Formerly known as Eastern Suburbs, the Roosters are a foundation club that rank third in titles won, with 13 – only South Sydney and the St George Dragons have more. But does this big club have many fans?
I know my brother follows them. I know my cousin supports them, I saw the 2013 grand final with him when they beat Manly. My neighbour wears a Roosters top when he gets the chance.
In all, the Roosters had 15,686 members in 2017 – good for third-last among the Sydney clubs. Although they averaged 16,769 people per game, these numbers are misleading.
They were the designated home team for the Anzac clash against the Dragons which attracted 40,000. They also drew 21,000-plus against Melbourne in Adelaide and 20,000-plus against Cronulla on the Central Coast.
Other than this, their biggest home game crowd – apart from the finals – was against South Sydney in Round 18, when 16,245 attended.
So the Roosters get a massive crowd for the Anzac match, an event that would attract a similar attendance if two other teams played. If it was the Dogs versus Dragons at the Olympic stadium, the crowd would be more significant.
Also, for the crowds in Adelaide and Central Coast, one wonders if these markets were just starved for rugby league. Would the crowds have been bigger if someone other than the Roosters were playing?
Then the match against Souths, which is a home game in name only. Most people east of Anzac parade follow the Rabbitohs. I’ve been to these games in the past and can categorically state that more Souths fans are present.
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However, success will follow the Roosters, because some very high-end individuals love the club. Led by Nick Politis, these men and women have done all in their power to provide the administration, the coaches and the players with the best of everything.
The result for the fans is that the Chooks will field dominant teams and be consistent into the future. Though, apart from the odd season here and there, where there will be a disappointment in their performance, the club will always be very close come grand final day.
So where to from here?
For Easts, all that is needed to is to stay the course. A rebuild of the SFS will enhance the viewing of rugby league and hopefully increase their crowd support. Regardless, the club is on the right path.
Personally, I don’t feel that the club adds anything to Sydney, and relocating to Adelaide or the Central Coast would be better for the game. However, if they are to stay, they should revert to the traditional name and logo of the Eastern Suburbs Roosters.
Allen morphett
Guest
Mate your comments are ludicrous we the roosters are the only team that has been here since day 1 played every year every game teams like sharks Souths I could go on awe constantly average better crowds even bulldogs but yet you say to relocate the only foundation club that's been there since day 1
At work
Roar Rookie
Totally agree they should go back to being called Eastern Suburbs. Also you can't cherry pick games to which make up their average attendances, you may as well remove home games from the Dogs or Parra when they play each other. Or Dragons we we host the ANZAC day game, or Melbournes ANZAC day game, the list goes on. Personally I would prefer to keep them where they are and move Souths to the Central Coast, Adelaide or even better to NSW Cup.
madmax
Guest
lolol........les maea or les bian
Pickett
Guest
'Name local juniors since the under 8s that play in the main team?' Beastie boy, tell me which team in the NRL has a junior that has played with them since 8 years of age?
les maea
Guest
Ah, here come the Roosters the best you've ever seen, the red white and bluesters, the Eastern Suburbs team. Yeah baby! Cronk is no.1
Squidward
Roar Rookie
Wayne Pearce?
Squidward
Roar Rookie
And that Souths stunk all year and rabbits supporters are a fickle bunch didn’t help
3_Hats SSTID 2014
Roar Rookie
Now go back and do that for 2014 and the Rabbitohs are Number 1 Season by Season those stats do change! Everything goes in Cycles! Playing Home games in Sydney on a Thursday and Friday at 6 pm massively reduces a clubs total Home Crowd Average. The Rabbitohs had 5 such games. The Rabbitohs game in Perth was pouring rain and got 6,000 fewer fans than in previous seasons. Good Friday was the Dogs home game and a 35k plus crowd. In 2018 it will be Souths turn to Host. For total away crowds the Rabbitohs were Number 2, not just in Sydney but in the NRL. All these factors also help to reduce a clubs Home Crowd Average!
BeastieBoy
Guest
Many reasons. They don't support any juniors to speak of. Even the junior teams they have lack any financial or technical support. They have bought bar takings and junior teams up near Gosford, so what area do they represent. They show NO loyalty to players e.g. Shaun Kenny Dowell and Wayne Pearce. They give the impression of a rich mans plaything, which Australians do not like. Name local juniors since the under 8s that play in the main team? So whats to like?
Pickett
Guest
Another 'Let's relocate the Roosters' article..... Let the hate keep coming. Revenge..dish..cold and all that I agree about going back to being called Easts. It's a mouthful, but no more than Wests Tigers. And it carries less baggage than 'Eastern Suburbs'. League thrives on tribalism. Go Easts.
Big Daddy
Guest
Riley, I doubt wether they will buy wyong. Woy Woy was in severe financial problems and roosters bought it purely as a commercial decision. CCLC I don't really know. Wyong are making in excess of 3 million plus per year. Last year was 11 million. Why would they hand that over when they are doing so much for the community and rugby league in general.
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
Everybody has a different way to measure crowds. Some measure off home games, some measure off their crowds at home games in Sydney. It completely depends on which metric you use. True Average (all home games) - 1. Roosters (15,387), 2. Eels (14,346), 3. Bulldogs (14,039), 4. Wests Tigers (13,551), 5. Sea Eagles (13,493), 6. Dragons (13,334), 7. Sharks (12,953), 8. Panthers (12,922), 9. Rabbitohs (10,903) Sydney Average (Sydney home games) - 1. Eels (14,562; 11 games), 2. Bulldogs (14,384; 11 games), 3. Roosters (14,309; 10 games), 4. Wests Tigers (13,551; 12 games), 5. Panthers (13,303; 11 games), 6. Sharks (12,9531; 12 games), 7. Dragons (12,605; 8 games), 8. Sea Eagles (11,153; 10 games), 9. Rabbitohs (10,819; 10 games) Trimmed Mean (excludes highest and lowest home game) - 1. Eels (15,986), 2. Panthers (13,195), 3. Bulldogs (12,759), 4. Sharks (12,702), 5. Wests Tigers (12,483), 6. Dragons (11,996), 7. Roosters (11,888), 8. Sea Eagles (11,597), 9. Rabbitohs (10,625) Highest Attendance - 1. Roosters (40,864 vs Dragons), 2. Bulldogs (35,984 vs Rabbitohs), 3. Wests Tigers (30,901 vs Eels), 4. Eels (28,249 vs Wests Tigers), 5. Dragons (21,582 vs Bulldogs), 6. Sharks (20,497 vs Bulldogs), 7. Panthers (18,848 vs Dragons), 8. Rabbitohs (16,976 vs Wests Tigers), 9. Sea Eagles (14,564 vs Roosters) Lowest Attendance - 1. Sea Eagles (4,189 vs Knights), 2. Rabbitohs (6,123 vs Warriors), 3. Eels (6,826 vs Titans), 4. Wests Tigers (6,891 vs Titans), 5. Roosters (7,121 vs Knights), 6. Dragons (7,283 vs Panthers), 7. Bulldogs (7,412 vs Broncos), 8. Sharks (7,912 vs Storm), 9. Panthers (8,727 vs Bulldogs) % under 10,000 - 1. Bulldogs (4/11, 36%), =2. Roosters (3/10, 30%), Rabbitohs (3/10, 30%), 4. Dragons (2/8, 25%), 5. Sea Eagles (2/10, 20%), 6. Eels (2/11, 18%), =7. Sharks (2/12, 17%), Wests Tigers (2/12, 17%), 9. Panthers (1/11, 9%) Of course I have neglected home/away total, away support in Sydney, membership, stadium capacity, performance, finals games, ratio of pets to humans, etc. There are multiple ways to skin a cat and as you can see, each comes up with different results. My final aggregate for Sydney crowds based on the aforementioned figures is based on a points system i.e. 9 points for best, 1 point for worst in each category. Hence: 1. Parramatta Eels (41) 2. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (38) 3. Penrith Panthers (36) =4. Sydney Roosters (35)/Wests Tigers (35) 6. Cronulla Sharks (32) 7. St George Illawarra Dragons (26) 8. Manly Sea Eagles (16) 9. South Sydney Rabbitohs (9)
Danny
Guest
Poor old Stumpy, can't grasp two concepts at once. I'll break it down for you separately so you can understand.... 1) Yes, the Roosters averaged the fourth highest crowds, and no one is disputing that. 2) what you are failing to understand, and what everybody else that has read the article doe, THE ROOSTERS AVERAGED THE FOURTH HIGHEST CROWD BECAUSE IT WAS ARTIFICIALLY BOOSTED BY THE ANZAC DAY MATCH, THE TWO "HOME" GAMES IN ADELAIDE AND CENTRAL COAST AND THE ONE AGAINST SOUTHS THAT DREW MORE RABBITOHS FANS THAN EASTERN SUBURBS / SYDNEY CITY / SYDNEY ROOSTERS FANS. Put simply, if you take those four games out they ended up averaging a dismal 10,747 "fans" per game for their eight other home games at SFS.
Rob
Guest
Yeah but a population of people who already support other teams? A Manly supporter in Gosford isnt going to give up their team because one relocates to the area. It didnt work for North Sydney...
Charles Brandling
Roar Rookie
The Roosters management are just smart with attracting crowds. People in Adelaide or the Central Coast are not likely to be die-hard fans of a certain club and so taking games there, the supporter base can be increased. It also helps the crowd statistics and makes the club look more popular than it currently is. As for relocating, the Roosters are the longest standing club and as a fan, I'd be seriously disappointed with this sort of move. The NRL should focus less on stadium advancements and more on the possible expansion for another team to join the competition.
Stumpy
Guest
"lack of support by fans" ? They averaged the fourth highest crowds in the NRL in 2017 and the highest of any Sydney team. Need to get your Roosters talking points correct.
Stumpy
Guest
The Roosters in fact had the fourth highest crowd average in the NRL in 2017 and the highest of all the Sydney clubs.
Mike from tari
Guest
I notice the Roosters fans calling this a bagging have not bothered to address what the writer was getting at, the lack of support by fans, I would be interested for these people to tell us why, is it because the Eastern Suburbs are now full up with rich private school boys & men who follow the Rah Rahs.
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
The club is in the best position for relocation in terms of fanbase yet their corporate brand is so strong. What I can see happening, and think will eventually occur soon is a possible rebrand back to Eastern Suburbs accompanied by 4 home games a year on the Central Coast. If the Roosters are smart, they will begin to expand their presence on the Central Coast and continue to buy into the region through leagues clubs (they already have Woy Woy and I would imagine that Central Coast Leagues and Wyong may be in their sights).
Mark Campbell
Roar Guru
I agree that any relocation of the Roosters is wishful thinking. In saying this, I do think that out of any of the Sydney clubs, they would be the best fit for any possible relocation. Again, it won't happen. The clubs main corporate support lies in the Eastern Suburbs and the city of Sydney. I think a re-brand to Bondi was once under discussion, but obviously never happened. However, I do know some Easts fans that would love a name change back to the traditional Eastern Suburbs brand.