Talking Footy

Richard Hinds: Manly-South Sydney SCG blockbuster the ultimate test of NRL’s spoilt fans

Richard Hinds
The Daily Telegraph
August 05, 2014 12:00AM

SOUTH Sydney-Manly at the SCG on Friday night is the most mouth-watering game of the season.

A potential grand final preview between a Rabbitohs team of sometimes-breathtaking imagination and a Sea Eagles outfit with the resilience of a Galapagos Islands tortoise in a Leopard tank.

It is also a referendum on whether even the very best NRL game can attract the kind of crowd a game at its competitive peak deserves.

When it comes to prising themselves from the sofa on a Friday night, Sydney’s NRL fans have more excuses than a philandering politician. You can hear them already.

“The SCG?” Manly fans will moan. “Might as well be the Stalingrad Croquet Ground. Don’t go that far without sat-nav, army rations and a series of inoculations.”

“Mmm, Friday night?” ponder Souths’ new breed of inner-city membership card-carrying non-attendees.

“Bit of traffic about and it has been nippy. Might just hold off until the finals.”

From both sets of supporters? The usual moaning about the “poor sightlines” for rugby league at the SCG – never mind the ground was good enough to host 53 grand finals even before they built the wonderful new grandstand, and that the only ones who had trouble seeing Reg Gasnier were opposition defenders.

Add some bleating about the extortionate price of a bucket of chips and by kick-off thousands will have convinced themselves they are providing more support than Christina Hendricks’ sports bra just by plonking themselves in front of the TV.

Well sorry fans of Souths, Manly and top-flight rugby league. There are no valid excuses. If this game doesn’t attract at least the 36,804 that saw the Swans play Essendon at the same venue last Friday, the NRL has all the drawing power of underwater scrabble.

Even if the SCG Trust is currently only budgeting for 25,000.

Yes I know comparisons between NRL and AFL crowds in Sydney give no indication of the overall interest in the games themselves.

And yes, as colleague Phil Rothfield rightly pointed out, the NRL’s eagerness to maximise TV audiences – and rights revenue – has had a deleterious impact on attendances due to fan-unfriendly scheduling. (AFL crowds in Melbourne have fallen for the same reason.)

Attendance is a habit. Yet instead of luring fans to grounds, the NRL has rolled up the schedule and wacked potential ticket buyers across the nose like slack-bladdered poodles. Bad fan! Stay at home and turn on the TV!

But even allowing for this self-defeating aversion therapy, if rugby league really is in good shape – and the game itself has never been better – surely people will flock to see it with their own eyes. Not just through Sterlo and Gus Gould’s.

So on Friday night at the SCG South Sydney and Manly provide not only an intriguing contest, but also a litmus test.

Is there any regular fixture in Sydney – beyond the special occasion, such as the Good Friday and Easter Monday matches that drew 43,255 and 50,668 to ANZ Stadium – that can pull a crowd worthy of the occasion?

Typically these two oddly insular and media-resistant clubs don’t do much to promote their games. Particularly when the minimum gate is underwritten as it has been for Souths’ return to the SCG. But the players’ actions spoke loudly on the weekend.

Chris McQueen channelling Lionel Messi with a deft cross-field kick to set up a stunning try. Teenager Alex Johnson disappearing in a cloud of smoke. The Rabbitohs did everything to bamboozle Newcastle but pull themselves out of hat.

Manly? All they can do is tear each other apart. Oh, and win.

Make that seven out of eight after an impressive victory over the Broncos that came despite the fact no Sea Eagle threw a punch at a teammate in the pre-game meeting and the board didn’t move to replace the entire squad with the Curl Curl Scout troop.

Consequently this is an occasion that deserves to pulsate to the roar of the crowd. Not the click of the remote control.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 7013175660

Raiderdave wrote:

all anyone needs to consider here

is that 5 times the number of Sydneysiders will watch this NRL game on Friday night , as watched the filthy salary cap cheating swines the week before

& the 2 teams in the NRL game only represent 25% of the NRL's presence in Sydney
while the fumbles & oopsies game at the SCG had close to 100% of that joke of a sports interest in Sydney focusing on it
do the math fumblers

& join us in the real world

Raiderdave wrote:

all anyone needs to consider here

is that 5 times the number of Sydneysiders will watch this NRL game on Friday night , as watched the filthy salary cap cheating swines the week before

& the 2 teams in the NRL game only represent 25% of the NRL's presence in Sydney
while the fumbles & oopsies game at the SCG had close to 100% of that joke of a sports interest in Sydney focusing on it
do the math fumblers

& join us in the real world

The_Wookie wrote:

I guess thats why the NRL isnt pushing for memberships and increases, including giving clubs incentives. I did miss the part where the ratings were the be all and end all that some seem to think.

Swans4ever wrote:

Raiderdave wrote:

all anyone needs to consider here

is that 5 times the number of Sydneysiders will watch this NRL game on Friday night , as watched the filthy salary cap cheating swines the week before

& the 2 teams in the NRL game only represent 25% of the NRL's presence in Sydney
while the fumbles & oopsies game at the SCG had close to 100% of that joke of a sports interest in Sydney focusing on it
do the math fumblers

& join us in the real world

Yep when there is a certainty that the NRL won't get the Swans lowest crowd this year it's back to ratings - hahahahaha well that's throwing in the towel before the beginning bell!!!

NlolRL wrote:

Raiderdave wrote:

all anyone needs to consider here

is that 5 times the number of Sydneysiders will watch this NRL game on Friday night , as watched the filthy salary cap cheating swines the week before

& the 2 teams in the NRL game only represent 25% of the NRL's presence in Sydney
while the fumbles & oopsies game at the SCG had close to 100% of that joke of a sports interest in Sydney focusing on it
do the math fumblers

& join us in the real world

Really? So 500k will watch the NRL on Friday?

Raiderdave wrote:

The_Wookie wrote:

I guess thats why the NRL isnt pushing for memberships and increases, including giving clubs incentives. I did miss the part where the ratings were the be all and end all that some seem to think.

:_<> :_<> :_<> :_<>

you seriously think that the numbers on TV aren't the definitive indicator

NRL fans not turning out in Sydney to games for any number of reasons is not an indicator of the sports lack of popularity
anymore then the swines crowds are an indicator of their popularity
I mean shit

if you can't even be bothered to shift your finger ..... 1cm to the left to push a button to turn these fumbling clowns on
then
Im sorry
theres no interest at all


a suggestion that a few crowds bigger then most NRL attendances in Sydney is an indicator of anything at all
is laughable

biggest team in Sydney
pigs fuckin arse they are

Raiderdave wrote:

Swans4ever wrote:

Raiderdave wrote:

all anyone needs to consider here

is that 5 times the number of Sydneysiders will watch this NRL game on Friday night , as watched the filthy salary cap cheating swines the week before

& the 2 teams in the NRL game only represent 25% of the NRL's presence in Sydney
while the fumbles & oopsies game at the SCG had close to 100% of that joke of a sports interest in Sydney focusing on it
do the math fumblers

& join us in the real world

Yep when there is a certainty that the NRL won't get the Swans lowest crowd this year it's back to ratings - hahahahaha well that's throwing in the towel before the beginning bell!!!

yep

when I show how minsicule the swines are

our resident illiterate gutless flea reverts to

the cwowds


oh de cwowds :_<> :_<> :_<> :_<> :_<> :_<>

the Sharks have more interest in Sydney

Swans4ever wrote:

Raiderdave wrote:

Swans4ever wrote:

Raiderdave wrote:

all anyone needs to consider here

is that 5 times the number of Sydneysiders will watch this NRL game on Friday night , as watched the filthy salary cap cheating swines the week before

& the 2 teams in the NRL game only represent 25% of the NRL's presence in Sydney
while the fumbles & oopsies game at the SCG had close to 100% of that joke of a sports interest in Sydney focusing on it
do the math fumblers

& join us in the real world

Yep when there is a certainty that the NRL won't get the Swans lowest crowd this year it's back to ratings - hahahahaha well that's throwing in the towel before the beginning bell!!!

yep

when I show how minsicule the swines are

our resident illiterate gutless flea reverts to

the cwowds


oh de cwowds :_<> :_<> :_<> :_<> :_<> :_<>

the Sharks have more interest in Sydney

What Cronulla has more dole bludgers - one things for certain my urine drinking, piss soaked, dog rooting, dole Bludging pathetic human trash Canberra is full of em - people who say they have an interest in NRL BUT that interest only extends to getting it for free - I bet they would pinch food out of a bin too - that's the true level of interest unless it's free there not interested - so let's not worry about crowds, memberships, sponsorships, total football club related revenue - let's just talk about one intangible factor which proves - RL fans love their game so much they wouldn't spend one shinny twenty cent piece on it!!!!!!! Oh de ratings de ratings - pathetic wanker!

Raiderdave wrote:

The_Wookie wrote:

I guess thats why the NRL isnt pushing for memberships and increases, including giving clubs incentives. I did miss the part where the ratings were the be all and end all that some seem to think.

:_<> :_<> :_<> :_<>

you seriously think that the numbers on TV aren't the definitive indicator

NRL fans not turning out in Sydney to games for any number of reasons is not an indicator of the sports lack of popularity
anymore then the swines crowds are an indicator of their popularity
I mean shit

if you can't even be bothered to shift your finger ..... 1cm to the left to push a button to turn these fumbling clowns on
then
Im sorry
theres no interest at all


a suggestion that a few crowds bigger then most NRL attendances in Sydney is an indicator of anything at all
is laughable

biggest team in Sydney
pigs fuckin arse they are

Swans4ever wrote:

Raiderdave wrote:

Swans4ever wrote:

Raiderdave wrote:

all anyone needs to consider here

is that 5 times the number of Sydneysiders will watch this NRL game on Friday night , as watched the filthy salary cap cheating swines the week before

& the 2 teams in the NRL game only represent 25% of the NRL's presence in Sydney
while the fumbles & oopsies game at the SCG had close to 100% of that joke of a sports interest in Sydney focusing on it
do the math fumblers

& join us in the real world

Yep when there is a certainty that the NRL won't get the Swans lowest crowd this year it's back to ratings - hahahahaha well that's throwing in the towel before the beginning bell!!!

yep

when I show how minsicule the swines are

our resident illiterate gutless flea reverts to

the cwowds


oh de cwowds :_<> :_<> :_<> :_<> :_<> :_<>

the Sharks have more interest in Sydney

What Cronulla has more dole bludgers - one things for certain my urine drinking, piss soaked, dog rooting, dole Bludging pathetic human trash Canberra is full of em - people who say they have an interest in NRL BUT that interest only extends to getting it for free - I bet they would pinch food out of a bin too - that's the true level of interest unless it's free there not interested - so let's not worry about crowds, memberships, sponsorships, total football club related revenue - let's just talk about one intangible factor which proves - RL fans love their game so much they wouldn't spend one shinny twenty cent piece on it!!!!!!! Oh de ratings de ratings - pathetic wanker!