Play Nice 2019 Non AFL Admin, Crowds, Ratings, Participation etc thread

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NoobPie

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No denying the problems both rugby codes face on an international scale:

Sonny Bill Williams will be unveiled as the highest-paid player in the history of either code of rugby next week after agreeing a two-year deal with Toronto Wolfpack. The 34-year-old has agreed to return to the 13-man code with the Super League newcomers, who will pay him a reported £2.6m annual salary – a figure which exceeds the total annual spend of every other league club in the northern hemisphere.




What's your point?

Don't mind discussing the implications of Sonny Bill Williams contract but your commentary is generally indecipherable

This seems more analogous to Israel Folau at the Giants than anything else.....or not even that as I doubt many people in Toronto would have heard of SBW either. They would have been better off offering that kind of money to a top NRL player surely if the object was to help them win?
 
Aug 14, 2011
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I consider paying SBW c. $5,000,000 pa a big win for RL generally, & the British RL Super league in particular.
I accept, however, many top Aust. based RL & RU players will be very keen to go to Europe to obtain such high salaries.


League in Aus, like Rugby (Union) will have more competition for their players, not sure thats good for the local competition, putting more focus on the international level.*

Not sure about the money:
a reported £2.6m annual salary – a figure which exceeds the total annual spend of every other league club in the northern hemisphere.

* the NBL is one sport marketing the local product in the shadow of big brother.
 
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Aug 14, 2011
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What's your point?

Don't mind discussing the implications of Sonny Bill Williams contract but your commentary is generally indecipherable

This seems more analogous to Israel Folau at the Giants than anything else.....or not even that as I doubt many people in Toronto would have heard of SBW either. They would have been better off offering that kind of money to a top NRL player surely if the object was to help them win?

Is it good for either code in Aus, moving the best performers off shore, cant see any positive, think about it ?

Cant see any relevance to AFL footy & SBW is real talent in League,
 
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NoobPie

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Is it good for either code in Aus, moving the best performers off shore, cant see any positive, think about it ?

Cant see any relevance to AFL footy & SBW is real talent in League,

1. He has been playing in New Zealand
2. He hasnt played league for 5 years and has played only 2 seasons in the last 12 years
3. This isn't a normal thing. It's one bloke with a lot of money and a hobby making a weird decision. As you pointed out, super league doesn't have much money
 
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Victoria Derby in the naughties regularly had bigger crowds than Melbourne Cup - 7 of the 10 years inc track record of 129,089 in 2006. The VRC changed the marketing for that event in the late 1990's pushing its the day for the racing pursuit.

Then the marketing of the MC changed this decade, but most years the Derby draws crowds of 90,000, although this year the weather was ratshit and only got just over 80,000.

Click on the + on the Melbourne Cup Carnival track attendances box to go back to 1980 attendances for the carnival days.


The 2006 Victoria Derby was dangerously overcrowded - it was what forced the VRC’s hand on capping attendances and enforcing pre-purchasing of tickets for 2007 onwards.

It’s an interesting moment in time. It was just off the back of the Makybe Diva story, horse racing was presented as the best venue for meeting partners (just before internet dating kicked off), it was a year before the equine flu scandal and two years before the GFC hit.

The GFC is an underestimated factor in analysing horse racing attendances. Once it hit, corporate entertainment budgets were slashed - if not immediately, then once Spring Carnival contracts needed renegotiation. Hence marquees and corporate ticket sales were strong for a couple of years, before falling significantly. And now none of the faces who were part of that marketing want anything to do with racing, because of several animal cruelty scandals.

I also reckon horse racing (which simply doesn’t exist without gambling) is the first sport to suffer from a growing backlash against blanket sports betting.
 
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The 2006 Victoria Derby was dangerously overcrowded - it was what forced the VRC’s hand on capping attendances and enforcing pre-purchasing of tickets for 2007 onwards.

It’s an interesting moment in time. It was just off the back of the Makybe Diva story, horse racing was presented as the best venue for meeting partners (just before internet dating kicked off), it was a year before the equine flu scandal and two years before the GFC hit.

The GFC is an underestimated factor in analysing horse racing attendances. Once it hit, corporate entertainment budgets were slashed - if not immediately, then once Spring Carnival contracts needed renegotiation. Hence marquees and corporate ticket sales were strong for a couple of years, before falling significantly. And now none of the faces who were part of that marketing want anything to do with racing, because of several animal cruelty scandals.

I also reckon horse racing (which simply doesn’t exist without gambling) is the first sport to suffer from a growing backlash against blanket sports betting.

When attendances peaked it was a 'swim thru', the current group arent into it anywhere near as much.
 

Our Game

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57,296 for Oaks Day. The lowest since 1994, albeit with horrible weather conditions.
The weather has played havoc with both the Derby and now Oaks Day Saturday isnt looking any better either.
These crowds would be a worry with fine weather but not with the consistent poor weather this week.
BTW 57,296 for Oaks Day is still a bloody good crowd for a working week day.
 
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The weather has played havoc with both the Derby and now Oaks Day Saturday isnt looking any better either.
These crowds would be a worry with fine weather but not with the consistent poor weather this week.
BTW 57,296 for Oaks Day is still a bloody good crowd for a working week day.

110k record, working day & all, its a different time.
 

Our Game

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110k record, working day & all, its a different time.
It is a different time except for the AFL who are bucking the trend and still increasing crowds marginally.

The T20 Cricket crowds this year have also been pretty poor including last night in Perth do you think by not being on FTA TV is having an effect?
I saw a report where Cricket Australia was a bit worried at the drop and couldnt work out why.
 

HavUEvaSeenTheRain

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It is a different time except for the AFL who are bucking the trend and still increasing crowds marginally.

The T20 Cricket crowds this year have also been pretty poor including last night in Perth do you think by not being on FTA TV is having an effect?
I saw a report where Cricket Australia was a bit worried at the drop and couldnt work out why.
I think it would. Some people wouldn’t have even known it was on, excluding kids who persuade parents to go. Also very boring meaningless mini series.
 

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Cmarsh

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It is a different time except for the AFL who are bucking the trend and still increasing crowds marginally.

The T20 Cricket crowds this year have also been pretty poor including last night in Perth do you think by not being on FTA TV is having an effect?
I saw a report where Cricket Australia was a bit worried at the drop and couldnt work out why.
I don't have alot of sympathy for CA. Alienated alot of fans by no longer making International limited overs games available on FTA for the Aus summer.
 
22,626 in Perth for the T20 v Pakistan. Not too bad considering the 4:30pm start time and the lack of buzz around the series.

5,547 for Melb City v CCM A-League. This was supposed to be a celebration game for City’s (or Melb Heart’s) 10th anniversary.
 
The mini T20 season crowds:

vs Sri Lanka
16,268 - Adelaide Oval
11,986 - Gabba
28,568 - MCG

vs Pakistan
19,176 - SCG
8,848 - Manuka Oval
22,626 - Perth Stadium

Pretty ordinary. The experiment with the early season didn’t work. I wonder if this was a trial for future years or simply to accomodate the ridiculous series in India in January that cuts right into the heart of the summer.
 

HavUEvaSeenTheRain

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22,626 in Perth for the T20 v Pakistan. Not too bad considering the 4:30pm start time and the lack of buzz around the series.

5,547 for Melb City v CCM A-League. This was supposed to be a celebration game for City’s (or Melb Heart’s) 10th anniversary.
I switched over to this game for 10 minutes and if there were more then 4000 I will eat my hat. I would actually be surprised if there were more then 3000.
 

BringBackTorps

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The Aust. govt. has provided recently increased funding for Pacific countries to improve their RU & RL ties with Aust.
Some experts have suggested that a primary motivation for this is a wariness of China improving its economic & political penetration in the Pacific (as well as increased Chinese naval access to Pacific states' ports- possibly its new aircraft carrier fleet).

Aust., therefore, wants to improve its Soft Power in the Pacific. These Aust. govt. funding initiatives will improve Pacific states' RU & RL development, & probably RU & RL in Aust.

In a major surprise, Tonga (c. pop.140,000) amazingly defeated the Aust. RL Kangaroos last week - & Fiji & Samoa are also improving in RL (despite both nations, with very small populations, traditionally strong in RU). This is a major boost for international RL.

Will RL in the Pacific begin to challenge RU for popularity? (see historian T. Collins' comments in above link "2019 may be the year that tips the balance towards rugby league"). If so, a massive boost for the NRL: re more fierce international Test matches; & an even grater assembly line of Pacific NRL players, & NRL stars.

How much will these competing power plays assist in the growth of Pacific states' RU & RL comps? How many millions $ will be provided?
And will these improvements ultimately assist further RU & RL growth in Aust.?

Roy Masters provides details, & seems to think that Aust. RL could gain big advantages- particularly if China & India develop an interest in RL.

SMH R. Masters 9.11

 
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The weird thing about cricket's recent low crowds is CA's reaction:
“We’re not completely surprised by it,” CA chief executive Kevin Roberts told SEN yesterday. “We are a little bit disappointed.”
...spoken like some helpless minnow nation with hardly any control over their schedule, and whose only recourse against bad attendance numbers is to wish they weren't so.

On the brightside, nice turnout for the WBBL match at North Sydney Oval today (though I dare not guess a number) which was promoted way less than the opening weekend.
 

wagstaff

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Would have got 30-40k with a 7pm start time.

Hope the marginal TV benefit was worth it.
It peaked at 276k which I think Foxtel would be pretty happy with.

I don't think it's great for the game but for Foxtel it's largely been value for money, especially when the A-league was sub 30k & NBL sub-20k.

They spent a fortune because nothing else in summer because no other sport they have comes even close to NRL or AFL.
 

Our Game

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I switched over to this game for 10 minutes and if there were more then 4000 I will eat my hat. I would actually be surprised if there were more then 3000.
Yep it looked pretty bad and todays A League match at Newcastle didnt look that great either.
The much vaunted A League revival this season seems to have stalled badly.
 
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The mini T20 season crowds:

vs Sri Lanka
16,268 - Adelaide Oval
11,986 - Gabba
28,568 - MCG

vs Pakistan
19,176 - SCG
8,848 - Manuka Oval
22,626 - Perth Stadium

Pretty ordinary. The experiment with the early season didn’t work. I wonder if this was a trial for future years or simply to accomodate the ridiculous series in India in January that cuts right into the heart of the summer.
Large India and England crowds in December and January cloud people's opinion on how many are interested in going to the cricket.

Does anyone have comparisons to the last time Srilanka and Pakistan played in Australia or other October series?
 
Large India and England crowds in December and January cloud people's opinion on how many are interested in going to the cricket.

Does anyone have comparisons to the last time Srilanka and Pakistan played in Australia or other October series?

Don’t have those to hand but I would say that all 6 games had very healthy numbers of Sri Lankan/Pakistani supporters attend which kept the figures from being much worse.

Also, Big Bash games can easily exceed those numbers, so it’s not like T20 cricket can’t attract crowds. The fact that they were played in October and November clearly impacted, as well as a lack of promotion.

I think it shows meaningless games and series will struggle without a decent lead in.
 

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