Fudged NRL Finals Crowds

[Beaussie]

Fudged crowds continue in the NRL. Not just on the Gold Coast or in Melbourne for the NRL it seems. Sydney too. How pathetic. Once again a picture tells the real story. Oh and the coach.

Thousands of Manly Sea Eagles fan's boycott SFS final
Christian Nicolussi
From:The Sunday Telegraph
September 10, 201111:13PM



MANLY coach Des Hasler fired a broadside at the NRL last night, claiming they had 'fudged' the paltry crowd of just over 13,000 that bothered to turn up to the SFS.

The decision by the NRL to shift the clash from the club's sacred Brookvale Oval was a major talking point ahead of the match and Hasler guaranteed it remained high on the agenda.

"What was the crowd John," asked Hasler, to NRL director of communications John Brady.

"Ahh, 13,000," Brady said.

Hasler fired back: "Yeah, disappointing, it didn't work.

"I mentioned to the NRL that maybe the first week let the sides ... if Manly are playing North Queensland, it's not a hard one to work out. We would have easily got 20,000 [at Brookvale]. It was 13,000, probably 10,000 - they were probably fudging that [figure], I don't know - but clearly there was a lesson there. Then again, maybe the game last night could have been played here last night and been a full-house here [at the SFS] rather than a half-empty stage at ANZ."

"Manly playing North Queensland, its not hard is it? The Sea Eagles finished second on the ladder and argued there was absolutely no reward in having to drive 30km - not to mention pay a $3 bridge toll - to play at the SFS.

After all, they had won every game at Fortress Brookvale this year. And they could have created an electric atmosphere by cramming 20,000 fans into the suburban venue, and made it a horror road trip for the Cowboys.

Instead, the Cowboys came out firing, muscled up in defence and hardly looked overawed by the occasion.

They even had the nerve to lead 8-0 at the main break.

Would it have been different at Brooky, with fans on the hill, spilling their tinnies and hurling abuse at Johnathan Thurston and co?

Co-captain Jamie Lyon said during the week the NRL should have foot the bill for the buses to ferry Manly fans from the northern beaches.

Had the Sea Eagles played another Sydney team, a switch to a bigger venue would have been justified.

But the Cowboys, said Lyon, were never going to cause a ticketing riot.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 6133900452

[Raiderdave]

Fudged crowds continue in the NRL. Not just on the Gold Coast or in Melbourne for the NRL it seems. Sydney too. How pathetic. Once again a picture tells the real story. Oh and the coach.

Thousands of Manly Sea Eagles fan's boycott SFS final
Christian Nicolussi
From:The Sunday Telegraph
September 10, 201111:13PM



MANLY coach Des Hasler fired a broadside at the NRL last night, claiming they had 'fudged' the paltry crowd of just over 13,000 that bothered to turn up to the SFS.

The decision by the NRL to shift the clash from the club's sacred Brookvale Oval was a major talking point ahead of the match and Hasler guaranteed it remained high on the agenda.

"What was the crowd John," asked Hasler, to NRL director of communications John Brady.

"Ahh, 13,000," Brady said.

Hasler fired back: "Yeah, disappointing, it didn't work.

"I mentioned to the NRL that maybe the first week let the sides ... if Manly are playing North Queensland, it's not a hard one to work out. We would have easily got 20,000 [at Brookvale]. It was 13,000, probably 10,000 - they were probably fudging that [figure], I don't know - but clearly there was a lesson there. Then again, maybe the game last night could have been played here last night and been a full-house here [at the SFS] rather than a half-empty stage at ANZ."

"Manly playing North Queensland, its not hard is it? The Sea Eagles finished second on the ladder and argued there was absolutely no reward in having to drive 30km - not to mention pay a $3 bridge toll - to play at the SFS.

After all, they had won every game at Fortress Brookvale this year. And they could have created an electric atmosphere by cramming 20,000 fans into the suburban venue, and made it a horror road trip for the Cowboys.

Instead, the Cowboys came out firing, muscled up in defence and hardly looked overawed by the occasion.

They even had the nerve to lead 8-0 at the main break.

Would it have been different at Brooky, with fans on the hill, spilling their tinnies and hurling abuse at Johnathan Thurston and co?

Co-captain Jamie Lyon said during the week the NRL should have foot the bill for the buses to ferry Manly fans from the northern beaches.

Had the Sea Eagles played another Sydney team, a switch to a bigger venue would have been justified.

But the Cowboys, said Lyon, were never going to cause a ticketing riot.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 6133900452

number of empty seats at the SFS on Sat night
30,000

number at ANZ for a Swans final only a few years ago
64,000

alleged fudged number at the NRL ...a few thousand
alleged fudged number at the AFL .....half the crowd

[Beaussie]

NRL Finals crowd in so called Rugby League heartland at the preferred stadium of throwball fans = 13,000 (fudged according to the coach of one of teams playing)

Spin it all you like Raider but that's just pathetic.

[King-Eliagh]

Yeah i think they should have played the final at Brooky.

[Beaussie]

Yeah i think they should have played the final at Brooky.

Wasn't the idea of the NRL to move to bigger stadiums about attracting bigger crowds. Failed miserably if that was the case.

[Raiderdave]

Yeah i think they should have played the final at Brooky.

I disagree E ... if we don't try & break the mentality of football in suburban parks ... finals too

we never will
Manly Fans refused to attend this final ... they are too used to the comfort of trotting down the road from their front door to watch their football
& think it should be the same for finals

if the NRL continues to say its the SFS or ANZ only .... this is where finals will be played ... no ifs .. no buts .. we don't care how many poor finals crowds we have to endure
then eventually this culture will be broken & that can only be to the benefit of the NRL long term

[Beaussie]

A picture says it all.



Like I said, the NRL idea of moving finals was an abysmal failure.

[King-Eliagh]

Hmm nup I reckon what the NRL should be doing is work on building the crowds more in the regular season before putting both teams of a finals game at an away venue, especially when you know its not gunna work. I mean Northqld vs Manly? It was always gunna happen.

I'm worried that our 'man who cried wolf' will be right unless the NRL do as I say.

[Raiderdave]

Hmm nup I reckon what the NRL should be doing is work on building the crowds more in the regular season before putting both teams of a finals game at an away venue, especially when you know its not gunna work. I mean Northqld vs Manly? It was always gunna happen.

I'm worried that our 'man who cried wolf' will be right unless the NRL do as I say.

beaussie is never right about anything E

Manly averaged 16K during the regular season , their ground only holds 20K .. so the room to build here is limited , I understand why though .. Sydney's unique geographical situation demands some clubs have to be confined to their local areas & this is the same for other Sydney clubs too who play exclusively out of suburban grounds
but we need to make sure the fans of these clubs know when it comes to finals ... it doesn't matter who is playing .. you must make the effort to travel
I don't consider the SFS as an away venue for Manly when they are playing an out of town side ... they are a Sydney team afterall
its up to Manly's fans to make the SFS a home away from home rather then sit their & sulk about it.

sadly they didn't last sat
their next opportunity will be against the winner of the Broncs V Dragons final this week , if its the Broncos ...it will probably be at the same venue ( SFS) ... I think Manly fans will get to this game in big numbers , every Qlder in Sydney will turn out
( as this could be the last game Lockyer plays)
plenty of neutrals too for this same reason... we may sell the SFS out.

or if its the Dragons & this will be moved to ANZ to accomodate a 60K plus crowd

this on top of another sellout in Brisbane for the Broncos V Dragons at Suncorp this Sat night
& a very big crowd predicted for the Tigers V Warriors at the SFS this Friday night

nah ... things are going just fine with the 2011 NRL finals series

[Beaussie]

Hmm nup I reckon what the NRL should be doing is work on building the crowds more in the regular season before putting both teams of a finals game at an away venue, especially when you know its not gunna work. I mean Northqld vs Manly? It was always gunna happen.

I'm worried that our 'man who cried wolf' will be right unless the NRL do as I say.

Hahahaha, you don't have to take my word for it, just look at the picture below. I'm right as always. The NRL's finals venue policy is a disaster. :P