Centenary Test: Australian Kangaroos vs New Zealand Kiwis

[Ryan]

I heard on the radio today that only about 8000 tickets have been sold for this game. C'mon Sydney - if you think you're the home of Rugby League, it's time to prove you're worthy.

If they would accept pigs and goats for payment, they would sell more tickets in PNG!

[Capital_Shark]

I heard on the radio today that only about 8000 tickets have been sold for this game. C'mon Sydney - if you think you're the home of Rugby League, it's time to prove you're worthy.

Disgraceful, isn't it. Unfortunately not a surprise though, which puts less of a question mark over Sydney League fans and more of a question mark over why the hell the Administration elected to hold the match in a place notorious for no-shows.

Queensland would need half a day max to sell the majority of the 52,000 available tickets. NSW has had a month or something and 3 days out its looking like there will be 72,000 empty seats give or take a few last minute walk-ups.

Something must be done to ensure that fans willing to front up and fill stadiums aren't left watching it on the box because the game continues to hold some historic allegiances to other locations that can only cough up a handful of live support.

Bit of an off the cuff solution but I'll throw it out there:

Its gonna be between QLD and NSW for the big games. Prior to sealing the match into a venue, have each state register their interest. Pre-sell tickets to a game at Lang Park, and pre-sell tickets to the same game at whatever the hell their calling Homebush/Telstra/ANZ at the time. Lang Park gets 30,000 in a fortnight and Homebush/Telstra/ANZ gets 2,500 in a fortnight they refund those 2,500 and book Lang Park for the occasion. It'd be some extra leg work but something as special as a one in a hundred Centenary Test wouldn't be hosted in a near empty stadium.

[daveyk]

Its gonna be between QLD and NSW for the big games. Prior to sealing the match into a venue, have each state register their interest. Pre-sell tickets to a game at Lang Park, and pre-sell tickets to the same game at whatever the hell their calling Homebush/Telstra/ANZ at the time. Lang Park gets 30,000 in a fortnight and Homebush/Telstra/ANZ gets 2,500 in a fortnight they refund those 2,500 and book Lang Park for the occasion. It'd be some extra leg work but something as special as a one in a hundred Centenary Test wouldn't be hosted in a near empty stadium.

i like the theory... imagine doing the same scenario for each origin game....

suncorp would have all 3 games every year,, they always struggle to fill stadiums down south. does the grand final even sell out???

[Capital_Shark]

i like the theory... imagine doing the same scenario for each origin game....

suncorp would have all 3 games every year,, they always struggle to fill stadiums down south. does the grand final even sell out???

Like I said mate, just an off the cuff thought. Probably not the answer, but something has to be done to make sure the best games get the best crowd. Make it a SOO at the box office and some might fire up. Who knows. There are people who get paid a lot more than me to figure this crap out.

As for SOO, I think the current 2 here 1 there concept is working.

[DIEHARD]

Next year Queensland will surrender one Origin to Melbourne.

Might be a fantastic opportunity to schedule a Test to fil the void.

[Hoppy2007Dragons]

The only Grand Final in my recent memory that was almost sold out or was was the 99 gf, i think if the dragons or souths ever get to a gf in the future then u would see a almost packed stadium, it probably doesn't help that of the last ten years youve had the broncos and storm winning and competing in grand finals as well as North Queensland, some people are not liek us on the forum and enjoy rugby league as a whole, they would rather support their team in its entirety and don't care about other teams in gfs etc etc.

I have a solution for sydney, build smaller stadiums that way they will be full.

[Steve]

The only Grand Final in my recent memory that was almost sold out or was was the 99 gf, i think if the dragons or souths ever get to a gf in the future then u would see a almost packed stadium, it probably doesn't help that of the last ten years youve had the broncos and storm winning and competing in grand finals as well as North Queensland, some people are not liek us on the forum and enjoy rugby league as a whole, they would rather support their team in its entirety and don't care about other teams in gfs etc etc.

I have a solution for sydney, build smaller stadiums that way they will be full.

I think the 97% capacity crowd of 81,392 in the 2007 grand final doesn't really warrant playing it in a smaller stadium.

[Cowboy Titan]

I'm sure the high cost of going to the game and huge cost of food and drinks has a big impact on who can afford to go, particularly with most people being cash strapped at the moment.

I wonder if anyone has considered the way Cricket Australia telecast matches - if the game is in Sydney, it's only broadcast live if the ground is a sellout.

[Hoppy2007Dragons]

think the 97% capacity crowd of 81,392 in the 2007 grand final doesn't really warrant playing it in a smaller stadium.

i heard it was only 65% thats a pretty big tournout, but i suppsoe with a sydney based team in that gf its accepted that big crowds will turn up.

I wonder if anyone has considered the way Cricket Australia telecast matches - if the game is in Sydney, it's only broadcast live if the ground is a sellout.

i hate how cricket australia do that, i can't afford to attend all these wondefull sporting event we have all year, and i think its unfair that becuase i can't afford to go live, i don't get the oppurtunity to see it live or via tv.

I hope the nrl do not consider this.

[Steve]

Well, original capacity was 110k, but it's down to 83.5k now, made it oval to cater for AFL and cricket. :|

[titanstattman]

And for the tickets there not that badle priced $60 bucks or $30 its not that bad?????

[Steve]

I think $30 is the concession! I doubt I'd be going for $60 if I lived in Sydney!

[titanstattman]

I think $30 is the concession! I doubt I'd be going for $60 if I lived in Sydney!

Yeah $60 is for cagt 1 $40 is for cagt 2 $30 is for cagt 3 it alldepands on where u wanna sit....

[DIEHARD]

I do think that LIVE telecasts are hurting rugby league crowds. Fans are growing even more lazy.

I do think that it is very very expensive for families to go to games. Especially in Sydney due to transport.

Families need to start bringing food from home in eskies to cut the price of attending.

But this isn't any regular game, it's a TEST MATCH. A centenary Test at that. So we shouldn't be having this conversation. Sydney has let us down and instead of talking about the game in the media, all we hear about is stories about crap crowds.

I'm still confident of a great crowd. And I will enjoy being at the Test among so many like minded rugby league fans who love and support the game.

Oh and for the record, even I haven't bought tickets yet! I'm sure we will have a walk up crowd, Sydney fans don't pre-purchase.

Also we all saw the amount of Kiwis at the Titans game the other week, why on Earth can't Sydney based Kiwis be inspired to go?

ATM I'll be looking at getting 5 tickets.... just takes a bit of time to work out who is going etc. :dizzy:

[Meh]

Apparently Thurston is under an injury cloud and guess who is being flown in just in case?

No, not Scott Prince, Cooper Cronk! haha

Honestly, if Cooper Cronk is ahead of Prince in the pecking order, what does that mean for origin? Will Prince be overlooked for that jumper too?