Warriors members deserting club
Warriors boss Cameron George knows he has a job on his hands to win back the club’s fans.
Membership for the upcoming season is down about 4000 from this time last year.
There certainly isn’t any hype about the team’s prospects as there has been in previous years, sparked by a big-name signing joining the club.
Recruitment for this season has given the squad a lot more depth, but there isn’t that marquee signing which Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Sam Tomkins and Issac Luke all were.
Losing the last nine games of the 2017 season hasn’t helped and George, the club’s CEO, acknowledges some fans have been reluctant to put their hardearned money into a membership package for this year.
‘‘I understand completely on the back of where we’ve been and why people are still deciding whether or not they’re going to become a member,’’ George said.
‘‘We did start a month later in terms of our selling, but at the end of the day, the numbers don’t lie and it is what it is.
‘‘From my perspective and the organisation’s perspective, we’re working very hard off the field to make our experience on game day attractive.
‘‘For those that are still scratching their heads on whether or not they should support the team, the message I’ve got for them is very clear, that the boys on the field are going to represent
Everyone wants to be supporting a winning team.
them with passion and commitment.
‘‘The experience we’re providing off the field this year is very exciting for people that attend the game.
‘‘It’s up to us to get them back to the stadium, we know that and we’ve prepared for that, and we’re going to go out and represent our fans and, hopefully, that grows our membership base through the season.’’
At the beginning of this month the Warriors had 8035 members signed up for the 2018 season, with only the Gold Coast Titans having fewer.
While the Warriors are working hard on improving the match-day experience it all comes down to results. Until the club can demonstrate on the field that they’re worth supporting, fans will continue to vote with their feet.
‘‘Everyone wants to be supporting a winning team,’’ George said. ‘‘Our players know that and they take it very seriously.
‘‘It is a competitive market in terms of membership and what’s on offer out in the world.
‘‘At the end of day we all have to win across the organisation to make it really attractive for people to become our members .
‘‘That starts by us in the back office and the team winning on the field.’’