Empty stands Humble Sydney

[Guest]

I think it's time that Sydney only got 1 Origin a year anyway, given the fact they insist on holding it at ANZ. I agree with an earlier post that the odd game in NZ would be a definate goer.

 

[Emma]

I get what you're saying Coxy, but my point is that those who aren't diehard, don't go to the games etc. won't give a rats bum if origin gets taken, or if they move test matches etc so it's really not going to hurt anyone other than the people like me and other SBBS members who do go to the games regularly. I don't know what the answer is, but I don't think saying 'oh well, too bad, you don't get any more big games' is the right one.

I also think that there would be considerably more diehards than just 20,000 in the whole of Sydney. Just last week there were 40,000+ fans at the games in Sydney, and that's including 2 games with out of state teams. Not saying the crowd figures from last week are fantastic, but I think the number of people who attend a footy game in Sydney regularly would be way higher than that.

 

[Steve]

Would they consider moving it to the SFS? Not if they only had one Origin game a year but the time has to come to seriously consider the role ANZ Stadium is playing in the modern game. The venue is helping teams financially but it's damaging the game. Nobody likes going there.

 

[forward_pass]

I would throw a spanner in the works and move the Sydney games to NZ. Those crazy Kiwis can't get enough of Origin!

I'd vote for it, but time zones will kill it unless its on a weekend/public holiday here for TV

 

[Nashy]

Alright.

Take Origin away from them. When they show they want to support the game in full by going to the one test match they will get each year, then think about giving them some origin back.

It's about time you lot down there started supporting Internationals as well. If the league wanted to do something, or was serious, they should do something drastic.

 

[Guest]

Should we implement the same thing for club level as well. Say if the crowd is not at least 75% of capacity then we call the game off?

 

[Coxy]

Don't be stupid. The issue is that representative games (ie, State and International, who gives a flying fig about city-country) are pinnacles of the sport and it's a travesty that they're played in half empty stadiums. OK, rare for Origin to meet that fate, but if the Sydney league public can't get off their arses and get to the Centenary Test match, marking 100 years of our code, then why the hell do they deserve 2 Origin games?

They certainly don't deserve any more test matches.

And they certainly don't deserve live coverage of these games.

And as Hammo has been saying, they don't deserve so many teams in the NRL competition.

 

[Emma]

Whilst there are certain points to your argument I agree with ie. there are too many Sydney teams etc, I can't agree with you questioning why NSW deserves 2 origin matches. Go back and look at the crowd figures for origin matches in Sydney over the last few years - most of them have been over 70,000 with a couple being over 80,000. I would hardly say that is a poor result. Sure, if the games were in QLD they would have undoubtedly sold out in a matter of minutes but just because they didn't sell out here doesn't mean the games should be taken away. They were near capacity crowds. A thousand empty seats shouldn't see the game taken away.

The sad fact is, and I know I'm not alone on this, that international football just doesn't mean as much to me as origin does. I don't get the same satisfaction out of seeing Australia beat the crap out of someone else as I do from seeing QLD bash the living daylights out of NSW! [icon_evillaugh I'm sure the powers that be at the NRL/ARL know that so I don't see why they should base how many origin games NSW gets on how many people turned out to watch the test match in Sydney.

 

[Coxy]

And if Sydney fans aren't going to appreciate Test football, why should they be spoiled with 2 Origins?

If our 3 year old doesn't eat his veggies we don't give him dessert. And Sydney team fans seem to be acting like a 3-year-old.

 

[Guest]

And if Sydney fans aren't going to appreciate Test football, why should they be spoiled with 2 Origins?

If our 3 year old doesn't eat his veggies we don't give him dessert. And Sydney team fans seem to be acting like a 3-year-old.

But that's like saying "if Randwick fans can't be bothered going to Coogee Oval on the weekend, why should the Wallabies play in Sydney?"

Emma's right - Origin and Test football are poles apart, even if they are both representative games.

 

[Emma]

Do you honestly thing that people in QLD appreciate test football as much as they do origin? And why should we be spoiled with 2 origins every SECOND year (it's not like this is every year we're talking about)? Because the crowds show that NSW people like origin and get behind it. Removing an origin game to make people turn up to a test match is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. It just doesn't make sense. I'm all for taking test matches away from Sydney if the crowds don't show up, no problems with that at all. Remove the match that is proving unpopular for whatever reason, not the game that people actually turn up to.

 

[Coxy]

No, treat Sydney fans like the children they are. Remove Origin and say "you'll get it back when you get 30000+ to three consecutive Tests".

It's either that or they reduce Origin to 1 game like I wish they had done 5 years ago and have a 3-Test series in its place.

 

[Emma]

So because I don't go to the test tomorrow night, I deserve to have an origin game taken away, even though I go to umpteen games a year, in Sydney, its surrounds and sometimes even interstate? It just doesn't make sense Coxy. They are 2 different games, and need to be treated as such. Take the problem game away, if Sydney doesn't care if they have a test match, and it gets moved to Brisbane where they get a sell out crowd, isn't everyone in the end a winner? The ARL have the crowd they want, Brisbane get the game and Sydney people don't care they lost it. Come origin time, games in NSW still get a 70,000+ crowd, Brisbane sells out. That all round seems to be a winner if you ask me.

 

[Coxy]

If the international game dies, rugby league in this country dies. State of Origin has, in the past 10-15 years, been the single biggest detriment to international league.

That Sydney fans are accepting that and are now saying the international game doesn't matter is cause for great alarm.

 

[Emma]

If the international game dies, rugby league in this country dies. State of Origin has, in the past 10-15 years, been the single biggest detriment to international league.

That Sydney fans are accepting that and are now saying the international game doesn't matter is cause for great alarm.

I'm not saying it doesn't matter Coxy. I'm saying that I have a choice as to what to spend my hard earned on, if I have the choice of paying $40 for a ticket to a test match, or $40 to an origin match, I know which I would PREFER. Doesn't mean I think international league doesn't matter. Serious question - do you get into international league as much as origin? I'm sure that preferring origin to international league isn't exclusive to Sydney fans you know.

As Rocky said, just move the blasted test match, problem bloody well solved!

 

[Coxy]

I've already made that choice. I will gladly go to the Test (already have ticket for the World Cup Final), but refuse to go to Origin because it's overpriced, midweek and I enjoy it more on TV.

If Sydney people are choosing Origin over International football, then only give them the 1 Origin a year. Therefore you've got that extra $40 you would've spent on Origin to support your country.

Problem solvered.

 

[Nashy]

So because I don't go to the test tomorrow night, I deserve to have an origin game taken away, even though I go to umpteen games a year, in Sydney, its surrounds and sometimes even interstate? It just doesn't make sense Coxy. They are 2 different games, and need to be treated as such. Take the problem game away, if Sydney doesn't care if they have a test match, and it gets moved to Brisbane where they get a sell out crowd, isn't everyone in the end a winner? The ARL have the crowd they want, Brisbane get the game and Sydney people don't care they lost it. Come origin time, games in NSW still get a 70,000+ crowd, Brisbane sells out. That all round seems to be a winner if you ask me.

It does make sense. It might make some of these fans embrace the International game, which we want to make at least half decent.

 

[Emma]

I've already made that choice. I will gladly go to the Test (already have ticket for the World Cup Final), but refuse to go to Origin because it's overpriced, midweek and I enjoy it more on TV.

If Sydney people are choosing Origin over International football, then only give them the 1 Origin a year. Therefore you've got that extra $40 you would've spent on Origin to support your country.

Problem solvered.

So your choice is the right one then? I make my choice for exactly the same reasons, it's just the end result that's different.

And Nashy, why do you want to MAKE people embrace the international game? Isn't it better to just move the game to somewhere it will already be embraced and not have to enforce conditions on an entire viewing public for an entirely different game?