I want to separate junior talent and game day ticket sales...
You have a huge inner Sydney supporter base and I think you alienate a lot of fans going out as far as Campbo to play home games.
I think people are too wrapped up in this "growth area" narrative. Yes, South West Sydney has over 1 million population and growing. But the growth is not coming from Australian kids or Polynesians.
Kiwi and Fijian kids make up only 12,871 people out of more than a million. Here are the stats.
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The growth is coming from immigrants that wouldn't even know what rugby league is, let alone turning up to a game. The above demographics table directly contributes to average crowds of between 9-10k per game. Leichhardt is 13-14k each game. 30-40% difference. Can someone explain if Campbelltown is such a big growth area, why we have been averaging so poorly there for so many years, when Leichhardt is a regularly sold out even when we are coming last?
I'm not saying juniors aren't produced out there. Far from it, but competing for the fan dollar seems to be far more difficult out there. It shows to be the case at every Campbelltown home game.
I'm not against Campbelltown, but I think the argument that it's a growth area, so we should play games out there is a little shallow and low resolution. I don't think we'd get the results we are hoping for.
In short, juniors participation doesn't seem to correlate with ticket sales.