Two games on consecutive days at ANZ Stadium last weekend each saw crowds of fewer than 7000 people.
On Thursday 17 August, just 6826 saw the Parramatta Eels beat the Gold Coast Titans 30-8.
The next day, Friday 18 August, 6213 people watched the South Sydney Rabbitohs get over the New Zealand Warriors 36-18.
Many were surprised that two teams boasting among the largest supporter bases in the NRL, Parra and Souths, would have such low crowds heading into the business end of the season – particularly when the Eels are pushing for finals for the first time since 2009.
There were also headlines about how poorly these attendances reflect on the game. How they suggest that rugby league is in trouble and how the game is losing ground to the likes of football and AFL.
I’ll be the first to admit that these crowd numbers were disappointing, but I’m certainly not concerned about rugby league’s position in the Australian sporting landscape.
There are plenty of reasons for the poor attendances.
Thursday night at 8pm is a difficult timeslot for families who need to get kids off to school the next day, while Friday at 6pm isn’t easy for people who finish work at 5pm.
The football can be expensive (despite plenty of clubs offering discounted ticket prices at various points throughout the season), plus it was cold and windy.
Then there’s that the Eels and Rabbitohs were playing teams based out of Sydney, so very few of the away supporters travelled to the game. And with Souths being out of finals contention, some of their fans might have clocked off to focus on next year.
We can talk about how disappointing crowds are and try to fix the issues I’ve set out above, but it doesn’t address the fundamental issue.
Rugby league is a television sport.
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I love being able to cheer on my team in person. I love the sense of community I feel when I go to my home bay every week. Most of all, I love singing the team song at the top of my lungs after a win.
But in terms of actually watching the footy, I don’t get much out of it when I’m there live. I’m one of those people who mainly watches the screen, because it’s too hard for me to follow from my seat. In fact, I’m so easily distracted by the people around me and what’s going on up and down the sidelines, that often I go home to watch the replay of the game that I’ve just watched live.
Contrast this to the AFL, which I struggle to watch at home on the couch.
On television, AFL is a mess. It looks like a bunch of men piling on top of each other. It’s disjointed and sloppy, and I have no idea of the bigger picture.
But a live game, when played correctly, very much looks like a dance with the players in perfect unison, making their way towards the goals.
Is it a problem rugby league is a television sport?
Yes and no.
We know that the TV deal brings a significant amount of money into the game, which is why the broadcaster currently has so much of a say about which games are played when.
While players and teams do not want to play in front of an empty stadium, hopefully next year, when the NRL has greater control over its schedule, it will give real thought about where and when games should be played.
Thinking such as when big venues like ANZ Stadium should be used – perhaps for big games, between clubs like the Eels and the Bulldogs, on a Saturday night? Or where the Friday 6pm game should be played – maybe in an area where many fans live close to the stadium, like Pepper Stadium, Suncorp Stadium or the new Parramatta Stadium once built.
Image by Chuq, Wikimedia Commons
There’s also been plenty of complaining about the current scheduling. But I have learnt in my time as a rugby league fan that no system pleases everyone. Some fans hate the 6pm fixture, because they are not home in time. Others hate Thursday night football and miss Monday night football.
Amongst the negativity, I’m putting my hand up as someone who likes the way that games are currently scheduled and to remind everyone that no matter what, there will be fans who are disappointed about when and where games are played.
I hated the scheduling last year.
I would come home tired on a Friday night and have to avoid social media, because two games were happening at once. Not only did I then have to watch a game on delay, I also had to stay up until 11:30pm to see them both.
The Monday night game was challenging too. It was always tricky to get away from work early enough to get there live, and it didn’t feel right starting off my week watching the footy.
Now my weekend starts on a Thursday night, when the footy kicks off. My weekend progresses knowing that I can watch all the games live and that I no longer have to worry about friends spoiling the results for me.
There are issues, but with the NRL having more control over when games are played next year, I’m sure we will see some improvement.
But just because our stadiums aren’t packed every single week does not mean our game is in dire straits.
Paul
Guest
But the Sydney Swans crowds are packed every game. It doesn't matter when they play, or what the weather is like. Also Giants support is growing in both Sydney and Canberra. There are no excuses that it's too expensive, or traffic or inconvenient time people just go because they want to. The problem is the NRL product. It is a low brow game played by criminals, housos and Polynesians who are all there for the $$$ eg.Jarryd Hayne. NRL has already lost Sydney the next battleground for AFL will be Brisbane & QLD.
Beny Iniesta
Guest
AFL Memberships hit new record in 2017 - The AFL has exceeded 900,000 members for the first time. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/collingwood-back-on-top-of-the-afl-membership-ladder/news-story/65f26c30edb7aa13d876e6a0ca10ada5 In official AFL figures seen by the Herald Sun, Collingwood has leapfrogged Hawthorn with 75,879 paid-up members as total AFL memberships rose 3.7 per cent. Twelve of the 18 clubs have made membership gains this year and 10 have reached record memberships. The Pies recorded a 1.6 per cent jump in membership to go ahead of Hawthorn (75,663), Richmond (72,669) and Essendon (67,768). But while Greater Western Sydney has recorded a sensational 37 per cent growth to rise to 20,944 members, Gold Coast’s figures are a cause for concern. The figures are based on numbers after the July 31 deadline and include only games-based memberships, not social memberships. The GWS figure of 20,944 would put it third among Sydney-based NRL clubs. TOTAL 907,561 875,197 +3.70% AFL Crowds set to break all-time attendance record this round - most likely on Saturday, perhaps it'll be the Geelong v GWS Giants game to break the record. https://afltables.com/afl/crowds/summary.html All-time record attendance for an AFL Home & Away season was in 2011 (first year of the Gold Coast) of 6,525,071 - an average of 34,893. Currently this year attendance is at 6,364,857 with 9 games to go. So a round crowd of 160,214 to break the record. Current average attendance is 33,676. Yes, GWS has obviously brought down the average attendance, but now as a more established club it's attendances are starting to rise, as are it's memberships. Should be a round crowd of 300,000 or so this weekend, so that record will easily be broken. Seems like the AFL is doing alright really?!? What's the NRL's excuse?
Republican
Guest
............I have read that tele viewing and subscriptions are way down which indicates a small revolution but cant vouch for AFL memberships. I would expect these to be down as well while gates are also on the decline I thought. Do you have stats to back this?
Beavis
Guest
Contact sports aren't for everyone so more kids swim and play video games and ride bikes etc - duh! Soccer was/is on FTA TV and rated test pattern....
Sport lover
Guest
Yet another fake headline on a rugby league story from The Rah.
Parra
Guest
A combination or geography, choice, weather and quality of stadiums all affect crowds. The Southern states have excellent facilities available including transport that makes getting to the game easier. I think scheduleing is an issue that should improve next year when NRL retakes ownership. I would like to see thurs, 6pm Friday and other timeslots that challenge fans to attend games assigned to those locations where fans can easily attend, such as the country regions, Canberra, Newcastle etc. This should improve crowds. Play more games at Suburban grounds for now until better facilites are developed. I agree RL grounds should be 20k venues. Historically this applies and i cant see this stat changing. RL is a television sport, all effort should be made to play the right game in the right venue. More atmosphere should improve the quality of the game and positively impact on ratings. More Sydney clubs especially the Roosters should play games in other parts of Oz like the game in Adelaide where 20k attended. This should improve crowds and interest in the game nationally. Some strategic thinking is required. ETC ETC
Beavis
Guest
The holy grail is having charge of the scheduling next year but even the Chairman concedes that the TV networks will still have a large say in the scheduling. Someone has to play at the awkward times but if you want to maximize your ratings that's the price you pay. The draw for the first 20 rounds is set in November so no-one knows what the big blockbuster games are going to be by mid-season though the NRL table is always close (courtesy of SOO and what Roy masters calls the entertainment factor of referees influence (SMH 13/8/2017) but it would seem a no-brainer to put on the big drawing clubs against each other at ANZ but the ANZ tenants have to play the minnows as well so a low drawing game on at an alleged bad time will look even worse in a big stadium. Not a way to attract sponsors and the smaller clubs need exposure at the good times as well to attract sponsors or they will go to the wall.
Beavis
Guest
NRL is 2 dimensional and if there is no-one there in a big stadium the atmosphere is funeral like. And that comes across on TV which is why it is important.
Beavis
Guest
Mike So Melbournites go to the footy because the weather is bad (cold raining) but the NRL blames the drop in crowds to a cold wet winter (rain is below average in Sydney/Brisbane for this winter)?? Which is it??
duecer
Guest
Thanks, AR, that is the point I'm making - by making your tickets cheap, you are instilling the idea that your 'product' is not as good as the competitors product - in the case of the finals, only half as good and you then get people to expect lower prices and so the circle goes.
Jeremy
Guest
Have a game in Newcastle every week. We'll go.
Tom G
Guest
My point is that a half full stadium with $30 tickets won't make as much as a full ground at $20. Improved atmosphere translates directly to sustained crowd increases and hence greater and more sustainable income
Josh
Guest
What you are saying is on tv you want a crowd. That crowd doesent need to be real though it can be faked and ur experience would be just as good if not better
Josh
Guest
I heard tjose rumours too but i dont have a problem with it. We all say footy is better on the tv with a big crowd in the background and fox are selling a tv product so they put a big crowd in the background so i as the viewer had a better experience which sounds good to me
Fix the scrums
Guest
The NRL is full of imports these days. No wonder the juniors are dropping off. It's now a full on tv sport with money dictating the direction the game takes. The players are just about to get a massive payday while crowds and ratings go down.
Marco
Guest
The reality is, the NRL is locked into Thursday nights. There was a big push from fans to get rid of Monday nights and switch to Thursdays. ANZ is a preferred stadium by many big clubs and the NRL. ANZ is in the heartland of league. People just don't seem to want to go to the game in big numbers. Even weekends at ANZ and other stadiums the crowds aren't great. It's not just Thursday night. Next year they may try a different schedule. And clubs might try a few new ideas to get bums on seats. But it looks like Thursday nights and Friday afternoon will stay.
Kilgore Trout
Roar Rookie
Football (Soccer) has always had better junior participation rates than any of the other football codes . I would estimate by at least 3 to 1 at most schools . It is safer and more inclusive to all kids irregardless of their size and body shape . If the dullards involved in soccer ever got the game on free to air TV the other codes would really be under fire . The changes to rugby league over the last 20 years have made it all about size and power . No wonder so many kids don't want to play . Until the NRL address the decline in the game at the junior level , it's only a matter of time until Rugby League doesn't attract any new fans at all and finds itself relegated to the profile it holds in countries like the UK and France . When it comes to crowd figures and empty stadiums... where do you start . TV deals and gambling revenue is up so who cares if the crowds are down . I've heard plenty of platitudes about the fans owning the game but I've seen very little action to address what ails them . Don't get me wrong ... I am a diehard and I love Rugby League , but I think the NRL administration is full of short sighted , backward thinkers on big salaries who are totally out of touch with their traditional fan base . Maybe they think the traditional fan base is holding the game back because they love the game but don't gamble on it .
Hunter
Guest
The NRL has seriously shot themselves in the foot with this scheduling. Would love to know who much extra cash it brought in for the TV rights. And conversely what the hit in crowds has cost NRL clubs. Short term financial gain but it will cost the code dearly in the long term.
Hunter
Guest
Some creative counting going on at the last couple weeks at ANZ thats for sure. These time slots are simply a sign of the situation that league finds itself in - desperate for cash and taking the easy short term approach. This at the expense of the long term. League will go the way of rugby in this country. Passionate support at the grassroots with no connect to the professional game.
rajiv
Guest
The real problem with increasing the appeal of RL is the unfortunate fact that modern Australia is largely an aspirational middle class place and while in the past working class pursuits had dignity that is now less and less the case . It is just a sad fact that so many of the prominent RL players present as low IQ individuals . People who see them as " my kind of people " are fewer and fewer