Consolidation is the key to the NRL enjoying excellent crowds every weekend once Western Sydney Stadium and Allianz Stadium are brought up to scratch.
At the moment, we have suburban grounds that are long past their use-by-date (Leichhardt Oval, Lottoland), have extremely limited parking available for families (pretty much every small suburban ground), or are too far away for opposition fans to travel to (my first live NRL game was at Penrith Stadium, and I shan’t be travelling there again any time soon).
To solve this crisis, the NRL needs to bite the bullet and consolidate home grounds.
Western-based teams (Tigers, Bulldogs, Eels, Panthers) must play all their home games at the new Western Sydney Stadium, which will hopefully enjoy a more attractive name in the near future.
An artist’s impression of Western Sydney Stadium (supplied)
Eastern and Southern teams (Roosters, Souths, Sharks, Dragons, as well as the Sea Eagles) will play at Allianz Stadium.
The downside is that clubs give up home-ground advantage, but that’s a bit of a myth, seeing as most crowds are fairly quiet during games, apart from the usual “get em onside”. Crowds in Australia are nowhere near as vocal as those in England, watching the soccer.
So if you have 15,000 fans packed into Kogarah, but they aren’t making too much noise, where is the home advantage? As a Dragons fan, I’ve been to plenty of Kogarah games and apart from about 20 members of the Dragons Army, there isn’t too much singing or chanting to create a really hostile atmosphere.
That aside, clubs also lose a sense of community by no longer playing home games in their local area, or do they?
The Rabbitohs have been homeless for 20 years, but enjoy record membership. The Bulldogs throw a token game Belmore’s way, but have largely abandoned their spiritual home, as have the Tigers.
The Dragons still take games to Wollongong, where they also train at the university, as well as Kogarah, but both grounds lack facilities like free WiFi, parking, public transport access, etc.
I was considering taking my dad to the Dragons-Tigers match later this year, but he is getting on a bit, and I’m not too sure I’d want him walking up Jubilee Avenue post game.
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By playing their home games at a neutral venue, clubs are really looking after their fans by way of first-rate facilities, comfortable seating, easy access to and from the ground, and it would bring the game into the 21st century. Free public transport for anyone going to these venues would also attract fans.
For me, it would mean extra travel from Port Kembla to Allianz Stadium, but is that really such a big ask? If I get to see my team run around in one of the best stadiums in the country, then no, not really.
Fans will protest of course, the really angry ones will only type in capital letters, but most won’t be able to come up with an alternative. What we can all agree on is that getting 13,000 fans in a stadium that can fit 80,000 cannot be allowed to continue.
Rick
Guest
Anybody who was at Leichhardt Oval last week would give the lie to being past it's use by date. 13,000+ fans ensured a great atmosphere for the game - as indeed there always is at Leichhardt. No other ground has the configuration that has the fans right on top of the actual football. As the commentators indicate at every Leichhardt game the atmosphere is electric. The game needs Leichhardt and other local home games. Those cavernous stadiums are soulless places that do nothing for the game in general or the players who have to play there.
Adam
Guest
Actually at the time of their booting, they were a basket case on and off the field. It's only been recently that they have become successful. In fact it took them 5 seasons to actually make the finals upon their return.
Your kidding
Guest
Are the current stadiums really that ordinary? With a good game and a reasonable crowd I've thought the experience has been quite good. Allianz could do with a bit of a spruce up and that's it. It's up to the NRL and clubs to fill them.
BrainsTrust
Guest
Cronulla was one of the more recent to get government funding. Geelongs ground has easily received about 10 times the money that has been put into rugby leagues suburban grounds. Kogarah is the most modernised but has limited seats. Cronulla has more seating with different aged stands and I would rate that the best . Generally your looking at different aged stands , limited seating with hill areas taking about half the capacity. Instead of demolishing whole grounds and building designer stadiums at exorbitant expense all that needs to be done is to put up an extra grandstand increasing seating and corporate facilities.
Fred
Guest
Terrible article - Leichhardt Oval is past its use by date according to who? Not the fans! Sydney is not Melbourne! We like suburban grounds.
clipper
Guest
Don't they use the Adelaide oval for cricket - surely that's the same as sharing a ground with another code. Parramatta Stadium will be mostly used for league and Football, just 2 sports. I do recall that the AFL put some money into those grounds you mentioned - how much has the NRL stumped up so far? Notice you didn't comment on the community/member owned point.
BA Sports
Roar Guru
Randy, I don't want teams playing out of suburban grounds like Redfern, Brookvale and Leichhardt. But The league can exist with Allianz, Parramatta, ANZ (ideally modified). Then Penrith and Cronulla with a bit of renovation over time are okay - Kogarah and WIN are okay too though Kogarah isn't the best viewing ground. If Souths never got re-instated (IMO) we would probably have had a team in WA for going on 20 years. That would mean the game would be 20 years further on in developing grass roots in WA and 20 years on in building a connection to the local market. That is at least 3-4 TV deals which would have been worth more money - all of which could have been invested back in the game and with the mining boom having been and gone over there, who knows what sort of corporate money could have been injected into the game in that time. Instead, all of that is missed opportunity and we all wait for the NRL and when it decides to go to a new market and we to have to go through the pain of pulling a team out of Sydney all over again with all the animosity that causes and what it will cost the game.
RandyM
Guest
Souths have the most paying members in Sydney and are one of the only clubs that turn a profit most years so you really have no idea do you. Oh but they don't have their own suburban ground anymore so they shouldn't be in the comp, gee whiz.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
It's in fact shell of a lot about geography and an antiquated transport network and infrastructure in Sydney. Sydney is much bigger area wise than Melbourne with poor transport for example to the Manly/Nthn Beaches area.No direct lines to ANZ at Homebush,no after game entertainment of any consequence. Melbourne in regards to transport and roads and trains direct to major stadiums leaves Sydney for dead. The Melbourne stadiums are code specific, all up to date.MCG,Etihad and even Allianz.And all seaters with comfort for the fans. The major Sydney stadiums are missing one or two of those aspects. Rugby league and rectangular codes indeed are better than AFL on TV ,by the very nature of the games. Melbourne people are indeed sports mad as attendees.Give people decent facilities for a start.It helps. Sydney can get 80,000 plus to a City to Surf.Pack out stadiums for overseas acts.Get huge crowds for Sydney to Hobart yacht race.Packed ANZ for International soccer.Carols by Candlelight ditto. People will attend for special events ,but hold back on a week to week basis when the stadiums are ordinary.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
How many international soccer matches are played there, how many football codes other than AFL?The argument with full football stadiums is one thing. However rectangular stadiums are used by 3 codes' couple with decent International games. The major stadiums in existence in Sydney are either:- 1) Non rectangular IOW not codes' specific It should have been rectangular after the OPs,but a certain code ensured it remained able to handle an oval sport. 2)One antiquated with ordinary facilities for patrons.particularly for women and families. Then we have Spotless,Carrara and now the Gabba,with small crowds for AFL games.No problem with State Govts splashing the cash there,for the use by one football code.Yes that's all OK,nothing to see here. When teh Stadium at Parramatta is built,the crowds for rectangular codes will support it,rtahre than the current mess.
Alicesprings
Guest
Will be interesting to see if that average is maintained once origin is done and dusted.
Alicesprings
Guest
Often hear the argument that because the Melbourne AFL clubs are supposably based around the CBD, ground rationalisation therefore makes sense. Might have made sense in the 1920's but today thats an irrelevant argument - not to mention that the vast majority of their supporters come from outside their traditional suburban base. Wouldn't matter if those AFL clubs were spread across Melbourne (like NRL clubs are in Sydney) they would still be playing out of the MCG and Etihad today.
Your kidding
Guest
Spending a fortune at ANZ is pointless. Western Sydney Stadium will be close by and should be used by more teams other than Parramatta and Wanderers. It will be a good size for Rugby League games. Allianz when rebuilt should be used by more NRL teams than just the Roosters. Taxpayers deserve a decent return on their investment.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Source?
Rellum
Roar Guru
You strike me as someone with a vested interest in a Sydney Stadium rebuild.
Adam
Guest
I will agree with you that Souths shouldn't have been allowed back in to an already overcrowded Sydney market. Other teams have folded, forced into mergers, Souths get a golden ticket back in to play games in the middle of nowhere.
Adam
Guest
You're referring to me obviously and I'm not getting defensive just explaining my point of view to those that disagree. It's a healthy debate which I'm happy to see generated from my article.
AR
Guest
It’s not just about geography. Melbourne suburbs (take Hawthorn and Footscray for eg), are as far spread out as any city. They key difference between the cities is culture. People from Melbourne are sports mad. They follow their club week in week out. They turn up. In massive numbers. Ditto art events. Ditto museums or music or comedy festivals or whatever. People from Sydney do not. They generally (culturally speaking) prefer to stay at home and watch on telly.
AR
Guest
“The AFL in general draws the crowds to justify it though.” That’s the key point. In fact, it’s the only relevant point. I’ve got no problem with Adelaide Oval being 100% State Govt funded when: - both clubs are member/community-owned: and - Adelaide Oval is filled with 45,000 people every wknd through winter.
AR
Guest
“The suburban grounds have had hardly any money poured into them and are mostly run down..” You must be joking. Every single suburban NRL club in Sydney (with the exception of Shark Park) has built and funded with public money for decades.