In a historic first, on Friday night, the New South Wales Waratahs played in Newcastle. Bloody wild, right?
A team that call themselves ‘New South Wales’ went outside of Sydney!
It’s almost as though – and indulge me here, it’s ridiculous, but I’m just having a bit of fun – people live in parts of NSW that aren’t Moore Park.
And on Friday night, for the first time in the Super Rugby era – we’re talking 20-plus years – the New South Wales Waratahs were benevolent enough to play a competition game in a city that is home to a huge portion of what their name purports to be their base.
I know, I know, there’s no winning with me, right?
Many years ago I asked the question: “Isn’t it time the NSW Waratahs started actually representing the entire state?”
And now the Tahs bring a game to the Hunter, and I’m having a whinge.
Dickhead.
But if the SFS wasn’t a building site right now, there is no chance they would have taken a game ‘away’ to what is obviously a home ground.
Whatever, we’ll take what we can get.
So what bone do they throw us? A fixture against the team that has been designated surplus to requirement.
It’s not NSW Rugby’s fault that the Sunwolves are getting the chop in 2020, but a big part of the reason the Japanese franchise are on death row is because they’re the competition easybeats.
Yes, yes, there’s more to it than that, but let’s call a spade a spade: the people of the Hunter were not given the chance to see World Cup winning legends. We got a side that had never won a match on Australian soil before.
As much was obviously apparent to the NSW coaching staff when they announced during the week: “As part of the World Cup player management agreement in place, [coach Daryl] Gibson has opted to rest Wallabies players Bernard Foley, Jack Dempsey and Adam Ashley-Cooper.”
So we have to play outside of Sydney’s eastern suburbs? Fine. We’ll give you a game against a team that suck and three of our best players will sit it out.
You’re welcome, Newcastle.
I’d be even more of a dickhead if I didn’t acknowledge the Sunwolves’ win – well done and well deserved, the doomed franchise finally scoring a victory in Australia.
But it’s the wrong kind of history.
This should have been 25,000 people watching the Tahs take it to Beauden Barrett and the Canes. Instead, a second-string side lost to the perennial wooden spooners.
Shockingly, only 12,000-odd people showed up. Which means the Waratahs as a business are probably thinking that it’s going to be a case of one and done – “We were right to never bring games to Newcastle, you don’t even care.”
(AAP Image/Lukas Coch)
But if you’re selling a shit sandwich, is it a surprise when you don’t get many customers?
The kicker is that this is such an easy win for the Waratahs. I’m pulling my hair out here – it’s so. Fuckin. Easy.
A million-odd people live in the Hunter and we love watching people chase an egg-shaped ball. Doesn’t even matter if those doing the chasing aren’t crash hot – the Knights averaged 14,457 at home games in a year we won once!
And while it’s a league town, there’s a healthy appetite for rugby union – thousands are at the No.2 Sportsground when the Wanderers play Merewether Carlton (tens of thousands if Eddy MacDonald was soaring over blokes in blue to take line-outs).
So the idea that the Tahs are doing us a favour by turning up is beyond insulting, and using a term like ‘rural’ is ridiculous (apparently Bernard Foley was devastated to miss this game, because he’s a country boy – which is relevant because from the top of Braye Park you can see four cows).
Newcastle has one of the biggest populations in Australia. A Tahs game here isn’t an exercise in ‘giving back’, it’s a chance to make heaps of money by recruiting fans and sponsors in a city that has a skyline littered with cranes.
There are so many fish, just use decent bait.
The Waratahs need only turn up and show their fans a bit of respect. The latter was lacking this weekend.
JamesDuncan
Roar Guru
Thought-provoking and a good chuckle! Although it's unlikely to happen when the SFS is re-erected, it'd be good to see more games elsewhere. North Sydney Oval, please...
Noddy
Guest
I would just to say that I have been a tahs fan since I was 14 and I am now 45 and I was so excited to hear that a super rugby game was coming to Newcastle its been a long time coming and I thought how good it would be to see my team play in my town it don't get any better than this. I was so disappointed they didn't play there full team which I could understand but they as the honey bagger would say they were like the kid that fell out of the tree they just weren't in it I thought Newcastle deserved better than that they did not deserve to win at all were they just pissed that they were not in Sydney. and then at the end of the game I would have thought and many other fans did the same wait for there team to walk around and say thanks to Newcastle but they couldn't they just went straight in the sheds disappointing all the kids and fans that wanted to show there thanks and they ditched us bloody piss poor I always thought rugby players were a bit better than that I guess it was a Sydney thing again. maybe we are booting out the wrong team the sunwolves made more of a effort to see there fans. is it any wonder that the crowds are falling at Australian rugby games who would want to go and pay for that. the tahs need to pull there heads out of there arseholes and remember that there are fans outside of Sydney.
Colc69
Roar Rookie
It was just the poor web site. I had a similar response , it took a little to persist to get a ticket. Like so many ticketing you have to proceed before you find all the options. Do worry, you saved yourself about $50.
catcat
Roar Rookie
I live in Newcastle follow rugby league, but also enjoy union. I went to buy tickets and they were only selling Waratahs members only on ticketek. So I didn't bother. I thought this game would sell out and be a huge event here.....small crowd was a surprise
Hertryk
Roar Rookie
The Force weren't given 19 years to find out.. Thank God for Twiggy to keep our beloved game in Western Australia. At least they continue to grow grass roots, something RA just didn't want to know.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Sorry I was wrong. I was looking at something based on 2015 census data. Apparently it's around 680k now. 260k ex Newcastle and 440k in Newcastle. Still a long way off 1M.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Yeah it's Rugby Australia. Teams like the Reds are paying players to play better for their opponents, and they ultimately decide the direction of RA - but it's all RA...
Hertryk
Roar Rookie
What sort of crowds rock up in Sydney to Watch the Tahs play, or Canberra to watch the Brumbies.. ????
Hertryk
Roar Rookie
The Western Force scorched the Tah's 40-11 in the last game before their axing. I call it Karma. Rugby Australia are killing the game, if they haven't done so already!!
Chronicle
Roar Rookie
I don’t know where you get your numbers Twas but with Lack Macquarie est 200k Maitland 90k and Newcastle 590k I am pretty sure that the rest of the Hunter region would give the million a run for its money certainly more than 500k which Newcastle exceeds on its own
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
The Sunwolves or the Waratahs?
Max power
Guest
Correct, it’s not a second division , it’s more like a 4th division Such a great history the Force, almost made a semi once
Max power
Guest
How many finals series did the force make ? Great game against “south China” this weekend
Daveski 2.0
Roar Rookie
Actually I pretty much do ! On Jones and Cottrell at least. I'd like to see Isi play a couple more game like that however as what we saw on Fri night harked back to 2016-17 Force form when he burst on to the scene. I think 8 is intetesting. Also would be happy with McCaffrey right now or Holloway.... three vastly different players.
Markie362
Guest
So the rebels have never made a final so we shouldnt watch them either.let people enjoy what they want.go moondoggies
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
What location is accessible to that 35%? One location is accessible to over half the population. No other location has even 10% of the population. There’s one location, that services the majority of the population. Why is it a surprise they base themselves and play all their games there instead of being a travelling road show which would kill memberships?
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Daveski I don’t see any team going around appealing to population bases that represent less than 10% of the State. Some NRL games are played in the country. But there’s 2 factors: 1. More home games; 2. Regional councils pay them to play there. Some AFL teams take games to other regions also. Same 2 points apply. The Waratahs have 8 home games. Gotta make them count. And it would be pretty foolish to shun 65% of New South Wales to play somewhere that caters to less than 10%.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
It’s an own goal by RA even though the stadiums run operations for all tenants?
Double Agent
Guest
Hey Joe!! How many games have the NSW Rugby League team played in League Mad Newcastle?? Those fans must be Absolutely Seething that State of Origins aren't played in the Hunter. Turning their back on League...
Colc69
Roar Rookie
Wow , if that is this case, then that is an own goal by RA . If they didn't have any input , then that is clear confirmation of the spirit of Joe Frost's article.