NRL giving away thousands of tickets to boost Roosters Storm final

[Tweed_Tiger]

Telegraph Sport

Fearing a small preliminary final crowd, the NRL has given ANZ Stadium thousands of free tickets for Saturday night’s blockbuster between Sydney Roosters and Melbourne at the cross-town SCG.

The ticket giveaway will shame Sydney rugby league fans after Canberra’s GIO Stadium was sold out this week within five minutes for Friday evening’s grand final qualifier.

An ANZ Stadium email to members was titled: “SPECIAL TICKET OFFER.”

The Daily Telegraph also understands the NRL will use a Telstra database to offer further freebies. Each ANZ Stadium member can claim up to four tickets to attend the SCG elimination game.

Early indications suggest a modest crowd of 25,000 will attend the Roosters-Storm match although officials hope a late walk-up coupled with fine weather — which is forecast — may increase that figure to a respectable 30,000.

The ANZ Stadium email to members – obtained by The Daily Telegraph – read: “With no NRL finals game to be played at ANZ Stadium this weekend we are pleased to be able to work with the NRL to provide our members with a special ticket offer to watch the Roosters take on the Storm at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday night.”

An NRL spokesman stressed there had been similar giveaways this year, including tickets to State of Origin III at ANZ Stadium.

The Daily Telegraph also has emails showing free ticket give aways for last weekend’s South Sydney-Manly elimination final.

ANZ Stadium emailed its 15,000 members in a late attempt to bolster the crowd for what should be one of the best matches of the NRL season.

“Members will have the opportunity to access up to four (4) complimentary tickets to this match per member,” stated the ANZ Stadium email to members. “Tickets are available on a first in first served basis until allocation is exhausted. There is a ticket limit of four (4) per member and should you redeem tickets they must be used on the night.”

NRL officials claim a reciprocal arrangement between the SCG Trust and ANZ Stadium would enable an exchange of memberships to ensure members’ grandstands were well accommodated for big games.

Ticket sales have been sluggish given the Roosters’ modest fan base, Melbourne’s struggle to bring fans interstate and difficulties associated with watching rugby league at the SCG.

An ANZ Stadium member said an offer of four complimentary tickets just three days before kick-off indicated a mediocre crowd was expected to attend.

“I have been a member for around 10 years and I can’t remember this happening before. It seems strange the offer would come just three days before the game,” he said.

It comes after 27,000 tickets for the Canberra-Souths game GIO Stadium started selling at 10am on Tuesday and were sold out by 10.05am.

There was also a free ticket give away for last weekend’s Rabbitohs-Sea Eagles final.


An email from the NRL, the NSW Premier’s Sporting Challenge and ANZ Stadium, also obtained by The Daily Telegraph, read: “As your school is participating in this year’s NSW Premier’s School Sport Challenge, up to four (4) FREE tickets are available for each student and staff member to redeem for the match.

“Tickets are limited so be sure to secure them quickly for what will be a great evening of rugby league.”

The NRL will conduct a media opportunity – involving former Roosters and Storm players Bryan Fletcher, David Trewhella, Russell Fairfax and Anthony Quinn – on Thursday to try and grow ticket sales.

 

[Juro]

This is what you get when you have the same teams playing finals football every year. What happened with Parra and the Raiders? What would happen if we ever make it?

 

[GNR4LIFE]

This is what you get when you have the same teams playing finals football every year. What happened with Parra and the Raiders? What would happen if we ever make it?

No, the Roosters have no supporters and never have had.

 

[Tiger_Steve]

This is probably the wrong spot but didn’t want to start a new thread:

Fantastic podcast from Matty Johns with John Singleton last night. Very honest.
As I’ve said too many times I believe there is underlying corruption at many levels within the NRL, that for whatever reason, gives certain clubs advantage over others.

Listen to Singleton talk of cash payments to players, paying off refs, determination of ARL to get rid of Newtown and my theory seems a little more believable imo.

 

[jadtiger]

No great surprise,when you have a club with little support base and small area being pandered to by the NRL and an out of town club from a non football area playing each other what would you expect but this situation.The rorters cant draw breath as far as support is concerned but as long as the NRL are happy with the cash flow nothing will change.
We have 3rd rate administration at the NRL.

 

[tigerap]

Fans are fast becoming disillusioned with the game and its no more evident with a huge drop in TV ratings and ground attendance statistics. Last weekends TV ratings the AFL in Sydney drew double the NRL finals game between Storm and Parramatta...The game needs a swift broom through the Board, Commissioners and CEO. Gus should be appointed CEO for 2 years to get the game back on track,...

 

[tig_prmz]

I honestly don't blame NRL too much- the product doesn't engage the current youth as they are more in to basketball/AFL/European football leagues. And obviously, the Sydney market is so saturated already.

In terms of advertising, the NRL has missed the boat. Finals haven't been publicised as a MUST for every Sydney resident. They've promoted more tribalism (i.e. support your club) instead of selling the theater of rugby league.

Anyway, like others- no surprise really.

 

[balmain boy]

This is what happens when you have two soulless clubs that no-one cares about playing one another. All that money and no-one cares.

 

[jirskyr]

Fans are fast becoming disillusioned with the game and its no more evident with a huge drop in TV ratings and ground attendance statistics. Last weekends TV ratings the AFL in Sydney drew double the NRL finals game between Storm and Parramatta.

Just the GWS game vs just the Storm/Eels game? All viewership types - FTA, Foxtel, online?

Average NRL crowds 2019 are down about 1K since 2018, however 2018 was a record since 2014.

I'm super suspicious about reported TV audiences at the moment. For example, myself I switched to Kayo in 2019 and barely watched any games on Ch 9. Are they accounting for people like me? TV audiences are down in all departments, not just sport and not just NRL.

GWS pulled 19K for their finals game in Sydney, Raiders in Canberra this week are projecting 26K+ and stadium capacity.

 

[jirskyr]

This is what you get when you have the same teams playing finals football every year. What happened with Parra and the Raiders? What would happen if we ever make it?

No, the Roosters have no supporters and never have had.

Roosters fans should be embarrassed.

Or maybe I have it wrong, and there were only 25K Roosters fans to begin with, so literally everyone is attending.

But this all goes back to Super League. ARL desperate to counter Super League signings blitzes, double-down with loyalty contracts and counter-signing, end up handing over Phil Gould and Brad Fittler on a platter to Roosters, plus Uncle Nick coming to power, James Packer on the board, and the rest is history for them.

Roosters are a club that exists to statisfy a small number of very powerful and rich men, and the crowds prove it. If WT had that kind of success, we'd pull 60K for a GF qualifier.

 

[Bee-Em]

I assume it would be a high quality sporting event, but personally I can't stand either team, so I doubt I will be watching it.

One good thing about this game though is at least one of them won't be in the GF.

 

[The-moP]

Down here in the Nations Capital .. GIO Stadium for the Raiders vs Bunnies game on Friday night is a sell out .. they have even opened area's for standing room only .. !! They think they will break the ground record with this game. It will be a specticle to see 24 or 25 thousand screaming, viking clapping, mad green Canberra supporters going nuts at the start the game doing the viking clap. With 90% of the crowd support, screaming for the Raiders, that should give the Raiders a huge advantage .. !!

With all 3 Burgess brothers named for Souffs, and Sticky has named 4 Poms in his Raiders side .. this breaks a record with the most Poms (7) playing in a finals game in the NRL history .. !!

 

[Tweed_Tiger]

Will be funny seeing Storm have more support than the Roosters in Sydney.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Will be funny seeing Storm have more support than the Roosters in Sydney.

They won't be far off.

 

[Snake]

@TigerSkins hypothetically if theTigers and Parra or Souths where playing each other on Sunday it would of been sold out Monday and the TV. Audience would be huge .
The NRL have problems Roosters and Melbourne rate badly ..have no Real supporter base yet are gifted by the NRL at every turn , you can beat your life the broadcasters would not be happy that thousands of free tickets are given away showing no interest from the Sydney league supporters and I would imagine the ratings would be ok but nothing to boast about !

 

[gallagher]

I loved it in the 80's and 90's when all semis were at Moore Park on a saturday and Sunday arvo. I used to go quite regularly even though wests were rarely playing. Nice sunny day and quality football.

I wouldn't be bothered going to a neutral game starting at 8pm though. And definitely not to the likes of Brookie or Shark park.

 

[Krammy]

Agree with what people are saying here. Imagine if we had powerful corporate support like the Roosters. Personally I would not have watched another Roosters v Storm grand final, had it happened. Go the Raiders or Bunnies in the GF.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Surely this puts an end to the rubbish about the NRL having it in for us and do all they can to keep us down? To what end are they doing it, to have prelim finals where they have to give tickets away and worry the game will be a television ratings disaster? Can you imagine how many we'd pull to a prelim. I'm sure the NRL would know that given how finals starved our supporters are. I guess they'd rather give tickets away. Some conspiracy.

 

[WT2K]

Adelaide Roosters has a nice ring to it

 

[JD Tiger]

@TigerSkins I managed to get 2 standing tickets (my oldest boy likes Souths) so we'll be there. I figured like random Souths guy, I'll wear my Tigers jacket, just because I can't fathom going to a football game without supporting my team.

I expect parking to be a nightmare, I plan on going shortly after gates open at 6.