Waratahs facing uphill battle for Sydney

[Beaussie]

Gee, didn't realise they were in this much trouble.

Waratahs facing uphill battle for Sydney
Date March 6, 2013

Let's talk about Braith Anasta, and his lovely wife, Jodi Gordon! What she's saying, and wearing, which openings they've been attending, and just what's going on in their personal lives. Or perhaps, I could contrive to write a sports story that would justify appearing beneath the greatest headline of all time: HEADLESS BODY, IN TOPLESS BAR.

Sorry, sorry, I am still trying to get used to this tabloid, um, compact, format. I will work on it. In the meantime, it's time we rugby people faced a few sobering facts. On Thursday, the NRL season opens with a likely sold-out match between Souths and the Roosters – about 40,000 at Allianz Stadium.

Next week the local derby between Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers at Parramatta Stadium is sold out – about 25,000 fans.

When the Swans play GWS at the Olympic stadium at the end of the month for the opening round, they're expecting at least 50,000.

And then there are the Waratahs. Their first home match of the season against the Rebels last week, in an entertaining match, drew 11,003 – the last three being two men and a dog.

As host Barrie Cassidy commented on the ABC Offsiders program, that was about as many as turn up for an AFL trial game in Wangaratta. What is going on? And how long can it go on?

Why has rugby fallen away to that dangerous level whereby it's a wonder the NSWRU can pay the electricity bills? How has it come to this, when only a few years ago the norm was to get 30,000 to 35,000 at the SFS, and occasionally crack 40,000 for a huge match?

Part of the answer is that it has been singularly grim times of late for Waratah supporters, as the team has shown promising moments of potential only, in what have generally been long seasons of disappointment and dull rugby. Inevitably, some fans have drifted.

My bugbear has been endless collapsed scrums and penalty goal attempts from 50 metres out – at a time when what we most want to see is action, and the very running rugby that has for so long been the tradition of the Waratahs.

The irony is that this season, so far, the Tahs really have had a go, have shown spirit to move it, and resolution to overcome when the chips are down. I grant you there is no particular sign of chemistry yet, but they are least obviously improved in their approach since Michael Cheika took over coach, and Dave Dennis as captain. And yet they're still only pulling 11,000 for a home game!

Which brings us to the second part of the reason things are grim. All of soccer, the AFL and rugby league have improved as spectacles in this town over the past few years, even as their followings have widened. The turnstiles out Western Sydney Wanderers way have been a revelation.

The competition for spectators has never been fiercer, and rugby has suffered for it.

The way forward? The rugby-heads who run the show are discussing that as we speak. As the Super Rugby format becomes ever more international in the years to come, there is great reason for optimism that it can all be turned around with rugby's major point of difference to the AFL and rugby league, particularly – being a part of a genuinely global game – being on show, week after week.

But in the meantime, it is time for the True Believers to rally who we can, and see if we can save the furniture. The next home game is next Friday night, at the SFS, against the Cheetahs. Be there.

Twitter: @Peter_Fitz

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union ... z2Mqgwos00

[Stewie]

Expecting 50k at the football hey? Will be interesting, but I think they should settle for 40k. But really who knows how many Swans fans will show up now that they're reigning premiers, it could well be 50k if they come in droves.

[cos789]

I wonder if history will repeat itself?
The original waratahs turned to Australian Football.
I'd much prefer that it was soccer in trouble not RU.

.

[Raiderdave]

Expecting 50k at the football hey? Will be interesting, .

50K
they could barely get that to a final with Collington

the side the swines are playing has no fans
none
nada

3500 members in Western Sydney

if they get 30K ... 90% being swines fans of course
they'll be doing well

seriously when will the wanking ... paid for comment ...headline whore VFL .. stop embarrasing itself with these types of claims

[Raiderdave]

Next week the local derby between Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers at Parramatta Stadium is sold out – about 25,000 fans.

about 25,000 eh




considering this ground has a capacity of 20,423 only
that will be some feat to squeeze an extra 5,000 people in ....


nearly as stupid a comment as the suggestion 50K people will attend the vicky kicky at ANZ in a few weeks

nearly

[Stewie]

Expecting 50k at the football hey? Will be interesting, .

50K
they could barely get that to a final with Collington

the side the swines are playing has no fans
none
nada

3500 members in Western Sydney

if they get 30K ... 90% being swines fans of course
they'll be doing well

seriously when will the wanking ... paid for comment ...headline whore VFL .. stop embarrasing itself with these types of claims

Nah they easily passed 50k with Collingwood, there would have been an extra 10k there if the prices weren't so ridiculously expensive. I mean just imagine how many people would have turned up if tickets were as cheap as Raiders finals tickets... $18!

[Raiderdave]

Expecting 50k at the football hey? Will be interesting, .

50K
they could barely get that to a final with Collington

the side the swines are playing has no fans
none
nada

3500 members in Western Sydney

if they get 30K ... 90% being swines fans of course
they'll be doing well

seriously when will the wanking ... paid for comment ...headline whore VFL .. stop embarrasing itself with these types of claims

Nah they easily passed 50k with Collingwood, there would have been an extra 10k there if the prices weren't so ridiculously expensive. I mean just imagine how many people would have turned up if tickets were as cheap as Raiders finals tickets... $18!

but but but
11K of the Swines crowd were non paying stadium members .......

& the swines will never have to sell ... STANDING ROOM tickets to a final .. like the Raiders did
they'll never sell all their seats in the first place

[Stewie]

50K
they could barely get that to a final with Collington

the side the swines are playing has no fans
none
nada

3500 members in Western Sydney

if they get 30K ... 90% being swines fans of course
they'll be doing well

seriously when will the wanking ... paid for comment ...headline whore VFL .. stop embarrasing itself with these types of claims

Nah they easily passed 50k with Collingwood, there would have been an extra 10k there if the prices weren't so ridiculously expensive. I mean just imagine how many people would have turned up if tickets were as cheap as Raiders finals tickets... $18!

but but but
11K of the Swines crowd were non paying stadium members .......

& the swines will never have to sell ... STANDING ROOM tickets to a final .. like the Raiders did
they'll never sell all their seats in the first place

The only way the Raiders can sell out a match is to reduce FINALS ticket prices to $18!

[Raiderdave]

The only way the Raiders can sell out a match is to reduce FINALS ticket prices to $18!

not for a seat you halfwitted cock gobbler
to stand up ... & good luck if you're short or a child, as you'd of seen nothing
hence them costing next to nothing ....

the Swines won't ever need to worry about standing room though

they can barely sell half the .. SEATS ... at ANZ

[Xman]

The only way the Raiders can sell out a match is to reduce FINALS ticket prices to $18!

not for a seat you halfwitted cock gobbler
to stand up ... & good luck if you're short or a child, as you'd of seen nothing
hence them costing next to nothing ....

the Swines won't ever need to worry about standing room though

they can barely sell half the .. SEATS ... at ANZ

57k is barely half is it?

[Drac]

but but but
11K of the Swines crowd were non paying stadium members .......

& the swines will never have to sell ... STANDING ROOM tickets to a final .. like the Raiders did
they'll never sell all their seats in the first place

Of course they won't, given they don't play in a run-down regional stadium that still has standing sections