
Guest
Leave it the way it is. Between Dane's columns and whoever counts the crowds at ANZ stadium (and others) , the week is full of laughs. Fair dinkum last night you could count the numbers on each side and it was a lot less than 6.8K as they allege. At times it appeared (with trainers etc) there were more on the field than in the stands.
Agent11
Guest
More dad rock at games! jk I don't mind a bit of Doors or Pink Floyd. Why don't any NRL teams have a sing along at the start of the game like Liverpool FC or that cringey INXS song at Port Adelaide games. Imagine shark park all singing together "mona" by Craig Mclachlan.
Jacko
Guest
You will be fine Nat...The rules are Pants in public...Thats what my grandson tells me
Rod
Guest
The attendance of NFL game is reflective of the limited amount of games and population. There are 32 teams with a population of 330million Rugby league east coast 18 million 15 teams or around 1 million people per team Does the NFL get 10 x the crowds the NRL does which equate to 150k per game I know it's a little more complicated than that. But id argue AFL on per capita Is the most attended sport on earth. The NRL is still the most attended rugby comp in the world . It's the giant grounds it's played in that's the problems. Normal club games should not be played there . I
Your kidding
Guest
And the NRL want a say in building new stadiums. Who are they kidding. It's one of the biggest jokes in sport. The state government must be in a dilemma of what to do. Surely a new stadium will cost more to rent. Will the NRL be able to afford it? Now the suburban grounds are looking more attractive. Funny article.