This is the type of stuff we've opened ourselves up for.........

[swoop]

Manly fans can't be expected to travel

Steve Hitstirrer

15:30 AEST Mon Sep 12 2011

Steve Hitstirrer is a well-travelled, sports-hardened, armchair expert, prepared to tear the scab off a whole range of sporting wounds. Love him or hate him, you’ll find indifference is not an option.


The NRL should be ashamed of itself. Manly Sea Eagles have had a magnificent season, finishing second to Melbourne Storm on the NRL ladder and guaranteeing themselves a second chance in the finals. They also earned themselves a home final, but in a ridiculous enforcement of a decision endorsed by all NRL clubs at the beginning of the year, Manly were forced to play their home final at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday night.

To understand the imposition this home game relocation represents, you have to know that the heart of Manly territory lies on the Northern Beaches. This affluent peninsula is located to the north of Sydney, and is isolated by both water and self-importance.

One of Sydney's powerhouse clubs, which regularly packs out its state-of-the-art suburban ground with 18,000 patrons, could only manage a paltry 12,592 fans to watch them dismantle North Queensland Cowboys. Sea Eagles fans will tell you they are the most passionate in the land, but to get them to travel, you'd have to tell them a tsunami was heading their way – even then they'd want to hang around to see if they ended up with a waterfront property.

For these extremely passionate fans to attend the preliminary final against the Cowboys at the SFS, meant undertaking an arduous 20km drive along some of the most congested and difficult roads in the world. So tough is that journey that prior to the game Manly officials called on the NRL to provide buses to ferry the faithful – the NRL turned them down and the buses never arrived.

Manly chairman Scott Penn was so disappointed; he called for an immediate review of the NRL finals system. He rightly blamed the fact Manly were playing an out of town club for the appalling attendance.

"We had two bays at the SFS which were filled to capacity, but the Cowboys also had two bays and there was only a couple of hundred people in there," Penn explained.

It seems Cowboys fans just couldn't be bothered making the 2,091km drive to the ground and their non-attendance really hurt the bottom line for Manly.

The NRL's reasoning behind shifting finals from suburban grounds is that no fan should miss out on a ticket to such a big match. Clearly in this instance they have overestimated by a long way the desire of Manly fans to buy those tickets. When playing a team which won't provide at least half of the crowd, Manly's pulling power may just peak at the 18,000 capacity Brookvale accommodates.

Wests Tigers will play New Zealand Warriors this Friday night at the same 40,000 capacity SFS. Tigers' fans are being asked to travel from as far away as Campbelltown, some 56km to the south west. New Zealand fans not living in Bondi face a three hour flight across the ditch. Surely the NRL faces the same embarrassment this week. Surely the match should be moved to the 18,000 capacity Leichhardt Oval. Or maybe, just maybe, Tigers fans will show a bit more heart when it comes to getting behind their team, no matter where they are playing.
--------------------------------------------------------

Sorry Dan for posting this here but I tried to submit it via submit article area but it wouldn't work.

 

[Rusty]

...

Yeah well, I guess in a way we deserve that.

 

[Sheikheagle]

To a certain extent we deserve it we have a brilliant team and they deserved a much better crowd

 

[Rusty]

Honestly I can't talk, I was at work, but can you imagine any other Sydney club getting such a low number? Perhaps Penrith, but they would still likely beat 14k.

 

[wombatgc]

Sorry Dan for posting this here but I tried to submit it via submit article area but it wouldn't work.

Yes. Whats up with that?
I tried this morning, it saves, then f@cks off to another page?...
By the way the Steve guy that wrote this crap is a c@ck. People didn't travel,'cause they where pissed off it wasn't at Brookie. Gallop you are a f@ckwit!

 

[DSM5]

Deserved critisism. Although the 8.30 kickoff put many people with kids off I imagine. Whoever thought that was a good idea deserves to be punted. I wonder if any more games this series will be kick off at 8.30pm

 

[Pittwater Legend]

I must be one of the only ones who thinks this is being blown out of proportion. There is no doubt we could have done better but there are also factors that went against us. Factors no one seems to want to acknowledge.

I haven't got statistics but I'd be confident in saying that we are one of the least supported teams in Sydney and that the Northern Beaches population is probably lower than the rest of Sydney. Hence lower crowds by comparison.

The 8.30 start was a **** for brains ideas. Hence lower chances of drawing a crowd.

Our home game was taken away from our home ground. Disgruntled fans more inclined to watch the game on TV.

And public transport to and from the Northern Beaches is a nightmare. Combined with the 8.30 time slot an Eagles victory is the only way this journey wouldn't ruin your weekend.

 

[swoop]

This bloke might be a jerk and the 8.30pm game is a factor, but the club has been pissing of the NRL and plenty of non-Manly supporters with the constant "whinge" and "poor us syndrome" lately.

We are copping it in spades from the media and hopefully the removal of Zorba is a start for the club to becoming more professional in all facets and especially media statements.

What happened to "no-one like us but we don't care". The club should close ranks and stop feeding the media more ammunition to fire back at us.

Time to get over the sagas and move on, we are not winning friends in the general public, we'll lose attacking the NRL and that could have serious consequences re attracting sponsorship. We are about the only club that can't attract big sponsorship even though we've featured in the finals for the last 5 or 6 years in a row. I wonder why that is?

Lately it's been one negative article after another.

 

[The Who]

There are lot of inaccuracies in that story, but leaving that aside.
What about a similar low number in Melbourne. They were at home, receiving the minor premiership, on a sunday afternoon. We cop this crap, and they are not mentioned.

I did make the effort to get there. When I paid for my son and me, with public transport costs, a couple of drinks, without any food, it cost around $150. While we think it worth the cost, I can understand why many people can't afford it.
The game is now skewed to the armchair viewer, not the fans who shell out big money and brave the weather, transport hassles etc.
If they want big crowds at the match cut the price of tickets, and don't show it live on TV. Or, make the game free to season ticketholders from all clubs!
Frankly, I don't know if I'm going to try to get to the game on Friday week. I have to rearrange my normal working day, and my son would have to leave work also. Then it's probably $200 out of pocket - and the chance that we won't make the start of the match. What do we get for dinner? Rubbish stadium food at exorbitant prices.
So, before people criticise remember that we had more than 20,000 at Brookie V Melb on a Friday evening because we have passionate fans.

 

[silvertail]

Some of you think we should back off and stop providing ammunition. That's crazy talk. We have been at war with the NRL for quite a while now and I reckon the score sheet reads:

Manly. Mighty and magnificent
Vs
Gallop. Should resign and forever be gone from rugby league

I am proud with the manner in which the club has managed incident after incident. We hold the morale high ground and it is the incompetent Gallop that needs to exit the game ASAP.

---

The truth is out there David, just make a public apology and the war is over. Failing that, just take a long walk and don't come back!!!!!!!!!

 

[Narly]

The best one I heard was on the Sunday Roast when they said manly fans should do the 20km travel across the bridge. The thing is, we're the Bloody customer! Its the NRL that should be servicing its customers.

 

[Phantar]

Maybe the Club's decision to try and change the venue, meant some supporters decided they wouldn't go, as some form of protest in support of the Club's 'position.' I certainly got that feeling after a few posts on here last week.

I'm looking forward to a time when our Club no longer considers it sound policy to criticise the NRL at seemingly every opportunity.

 

[Jatz Crackers]

How much credibility can an article written by S.Hitstirrer have ?

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Maybe the Club's decision to try and change the venue, meant some supporters decided they wouldn't go, as some form of protest in support of the Club's 'position.' I certainly got that feeling after a few posts on here last week.

I'm looking forward to a time when our Club no longer considers it sound policy to criticise the NRL at seemingly every opportunity.

Its the NRL that is creating the opportunities.

 

[swoop]

How much credibility can an article written by S.Hitstirrer have ?

None. But it's a reflection on what non-manly supporters are thinking
and there's plenty more articles in the media coming from our club which will end up biting us on the arse.

Why doesn't the club try and talk to the NRL? Is that such a bad thing or will it make us look like we've caved in to them. We're never going to win a fight against them so it's time to suck it up and kiss some NRL arse if we have to along the way.

 

[dceagle]

What dribble . To suggest Manly fans would have had to travel up to 20klms is very naive. It's common knowledge that over 80 % of Manly fans live well outside of the penninsula.

I have been doing 180 klm round trips to Brookie for years now , and I'm sure their are plenty just like me .

The small crowd was because of a ridiculous time slot , lack of respectable public transport options, out of town opposition and to a lesser extent a protest abscence by some.

At Brookvale on a Sunday afternoon we would have pulled in 20,000 for sure . And that's not with the benefit of being one town team, who were also being presented with the minor premiership shield on the same day.

 

[Jatz Crackers]

How much credibility can an article written by S.Hitstirrer have ?

None. But it's a reflection on what non-manly supporters are thinking
and there's plenty more articles in the media coming from our club which will end up biting us on the arse.

Why doesn't the club try and talk to the NRL? Is that such a bad thing or will it make us look like we've caved in to them. We're never going to win a fight against them so it's time to suck it up and kiss some NRL arse if we have to along the way.

I see it as two different issues.

The first being what others (including this s.hitstirrer nitwit) think & IMO it matters not one iota. Why would we care about the opinions of those who have no idea what the Manly club is and what its like to be part of that club.

The second being what relationship we have with the heirachy of the NRL. Now i will admit I have hard views about this & believe we shouldnt walk softly or mumble quietly or kow tow to gallop or anyone esle in the NRL.

But let me ease your mind on this. We are only weeks away from the IC. Gallop might have his say still but it will be only in conjuction with a 12 man board. He no longer gets to make decisions like he did in the Brett Stewart saga & then answer it with a mere denial or a politicians verbal twist on things after the fact.

Sucking up and kissing NRL arse is the worst thing we can do. If we feel we are in the right or have an important point to make then say so and do so with conviction.

 

[Jono]

We had 830pm starts in 07 and 08 and got 17000+ to those games. Its simple: the time was only to blame for families and most of them may have turned up if at Brookie like they did in 07 and 08.

However, what we all need to take into account is the large support base we have outside Sydney.

In saying this, Wombat, if you are correct and people were boycotting then we deserve everything we get.

In fact, we deserve everything we get full stop. There is only one way to stop it: PROVE THEM WRONG!! Stop making excuses and get out there. Fly the colours with pride instead of turning around after the GF and claiming to be a fan.

---

What dribble . To suggest Manly fans would have had to travel up to 20klms is very naive. It's common knowledge that over 80 % of Manly fans live well outside of the penninsula.

I have been doing 180 klm round trips to Brookie for years now , and I'm sure their are plenty just like me .

The small crowd was because of a ridiculous time slot , lack of respectable public transport options, out of town opposition and to a lesser extent a protest abscence by some.

At Brookvale on a Sunday afternoon we would have pulled in 20,000 for sure . And that's not with the benefit of being one town team, who were also being presented with the minor premiership shield on the same day.

All excuses. Yes we have a large support out of town. However, so do the Dragons, so do the Warriors. They both have an ability to fill bays worth of people. We supposedly had 60,000 supporters at the 08 GF. You can't tell me they were 75% out of towners. The buses back to the Northern Beaches and the amount of people celebrating outside the Leagues would beg to differ.

We have a large support on the Northern Beaches that are happy to claim themselves as a fan of the Sea Eagles but not willing to do anything about it because "its too far to travel", or "it's cold" or "it's too late". On many occasions this year Brookie only got 10,000 or less. Hoowever, we had 20,000 at the Melbourne game. Where are all those fans? Why weren't they at the SFS on Saturday...oh and that was a Friday so I guess I can assume we'll get 20,000 to the SFS for the next game because that Friday standard has been set, right? WRONG!!!

It's very simple, instead of complaining and making excuses how about some of the fair weather supporters do their end of season duty and make the 20km trip to the SFS? Its not hard to do. I know people that travelled much further on Saturday night. I know many that have travelled from Northern NSW, the Illawarra or Queensland even on a WEEKLY basis to watch Manly games. No more excuses, I am sick and tired of hearing them.

Oh, and Melbourne had to compete with a sold out Melbourne derby at the MCG at the same time as the Storm game. At least they had a reason, we didn't.

 

[bones]

The article is wrong for a start. It states that the crowd was 12592, when the official figure was 13972. I blame Vidmar. If he hadn't broken his leg , the crowd would have been at least 13973.

 

[torana355]

I think Jono is right, instead of making excuses and whinging i think Manly fans should have got their asses out to the SFS, not only would it have been great for the players but the Club would have benefited financially aswell. Im sure the 8.30pm timeslot was a factor for Families but we still should have got at least 20k for a finals game.

I work nights and live out west so i am unable to get to alot of games but the ones i am able to get out too i make the 2 hour round trip to drive out to Brookvale or SFS ect. I sadly missed the Cowboys game due to just getting out of Hospital to get my appendix out and to make it worse i have to work for our next Friday night finals game