Malcolm Knox for NSW Sports Minister and NRL CEO

[MadMarcus]

Suburban grounds can make the NRL a crowded marketplace

Malcolm Knox

Whoever thinks that the drop in NRL crowds can be arrested by a $700 million transformation of the Olympic Stadium must have had their brain re-shaped from an oval to a rectangle. It's simply wrong, and it's offensive to every school and hospital in this state that is in genuine need of government funding.

We can save the NRL and the state a lot of money in surveys and tell them right here why the average rugby league crowd has fallen below 15,000 for the first time since 2004. Here are the top nine reasons people don't attend NRL matches.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...rl-a-crowded-marketplace-20170824-gy3qcg.html

 

[Harvies elbow]

He's nailed it again.
He's the only thing that made me buy that paper again.
Sports best journo !!

 

[wombatgc]

Great read. Too many good ideas to make any difference at NRL HQ.

 

[sean1976]

Malcolm's a sea eagle supporter.

 

[SeaEagle21]

That stadium plan announced by the state gov't just sounds dodgy in every way. Perfect partner for the NRL

 

[Sea Eagle 4 Life]

Talk about rubbing the NRL's nose in it......the AFL tomorrow will pass the biggest ever overall crowd total for a season, with a few games to spare!

 

[sheridanstand78]

This guy speaks a language that the NRL and state government will never understand. It is called common sense. You only have to look at average crowds from 40 years ago that in a lot of cases were higher than today's ones. Crap scheduling, obsession with night football and the fabric of the game ripped apart by Greenturd and his cronies in chase of the almighty dollar.

Have a look at what the AFL did tonight in the Hawks v Bulldogs game, Three legends of their game retired tonight and the way it was handled was amazing for the players, the fans and the viewers who saw this. The NRL is so out of touch with what the ordinary fan wants. It is a real shame that Malcolm Knox is not involved with the administration of the game. The empty and tired rhetoric we get from the NRL is so out dated and we need a fresh voice that is in touch with the fans fast!!

 

[Lord Eagleton]

Suburban grounds can make the NRL a crowded marketplace

Malcolm Knox

Whoever thinks that the drop in NRL crowds can be arrested by a $700 million transformation of the Olympic Stadium must have had their brain re-shaped from an oval to a rectangle. It's simply wrong, and it's offensive to every school and hospital in this state that is in genuine need of government funding.

We can save the NRL and the state a lot of money in surveys and tell them right here why the average rugby league crowd has fallen below 15,000 for the first time since 2004. Here are the top nine reasons people don't attend NRL matches.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...rl-a-crowded-marketplace-20170824-gy3qcg.html

100%! I saw this article this morning and was going to make a thread about it. He is an amazing journo, hands down the best one going around. Easy. He is bang on in his observations, in fact he is too direct, honest and efficient in his pieces. Too efficient for the NRL anyway. The NRL should use his observations and thoughts as a blue print for their strategy.

 

[Lord Eagleton]

8. Stadium location. Todd Greenberg can say till he's blue and white in the face that the Olympic Stadium isn't working for rugby league because it's not rectangular.

Also, i dont know if anyone picked up this quality little dig at Toddles. Blue & white, his slightly biased Bulldogs background etc


EDIT: well, i read it as a cheeky little dig. Yet another reason to love this guy. Knox, you legend

 

[Budgie]

Malcolm's a sea eagle supporter.

Of course - his intelligence would tell us that even if we didn't know already

 

[The Who]

Did any of you watch the final of the RU today at North Sydney Oval? Great match, with Warringah just beating Norths. But the crowd was amazing; more than 20,000, and the suburban ground looked fantastic. It's a great oval, and allows fans to run on the field at the end of the match.
RL should take heed. For RU to draw such an enthusiastic crowd when almost no RL matches in Sydney draw close to 20,000.

 

[mave]

Finals matches in Sydney generally draw close to 20k dont they ?

 

[manlyfan76]

Finals matches in Sydney generally draw close to 20k dont they ?

Unless roosters or souffs are playing.

 

[The Who]

Finals matches in Sydney generally draw close to 20k dont they ?

I think we drew 13,000 a couple of times when playing the Cowboys in finals at the SFS and were criticised for "not travelling".
My point is - play more matches at suburban grounds, such as North Sydney Oval, and you'll pack the place, creating a fantastic atmosphere.

 

[mave]

I think we drew 13,000 a couple of times when playing the Cowboys in finals at the SFS and were criticised for "not travelling".
My point is - play more matches at suburban grounds, such as North Sydney Oval, and you'll pack the place, creating a fantastic atmosphere.

You are preaching to the converted.

 

[Jock]

You are preaching to the converted.

It's an awful ground to watch rugby leagur