Everyone wins with more NRL in regions
Rabbitohs do massive service to game by tackling Cowboys in Cairns
IT’S that time again when we need to show how much we love the big events and send a message to the NRL that there should be more league in the regions.
The Rabbitohs might well be doing themselves a little disservice choosing to take on the Cowboys in Cairns, but they’re doing a massive service to the game and no doubt the turnout to Barlow Park on Sunday will be a financial boost for the club.
While they have one of the biggest membership bases in the NRL, Souths struggle to draw a crowd in Sydney, like most of them do.
The numbers so far for the Rabbitohs in Sydney in 2017 read: 16,970 v Tigers; 10,479 v Roosters; 11,083 v Broncos; 10,594 v Manly; 14,218 v Eels; 7163 v Titans; and 14,103 v Panthers.
That’s an average of a tick of 12,000 fans through the gates per game in Sydney, which puts the Rabbitohs right down the list.
Poor scheduling has a lot to do with it, among a myriad of other factors every club faces.
Well may we say rugby league is a better TV product, but empty seats are embarrassing.
It’s events like the one coming up on Sunday which invariably boost the numbers and the NRL has to encourage even more of it.
Unfortunately I can’t say this outright because only 11,433 turned up in Perth when the Rabbitohs played the Storm back in May, but it bucketed all day before the clouds cleared.
The venue has been plagued by bad weather more often than not and it happened again when 6258 showed up in torrential rain to watch an entertaining Sea Eagles v Warriors contest.
In saying that, Adelaide got 21,492 fans through the gates in June and Gosford 20,060 a couple of weeks ago for Roosters home games. The evidence is there for all to see.
For those non-traditional venues, it’s the novelty of a once or twice a year experience that draws the crowd and elevates the atmosphere.
Maybe if the NRL encouraged teams who struggle for crowds to take more home games out of town, it might actually make the fans who live in their catchments value their opportunities a bit more.
It’s a win-win.
WELL MAY WE SAY RUGBY LEAGUE IS A BETTER TV PRODUCT, BUT EMPTY SEATS ARE EMBARRASSING