Empty stands Humble Sydney

[Foordy]

APATHETIC Sydneysiders have been warned to give the Centenary Test the support it deserves or risk conceding more representative fixtures to football-hungry Queensland.

As of last night, only 7500 public tickets had been sold for the match at the SCG. A further 7000 members and corporate supporters are expected to attend, but the game is tracking toward a crowd at least 10,000 below the ground's reduced capacity of 36,000.

The sluggish sales have reignited debate about Sydney's passion for top-flight rugby league, while producing calls from Queensland for future State of Origin games to be allocated on the basis of demand.

NRL board member and Australia great Gorden Tallis also that hinted live television coverage should be denied to encourage more fans to attend.

While tickets for this season's only Origin match at Suncorp Stadium were snapped up in less than two hours, three seasons have passed since Sydney has sold-out a rep game.

As a result, Suncorp Stadium was awarded the World Cup final in November - ticket sales for which are already believed to be outstripping those for the Centenary Test.

Queensland Rugby League chief executive Ross Livermore said that Brisbane would be in position to rightfully claim two Origin matches on an annual basis if the faithful in Sydney continued to stay at home.

"Our people have really got behind rugby league, and Suncorp Stadium in particular," Livermore said. "Once the existing agreements between stadiums are finished, we need to ask whether two matches should be played in Queensland or NSW. I accept the Australian Rugby League has an agreement in place at the moment, but I think it's something that needs to be addressed."

Livermore suggested that Queensland-based fans should be rewarded with more games for turning out and supporting the code.

.......

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,865 ... 14,00.html

interesting article about the lack of crowds in Sydney especially for rep games. i can't beleive it's been 3 seasons since a rep game has sold out in Sydney while the Origin in QLD this year sold out in under 2 hours.

if they don't want to continually have 2 origins in QLD maybe they should move the game from the 80,000 seat stadium to either the SFS or SCG or even some where like the central coast stadium of the one in Newcastle.

thoughts?

 

[broncosil]

While it is disappointing that the centenary test has poor sales, we are in poor economic period where people can't really afford to spend money on test matches. Particularly in Sydney where house prices are higher.

However, in saying that, recent years have shown that crowd figures have diminished in NSW. It wouldn't be a bad idea to move more matches to Qld, even the grand final.

Maybe they should start looking at ticket prices, facilities etc to try and get more people to the game. It has become a very expensive exercise. Even the cricket test matches experienced similiar problems over the summer.

I do not agree about not playing live matches though. I live in Mackay. Does this mean that I have to fly everytime I want to see a match? Channel 9s coverage is poor at best, delaying test matches would just p*ss people off even more.

 

[Nashy]

While it is disappointing that the centenary test has poor sales, we are in poor economic period where people can't really afford to spend money on test matches. Particularly in Sydney where house prices are higher.

However, in saying that, recent years have shown that crowd figures have diminished in NSW. It wouldn't be a bad idea to move more matches to Qld, even the grand final.

Maybe they should start looking at ticket prices, facilities etc to try and get more people to the game. It has become a very expensive exercise. Even the cricket test matches experienced similiar problems over the summer.

I do not agree about not playing live matches though. I live in Mackay. Does this mean that I have to fly everytime I want to see a match? Channel 9s coverage is poor at best, delaying test matches would just p*ss people off even more.

While I agree with you about the delayed games, I can't agree with you about flying. I have family up in Mackay who fly down every now and then for big games.

It would be easier if ticket prices were better, but cheap accomodation and flights now days into and out of Mackay shouldnt' be the reason. Compared to 4 years ago, you now have 3 Airlines and the Tilt Train in and out.

 

[Kee]

Taking into account the last test was a whitewash by the Aussies I think people would rather not spend the money but watch it on tele.Diehards will go.
The club games in NSW also are poor but the size of the stadium they are played at doesn't help.

Airfares are dirt cheap so no excuses there.You only have to get on when the sales are on ,check out which games you want to go to, book well ahead and you can get flights from as low as $49.I read on here where a lot of people come up to Suncorp from Sydney to see games and I am sure there are many others who do to.

Not all our games are on Nine anyhow.When they are they should be live and not delayed like last Saturday night.That was a joke.Sydney supporters are the ones who don't get many live games on a Friday night but really can't complain about majority of the time in Qld.Give them all to Fox I reckon.

I do see Gordies point on the Test not being live though as to encourage more to roll on up to the game.

 

[Steve]

Despite the poor sales I still think they will get a crowd of 30,000 for the fixture and that would be a good result. I'd love to go and see a game at the SCG so I hope they do get out there and support it because the venue alone is a drawcard.

RE: Not selling out a rep fixture in 3 years much of the blame can go to ANZ Stadium. The NSWRL might seriously consider shifting back to the SFS if crowds don't improve. It's quite obvious that fans hate the stadium with a passion and getting there is a pain for many. It's a monument to dullness and seeing it twice on the weekend looking like an empty pit - it's not a good look for the game.

 

[Steve]

Oh and I see no reason why the Test shouldn't be delayed into Sydney. Play it live into the rest of OZ but there are plenty of empty's. It's a logical decision and would probably ensure a good walk-up crowd if they delayed it by an hour.

 

[gUt]

They were talking about this on Grandstand on the weekend. The clubs are forced to turned to "corporate white elephants" like ANZ Stadium thanks to the inducements they receive, because apparently they (the clubs) lose too much pokie revenue via taxes. Thus the smaller, local grounds which usually do fill up are overlooked because the clubs are required to play a minimum amount of games at the empty mega stadiums.

 

[Steve]

Considering that this game is also at the SCG, that doesn't help. Plus poor weather, high ticket prices and the rest. Sydney league fans would rather go out on a Friday night and party, and I don't blame them.

No idea why they didn't have this game in Brisbane though?

My guess is the history associated with the SCG. It makes sense to have it there.

 

[Coxy]

All Sydney games should be played at Birchgrove Oval. At least they should be able to fill that.

 

[Foordy]

While it is disappointing that the centenary test has poor sales, we are in poor economic period where people can't really afford to spend money on test matches. Particularly in Sydney where house prices are higher.

The tickets range fro $20 - $60. thats the same as most club games.

Ticket prices have been reasonably set between $20 and $60.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,865 ... 14,00.html

 

[Locky_karmichael]

I got family ticket for $80 thought that was pretty cheap.
Not going now though. Have people to fill my seats though.
I would like to go but its a long drive home and I can't
be bothered :oops:

 

[Guest]

But as said the problem is the ground is the SCG. It is crap ground to watch football and even though it his for history sake it will not pull a crowd because your view is so far away.

 

[Foordy]

But as said the problem is the ground is the SCG. It is crap ground to watch football and even though it his for history sake it will not pull a crowd because your view is so far away.

thats the same with the other ground the 80,000 seat Telstra stadium

 

[Hamm.0]

SCG, Aussie, Telstra...it doesn't matter.

The real problem is Sydney is RL saturated. We all know it, we all just dance around it. Cut teams in Sydney.

 

[Coxy]

SCG, Aussie, Telstra...it doesn't matter.

The real problem is Sydney is RL saturated. We all know it, we all just dance around it. Cut teams in Sydney.

And stop showing rep games live in Sydney when it's played there, unless it's sold out, just like the cricket.

Imagine the outrage if Origin was shown at 9.30 in Sydney!!

 

[Hamm.0]

SCG, Aussie, Telstra...it doesn't matter.

The real problem is Sydney is RL saturated. We all know it, we all just dance around it. Cut teams in Sydney.

And stop showing rep games live in Sydney when it's played there, unless it's sold out, just like the cricket.

Imagine the outrage if Origin was shown at 9.30 in Sydney!!

good idea. ACB does it, so a precedent has been set!

IMHO, if Sydneysiders lost some teams to mergers, after the woo-ha had finally settled, the economics shows that said merged team would then have double the supporters minus a percentage who threw the sads and stopped supporting. In the long run, it would mean increased support for fewer teams.

Who honestly believes every Norths, Balmain, Magpies, Dragons and Steelers fans quit supporting the NRL?

 

[Guest]

But as said the problem is the ground is the SCG. It is crap ground to watch football and even though it his for history sake it will not pull a crowd because your view is so far away.

thats the same with the other ground the 80,000 seat Telstra stadium

What are you smoking?

The view is ok at ANZ, not perfect. If Anz was built like Aussie with the same facilities ANZ has now it would be the best ground. But I don't feel any further away at Anz then I did at Suncorp however everyone seems to think it is the best viewing ground where ever you sit.

Plus the SCG is a cricket ground (or AFL ground) you can't move the grandstands closer to the action so you always feel like you need to watch the big screen to see what is happening. So you might as well sit at home and watch it on TV. That is what other NSW fans are going to be thinking.

Plus it is on a Friday night, no parking or expensive parking in the area then takes 40 mins to get out of the carpark, no great public transport to the area, city gridlock to get to the ground, plus as I said SCG is crap to view the game, I could list more to why people won't go. If they had it at SFS they would have got some more sales for the game. Probably wouldn't have sold out but more people would have gone. Plus I have noticed Sydney fans wait till the last moment to check the weather. If it looks like the chance of rain a lot of people stay at home because of the kids.

 

[mick]

Farking disgrace. Hate all of the "the transport sucks" and "Sydney is a more expensive place to live".

I have a little news for those who subscribe to the latter. Alas, house prices in Sydney were sometimes more than double what they would've been in south-east Qld... around TEN YEARS AGO! Apathy is the big killer here. The NRL/ARL/RLIF sit on their hands and do bugger all to help get people to the game, and Sydneysiders aren't going on their own valition anymore.

It's a damn shame, but that's just how it is. Buggered if I know exactly why, or how we can fix the problem. But the fact remains that many Sydney teams were averaging crowds of 3,000 more people each fortnight even back fifty years ago, when the population was about half of what it is now! Farking disgrace.