Two of the biggest names in the game on opposing sides — Sonny Bill Williams and Johnathan Thurston and one of the greatest finals ever — yet the stadium was more than half empty.
The ‘official’ crowd at Allianz Stadium for the Roosters v Cowboys last night was 18,355 for one of the most remarkable finals matches you will ever see.
Roosters 31, Cowboys 30. What a game. What a colossal contest. It deserved so much more.
Over at Homebush, the AFL got 48,029 as the Swans beat North Melbourne to qualify for next Saturday night’s grand final.
Of even more concern for the NRL was the rush for soccer tickets for the A League derby between Sydney FC and the Western Sydney Wanderers, which is still a month away.
A remarkable 27,000 tickets have been sold in three days this week.
Still, the NRL did everything possible to at least get a respectable crowd last night.
Tickets could not have been more affordable.
All free junior rugby league passes, normally only allowed at club games, were accepted.
You could get family-of-four tickets for as low as $45. Single adult tickets for $20.
Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston shows his frustration at the narrow loss.
Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston shows his frustration at the narrow loss.
Even the best seats in the house, Bay 13, next to the players’ tunnel, were only $65.
We had beautiful weather and a venue close to the city for a big walk-up attendance.
Plus an expensive ‘light it up’ television advertising campaign in the build-up to the game.
Both games were live on free to air.
Over at ANZ Stadium it was a far more expensive night out to see Buddy and boys.
The AFL’s TV finals campaign ‘they can’t hear you from home’ obviously worked.
The cheapest family ticket to the AFL was $90 for a category five — double the price of the same ticket at the NRL.
The best seats were $170 for adults — almost three times the price of the rugby league’s premium seating. Plus the transport hassles that make Homebush harder to cope with.
It didn’t hold back Sydney’s fanatical army of red and white Swans supporters.
Almost every one of their 40,000 members would have been there.
Even more embarrassing for the NRL is that both their finals crowds this weekend will probably get less than the Swans and Kangaroos.
It’s hard to believe rugby league is struggling like this. In the old days finals would often attract full houses.
Even if you didn’t follow one of the teams, you’d turn up because it was an event.
To watch Fulton and Langlands, Sterling and Kenny, Mortimer and Lamb, the equivalents of Sonny Bill and J.T.
This was before Sydney fans became so blasé about their sport.
At least next week the NRL has got old rivals Souths and the Roosters at ANZ Stadium.
It should surely crack 50,000.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... def32aed24
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there is no use to keep flogging a dead horse
liar extraordinaire 
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