NRL is missing the point and losing fans
Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2015 8:16 am
Waits for the but, but, but, News Ltd, head in the sand response we've come to expect from the NRL and it's dwindling fan base.
Paul Kent: The NRL is too concerned with image and not fixing real problems — losing fans
Paul Kent
The Daily Telegraph
March 26, 2015 12:00AM
DAVID Gallop was removed as NRL chief executive nearly three years ago and one of the first criticisms levelled at him came from Commissioner John Grant.
Grant said Gallop was “reactive, not proactive”, an opinion supported by many.
What would some give for Gallop’s brand of administration now?
Two rounds ago Tigers chairwoman Marina Go, a woman with little clue of rugby league, looked out from the luxury of her corporate box at the thousands of fans stuck outside at kick-off because she failed to put on enough gate attendants and Tweeted: “Game has started. Still queues to get into the game — for miles. Love our fans.”
Not sure if they feel the same way, Marina.
Go, who should be gone, later accused Phil Rothfield of “bullying” her because he revealed her incompetence and demanded answers.
The NRL has little clue who its fans are or what they want.
When Rothfield said on Wednesday that crowds are at a 12-year low the NRL’s immediate reaction was to call Fox Sports, with angry tones, for providing the stats. The NRL is more interested in spin-doctoring than addressing the problems.
It has been caught before trying to spin that crowd totals were up while not revealing they were actually including games not previously tallied in figures.
They were going to do the same with television figures last season, secretly including Origin figures, until their deception was called.
The AFL kicks off its season in a week and, like the NRL, is aware of the need to strategically grow its game.
Unlike the NRL it has identified its fan.
The first 2.3 million are passive fans, the kind that observe the game but aren’t kicking stones if their team loses.
Next are armchair fans, 1.3 million people who also don’t go to games but follow the game and their team.
Neither the passive fan or the armchair fan attend games and are unlikely to.
Then there is the casual fan, interested in their team and attending between one and two games a year. The AFL has 1.5 million casual fans.
They have 800,000 pragmatic fans, who like the footy and love talking about it in the pub, but realise other things take priority.
Pragmatic fans go to about four games a year.
The patrons live for their footy, number about 400,000 and attend nine games a season.
Last are the fanatics, the diehards who number about 200,000 but get out to 13 games a season.
The AFL is targeting the casual and pragmatic fans, totalling 2.3 million people, and asking for just one favour: to attend one more game.
The AFL, in return, did its part by negotiating with stadium caterers to lower food and drink prices while other games, such as Sunday Funday, will see children admitted for free.
It is playing the long game, aware that habits created now are life-changing. The hope is the children of casual and pragmatic fans will grow up to be patrons and fanatics.
The most vital fans are the casual and pragmatic. Those prepared to give the game a chance, to spend, but who do not feel obligated.
And it’s their dollar most affected by refereeing blunders, overly structured play, poor facilities, expensive condiments, overpriced tickets, poorly behaved players and same mistakes being made over and over again.
These are the people the NRL is losing.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 7278559498
