THE Penrith Panthers have threatened to abandon their home ground of almost 50 years because of poor crowds and the NRL scheduling farce.
The most exciting young team in the premiership is averaging only 11,273 fans to Sportingbet Stadium this year — the second lowest in the NRL — and ahead of only the struggling Canberra Raiders.
The Panthers have not been scheduled even one Sunday afternoon game this year and have had to play on Monday nights four times, mostly in the rain.
Penrith supremo Warren Wilson says the club has been forced into looking at alternative venues, possibly interstate, to increase revenue.
South Sydney successfully took games to Perth and Cairns this year and made approximately $750,000 more than from home games. They also made a huge profit by moving another home game from ANZ to the Sydney Cricket Ground.
“We are looking at taking games away,” Wilson confirmed.
“Unless the fans of Penrith get to the games and we start getting higher average crowds, the only way to balance the accounts is to take games to other venues.
“I would prefer to play every game at home but we can’t survive on an average crowd of 10 to 12,000. “It just doesn’t pay the bills.”
Penrith crowds have actually fallen since 2011, the year they finished way back in 12th position on the competition table.
Despite its outstanding performances, this current side is getting 1000 fewer fans per game.
“We’ve got a wonderful young side and it’s going to be an exciting couple of years watching them develop,” Wilson said, “We just want the people of Penrith to support them.”
The Panthers have already taken one home game to Bathurst this year.
Interstate matches, which attract government and tourism grants, are the other option.
Wilson says the scheduling and lack of Sunday football has contributed to the poor numbers.
“There has got to be a more equitable system in the way the games are allocated,” he said.
“There’s a fine balance between the dollar value of the TV rights verses what’s in the best interest of the game and our fans.
“There should always be a game of football in Sydney on Sunday afternoons.”
It’s a shame because this is the premiership’s most exciting young footy side.
Names like Jamie Soward, Matt Moylan and Jamal Idris should be dragging local fans through the gates.
It’s also a blow to sport minister Stuart Ayres and his hopes of building a massive new 35,000-seat Stadium in his home seat of Penrith.
Parramatta Stadium and the huge following from its tenants the Parramatta Eels and Western Sydney Wanderers are far more deserving of the money and better facilities.
liar extraordinaire 
