In Sydney, rugby is predominately a North Shore and Eastern Suburbs sport, with fans loath to travel further than ANZ Stadium in Homebush, and even then bitterly complaining about the distance.
That being the case, how will Waratahs fans accept tonight’s clash with the Sharks even further west in Parramatta at the new, state-of-the-art Bankwest Stadium?
Will they vote with their feet for a new experience, or keep their feet on the lounge room floor at home and watch it on television?
It will be a culture test.
The Bankwest Stadium has a capacity of 30,000, so anything less than 20,000 will be rated a failure by the Waratahs and Super Rugby.
The Tahs’ last match was against the Rebels at the SCG – a top-of-the-table Australian conference clash that drew a paltry 10,114 to see the home side fall over the line 23-20.
(AAP Image/ David Rowland)
A week later, the Roosters and Dragons drew 38,414 at the same venue.
Sure, it was an Anzac Day clash, but the fan bases of both clubs are much bigger than NSW’s Super Rugby outfit, who disappoint far too often.
It’s another vital game tonight for the hot and cold Waratahs, still four points adrift of the conference-topping Rebels, who have a bye this round.
Daryl Gibson’s men have a game in hand, so this will be the perfect time to pounce and share the conference lead.
With Israel Folau still missing ahead of his code of conduct hearing on May 4, Gibson has made only two changes from the Rebels game, with Curtis Rona added to the wing and the return of loose-cannon hooker Tolu Latu from six weeks’ suspension for dangerous play.
Hopefully he has learned his lesson to behave, and during the enforced holiday, vastly improved his poor line-out feeding.
Among the backs, halfback Jake Gordon has again been preferred to Nick Phipps – and so he should be – to set the Wallaby-laden back line in motion.
Winger Cameron Clark will be the only Waratahs back on tonight’s team sheet who’s yet to wear the Wallabies jersey, but he was an integral member of the Australian Sevens side from 2012 to 2016, competing in both the Olympic and Commonwealth Games.
If there’s to be a question mark, it will be the Waratahs’ pack, with five of the eight yet to be selected for Wallabies duty.
But the remaining three are old hands, with Sekope Kepu boasting 101 Test caps, Rob Simmons 92, and Michael Hooper 91.
(Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)
This is how the Tahs will line up at Bankwest Stadium tonight.
1. Harry Johnson-Holmes
2. Damien Fitzpatrick
3. Sekope Kepu
4. Jed Holloway
5. Rob Simmons
6. Jack Dempsey
7. Michael Hooper (c)
8. Michael Wells
9. Jake Gordon
10. Bernard Foley
11. Curtis Rona
12. Karmichael Hunt
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper
14. Cameron Clark
15. Kurtley Beale
16. Tolu Latu
17. Rory O’Connor
18. Chris Talakai
19. Tom Staniforth
20. Lachlan Swinton
21. Nick Phipps
22. Lalakai Foketi
23. Alex Newsome
Gyfox
Roar Rookie
I am sure an increase of 631 last year was exciting for NRL - but I was talking about AFL, which according to Roar increased by 1,480 last year. As you say, NRL has hovered around 16,000 for awhile. Meanwhile AFL keeps climbing each year (notwithstanding the intro of GWS & GC) as shown by this week’s figures quoted above. Of course NRL attendances would be better if Sydney crowds weren’t so pathetic. Hopefully BankWest stadium will fix that. The attendances for the next 2 NRL rounds will be interesting.
Craigo
Guest
@Gyfox, That's your come back? Saying "Roy Masters"? How is he wrong? Roy has quoted the official TV station figures something you can't do. The NRL outrates the AFL in 2018. Below is more evidence that the NRL outrated the AFL and nothing to do with Roy Masters. https://www.ausleisure.com.au/news/figures-show-nrl-as-australias-most-watched-sport-of-2018/ I've given you the info! deal with it! or put up the evidence that all these media outlets are wrong!
Gyfox
Roar Rookie
Roy Masters! I think you will find his figures are incorrect. And (unless you total all 3 SOO) the most attended & watched sporting event is the AFL GF, followed by SOO #1
Craig
Guest
Gyfox, "but is also the reason TV rights for NRL were almost as high as AFL." Wrong again Mate. The AFL deal is over 6 years with 18 teams The NRL is over 5 year with 16 teams They work out to be round about the same. I would say next time the NRL will get bigger money as it's out rating the AFL.
Craigo
Guest
@Gyfox. NRL is the most watch sport in Australia on TV. From the SMH 10/10/18. "Cumulative season audience figures for the two codes highlight the NRL’s dominance. The NRL’s cumulative audience this season was 94.3 million, compared to the AFL’s live audience of 89.2m. This excludes State of Origin figures. If the data for those three games are added, rugby league’s audience for the 2018 season was more than 105m."
Craigo
Guest
@Gyfox Wrong again Mate! The NRL crowds were up in 2018. https://www.austadiums.com/sport/comp.php?sid=2 As I said above the NRL pretty much stay in the 16,000 are up or down a few 100 or so year in year out. A-League and Rugby Union are a basket with crowds halving over the last ten year. The AFL’s TV ratings have fallen considerably, with a 12.8 per cent decline to the end of their regular season in 2018.
Craigo
Guest
Gyfox – you need to check your facts Mate. Yes- The SOO is the most attended and most watched sporting event in Australia. But the NRL TV ratings did not include SoO! The AFL followers can't stand that it comes 2nd to the NRL in the TV ratings. Read the article below then show me how the SoO was included. https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-trumps-afl-in-tv-ratings-war-20180910-p502u1.html
Gyfox
Roar Rookie
Craigo - you need to check your facts. NRL did not beat AFL on TV. Unless you are including SOO, which is not NRL - but is also the reason TV rights for NRL were almost as high as AFL.
Gyfox
Roar Rookie
You are right, Jacko, about NRL & A-league crowds dropping. However, you are quite wrong about AFL. Details released today show that AFL has had record attendances for rounds 1-6: 2,101,633. This is the 1st time that there have been over 300,000 each week for the 1st 6 rounds. Not only that, but TV audiences are also a record, with over 1 mill for each of the Thursday night games.
Ex force fan
Guest
The Force had changes to be successful over 10 years and the fairly tale did not play out as planned. However the Rebels got almost double the funding from RA than the Force, lots of international marque players when they started up and in my view more of a change to be successful but failed to even make the top half of the competitions (the Force did so in 2014). However, I would argue that the Force got it right in 2017 with the right team, coaching staff in a year when the Rebels was in disarray. Yes, it took 10 years to improve the local standards of premier rugby in Perth to a level when someone like TPN in 2017 said that it is comparable to Sydney and Brisbane's leagues. However after the Force were cut we lost some of our top players and especially under 20s as they had to move away from WA to progress their careers and with that the standard of premier rugby in Perth was set back at least 5 years..... All this for a meagre $4.3 million saving per year (ignore Clyne's statement of $14 million as that is plain nonsense) while pushing a $50 million of funding from Twiggy away to keep/merge the Force. It was the wrong decision and in my view a merger between to franchises for the two seasons until end 2020 (Force/Rebels or Rebels/Brumbies) would be far more successful, maintained the connection to the professional game and avoided the fall-out of the axing of Force. It as just an incredibly dumb decision made for all the wrong reasons by people captured by Sydney interest that failed to see the national interest. Now that RA is looking at cancelling the NRC, Victoria and ACT should ask themselves what future they will have and the Asian charades are starting to look more attractive than before.
JM
Guest
They should have built the new stadium at Prince Alfred Park right near central station. Would have meant that they could have left SFS till it was finished and then have a world class stadium right next to train transport. Would have changed the whole area around central from the pits to vibrant area.
Katipo
Guest
Why is super rugby so arrogant to think their teams don’t need a geographic handle? Cronulla Sharks? Sale Sharks? How would you know? The casual sports supporter, with so many codes to follow, hasn’t got time to research which Sharks you are banging on about... We just roll our eyes and don’t go to Bankwest Stadium to watch “The Sharks” because after 20+ years of Super Rigby we still have no idea where they come from. Don’t believe me? Count the empty seats.
Pete Samu's Tucked Shirt
Roar Rookie
Jacques Potgeiter. Aggressive flanker who didn't respect his body and was ruthless around the Ruck. He practically carried the Tahs pack to the finals. I haven't seen the Tahs break the ad line consistently yet hahaha
Double Agent
Guest
Even if I was a billionaire I doubt I'd cough up $77 to watch the 2019 Waratahs play. I can watch them lose at home.
dazell
Roar Rookie
Only testing thing is watching the Waratahs show whata stupid side they are. They need a big body, what happened to the South African I guy they recruited? They need a new Captain and a five eight that takes the line on more regularly and some forwards who understand running on to the ball. Watching Justin Harrison talk after the game was more of a highlight than anything in the game itself.
The Crow Flies Backwards
Roar Rookie
Ouch
Craigo
Guest
Rugby Union in Australia is a dying amusement of elite all-boys schools and their stockbroking alumni.
Andy F
Roar Rookie
Less than 8,000 to watch an insipid Waratah performance with the coach blaming poor discipline (a fish rots from the head mate). Rugby Australia’s running the game into the ground. No plan other than to implement a neo-Marxist “inclusiveness policy” (should read zero tolerance for free speech policy). The game I once loved is in a death spiral and being run by an incompetent ship of fools.
Kick n clap
Guest
I hope you don’t mean Western Australia, because that’s biggest “ lie” going? The truth of the matter was the Force had enough chances to successful, but blew it!! With regards to local standards of premier Rugby in Perth is a very poor standard to say the least. I will leave at that with regards to the Asian charades taking place?
Kick n clap
Guest
Did somebody tell her it’s not Halloween till October, or is she a “ Rock Horror Fan” all year round?