Where the NRL has got it so wrong

[The Who]

Why do fans like me go to all the trouble and expense of attending matches? One word: “ATMOSPHERE”.
That’s why I’ll never again attend a match at ANZ Stadium unless it’s a final when I know there will be a decent crowd. My experience last Friday night was flatter than a beer left in the sun all week.
Firstly, because there were no special buses put on I was forced to drive from my north shore home. Normally the trip takes me 25 minutes, but the traffic was so bad it took 90 minutes.
I found a car park and walked. I had Members seats, so I sat on the half way line. These are just about the best seats you can have at this non-football-friendly ground. I may as well have been a Sea Eagle flying above the Stadium so far from the action was I.
There were 70,000 empty seats – a depressing look for rugby league. The game was flat, and the few spectators there were underwhelmed. Remember; this was supposed to be a marquee match with fire and brimstone, when fans could feel the tackles and roar their delight. Any chance of that was killed by the cavernous stadium.
There were more Happy-Clappers at a Hillsong get-together next door than those clapping at ANZ Stadium.
Compounding this disappointing spectacle was the farce trying to pay for parking and getting out of the car park. There was just ONE ticket machine, so it took me 30 minutes to pay. This at least gave me time to talk to some Dogs’ supporters in the queue who agreed how terrible ANZ is and that the club must return to Belmore Oval for all but finals. Eventually, having paid $20, it then took me a further 30 minutes to get out of the car park. And this was with a crowd of just 14,000!
I haven’t watched the TV replay but I’ll bet it was dull, dull, dull viewing.
I then watched the Tigers match at Leichhardt with a crowd of 16,000 and the ground looked great.
That’s what we fans want. To be close to the action, to have ‘tribalism’ – not sterile monoliths.
That’s why I’ll always go to Brookie. It is a fantastic football ground for anything up to 20,000 people.
Anyone advocating that we should leave Brookie need only attend a round match at ANZ to change their opinion.

 

[Alan]

There were more Happy-Clappers at a Hillsong get-together next door than those clapping at ANZ Stadium.

So that's why we lost, God was distracted!

Couldn't agree more, tigerland looked fantastic.

 

[HappilyManly]

Unfortunately the SCG atmosphere will be as thin on the ground, as the Crowd is so far from the field.

If it had been on a Sunday afternoon, it may have attracted a large crowd. 😎

I'm hanging up my travelling boots too, as the ticketing never allows for half-way undercover seating for Away Supporters (SCG half-way section is at least 30 meters from the sideline).
Plus the travel in Sydney gridlock is always longer than the actual game. :dodgy:

TV has ruined the live audience enjoyment away from Suburban Grounds 🙁

 

[globaleagle]

If it's 'trouble' to attend matches.....then you are not......


everyone........


a true supporter!


lololololol


kiddding *smooch*

 

[Dan]

Traveling to games has become prohibitively expensive for me too so I've decided to stop

 

[Brissie Kid]

Firstly, because there were no special buses put on I was forced to drive from my north shore home. Normally the trip takes me 25 minutes, but the traffic was so bad it took 90 minutes.

Yet every Swans and Waratahs game gets the full Olympics special events bus and train network from all across Sydney and surrounding regions. NRL are hopeless.

 

[HoldenV8]

How on earth anyone can think that a crowd of less than 20,000 looks good in a stadium that can hold 84,000 is beyond me, either for those at the ground or those watching on TV. Friday night's crowd would have looked far better at Belmore and the atmosphere would have been ten-fold what it was at ANZ.

Unfortunately a lot of clubs these days see the $$$ potential and that's it. It doesn't seem to matter what the fans who pay their hard earned to go and watch the games think about it, the clubs can make money by playing at ANZ or the SFS.

 

[mave]

We need 16000 turn up to brookie just to break even. I assume other clubs would be the same or close to it.

Do the math.

Any wonder some clubs take the guaranteed money at anz..... And blue tongue also

 

[HappilyManly]

There were 10,925 tortured Rabbid souls at Olympic Park according to the DT.

Roosters Allianz was 10,732 and Dogs ANZ was 14,921.


So much for the NRL's push for these soulless Stadiums, outside of a Club's district.

 

[Peter C]

Why do fans like me go to all the trouble and expense of attending matches? One word: “ATMOSPHERE”.
That’s why I’ll never again attend a match at ANZ Stadium unless it’s a final when I know there will be a decent crowd. My experience last Friday night was flatter than a beer left in the sun all week.
Firstly, because there were no special buses put on I was forced to drive from my north shore home. Normally the trip takes me 25 minutes, but the traffic was so bad it took 90 minutes.
I found a car park and walked. I had Members seats, so I sat on the half way line. These are just about the best seats you can have at this non-football-friendly ground. I may as well have been a Sea Eagle flying above the Stadium so far from the action was I.
There were 70,000 empty seats – a depressing look for rugby league. The game was flat, and the few spectators there were underwhelmed. Remember; this was supposed to be a marquee match with fire and brimstone, when fans could feel the tackles and roar their delight. Any chance of that was killed by the cavernous stadium.
There were more Happy-Clappers at a Hillsong get-together next door than those clapping at ANZ Stadium.
Compounding this disappointing spectacle was the farce trying to pay for parking and getting out of the car park. There was just ONE ticket machine, so it took me 30 minutes to pay. This at least gave me time to talk to some Dogs’ supporters in the queue who agreed how terrible ANZ is and that the club must return to Belmore Oval for all but finals. Eventually, having paid $20, it then took me a further 30 minutes to get out of the car park. And this was with a crowd of just 14,000!
I haven’t watched the TV replay but I’ll bet it was dull, dull, dull viewing.
I then watched the Tigers match at Leichhardt with a crowd of 16,000 and the ground looked great.
That’s what we fans want. To be close to the action, to have ‘tribalism’ – not sterile monoliths.
That’s why I’ll always go to Brookie. It is a fantastic football ground for anything up to 20,000 people.
Anyone advocating that we should leave Brookie need only attend a round match at ANZ to change their opinion.

I copped exactly the same experience as you, a friend of mine said that he had two members tickets, I told him I would prefer to pay and sit along the sideline than sit in the members.
I finally relented and went to the members, awful experience, the action was way too far away, I had trouble distinguishing one player from another.
When the game was over, I thought to myself, " oh well, at least at this time there won't be traffic and it would only take me 30 min to get home to Sylvania", wrong, it took me almost 45 to pay for my parking ticket.
The NRL is now run by corporate types who don't have a feel for the game, they think that bigger is better, they sold out for the bigger dollar, at great cost to the game, and are now dictated to by channel nine at the fans' expense.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Unfortunately a lot of clubs these days see the $$$ potential and that's it. It doesn't seem to matter what the fans who pay their hard earned to go and watch the games think about it, the clubs can make money by playing at ANZ or the SFS.

And where does that money come from? Massive govt subsidies.
The major stadia policy is a political stance that works against strengthening local communities and local culture.

 

[Ralphie]

How on earth anyone can think that a crowd of less than 20,000 looks good in a stadium that can hold 84,000 is beyond me, either for those at the ground or those watching on TV. Friday night's crowd would have looked far better at Belmore and the atmosphere would have been ten-fold what it was at ANZ.

Unfortunately a lot of clubs these days see the $$$ potential and that's it. It doesn't seem to matter what the fans who pay their hard earned to go and watch the games think about it, the clubs can make money by playing at ANZ or the SFS.

The NRL is no longer a game, it's a product to sell to Broadcasters and to Corporate sponsors. The Fans simply don't matter in the equation. The "product" is being manufactured by the NRL and in their eyes a quality product is high scoring and close to the end of the 80 minutes. Think St George (27) V NQL (24) and Cronulla (30) V Easts (28) from last weekend as examples of what the NRL loves.

The manufacturing process starts with endless rule changes and ends with referees controlling the momentum of the product through penalties.

The words Game and Contest have left the vernacular of Rugby League.

This is why I no longer watch or attend the product. I do follow the results with passing interest though.

 

[EagleFromMay1967]

We need 16000 turn up to brookie just to break even. I assume other clubs would be the same or close to it.
Do the math.
Any wonder some clubs take the guaranteed money at anz..... And blue tongue also

i doubt its 16k @ Brooky to break even. Surely the rental on a grand edifice like ANZ Stadium is more than brooky. The NRL do not have the skills or analysis capabilities to compute the best way to grow the game and keep the fans interested. Having the excitement of people actually AT THE GROUND, adds to the TV spectacle. Having a high standard of facilities is one thing - HAVING A HIGH STANDARD OF REFEREEING is another. Attendance numbers have been down this year, and the CREDIBILITY of the game would have to be a central issue as to why this is so..

Yes, for round games involving physically distant teams (I include MWSE in this), ANZ stadium is a failure, both from a TV perspective, and from an 'at the ground perspective'. It only works when you are gonna get 45k +.

I invested in a good pair of binoculars several years ago and i take them to ALL matches, including FB.

 

[The Who]

Another massive failure is Monday Night Football. It was reinforced again last night when 75,000 empty seats 'stared blankly' as the "pride of the league" played for a spot in the top four.
The weekend is when all matches should be decided. Expecting fans to attend on a Monday night is, as Tooves would say, "ridiculous".

 

[globaleagle]

They'll soon 'superimpose' the crowd into the stands like they do with the ads on the playing surface.

 

[Alan]

Another massive failure is Monday Night Football. It was reinforced again last night when 75,000 empty seats 'stared blankly' as the "pride of the league" played for a spot in the top four.
The weekend is when all matches should be decided. Expecting fans to attend on a Monday night is, as Tooves would say, "ridiculous".

The only good thing about Monday night football is I don't have to watch some ridiculous unreality tv crapp!

 

[RiverEagle]

Another massive failure is Monday Night Football. It was reinforced again last night when 75,000 empty seats 'stared blankly' as the "pride of the league" played for a spot in the top four.
The weekend is when all matches should be decided. Expecting fans to attend on a Monday night is, as Tooves would say, "ridiculous".

The only good thing about Monday night football is I don't have to watch some ridiculous unreality tv crapp!

Well, The Voice was an option last night old mate...

And one I wish I'd taken, in hindsight!

 

[The Who]

Another massive failure is Monday Night Football. It was reinforced again last night when 75,000 empty seats 'stared blankly' as the "pride of the league" played for a spot in the top four.
The weekend is when all matches should be decided. Expecting fans to attend on a Monday night is, as Tooves would say, "ridiculous".

The only good thing about Monday night football is I don't have to watch some ridiculous unreality tv crapp!

Pawn Stars was on.
Try watching 73Mate. It has shows about Rednecks ... but I guess that's just like watching Souffs, isn't it?

 

[Jethro]

We need 16000 turn up to brookie just to break even. I assume other clubs would be the same or close to it.

Do the math.

Any wonder some clubs take the guaranteed money at anz..... And blue tongue also

I thought that it was only 15,000 at Brookie to break even

 

[The Who]

Given good weather and scheduling, Brookie would get 15,000-plus Manly fans to most matches.
If we played regular round matches at ANZ I wouldn't be surprised if our fan base dropped to 5,000. Not many 'local' fans of Souffs and the Dogs now bother to go to ANZ.
My question is "how can the management of ANZ afford to keep 'guaranteeing' to pay clubs, when they must be losing lots of money due to poor attendance?"
Does anybody know the financial break-even point for a match at Homebush?