Cult
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Melbourne aren't selfish, they add so much to the game we love.. I don't think I've hated a team more
Cult
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What was the crowd last night? At what point do we just give up on Melbourne? Let them have their 4000 juniors that we will never see in the NRL and give Origin and the World Cup opener to a city that wants to care about rugby league. The NRL promote the game in Melbourne more than the Storm do.
Foordy
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The Storms had the second highest crowd average in 2017 (18,375) behind only us.
the highest Sydney crowd average was the Roosters (15,387) placing them 5th overall behind Broncos, Storm, Cowboys, and the Knights
Cult
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And so they should considering the population and being a one club city. Promoting the game to them isn't like promoting it to China. They're still in Australia and have a club that has been dominating the competition for ten years and they average 18000 people to games?
Also I'm not saying kick them out of the comp, I'm saying stop handing them shit they don't deserve if they're going to refuse to help the game like other clubs by playing against an English club (which has been done for years now). I think they've peaked as far as popularity in Melbourne and we need to move the focus to another city. Even Sydney crowds would have shown up in bigger numbers last night
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Lockysillegitimatechild
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If every club had that attitude the game would be dead in 100 years....
It's important to win I agree. But they aren't soccer teams playing in England or NFL teams playing in the USA. We have competition for supporters here and are small on the international stage. The game needs to work as a whole with an eye to growth, not "we don't like it so we won't do it". Whilst clubs aren't obligated to do it there have been 25 other nrl premiers that have taken part in this concept, and suddenly it will die with the storm...
Surely you can see the selfishness of this act? They are the premiers, any other team taking their spot would devalue the concept massively.
Foordy
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I wouldn't count on it ...
besides there was just over 22k at the ground last night (the capacity of Aami Park is only around 30k)
Cult
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Sydney can get over 16000 for a netball game. A World Cup opener shown worldwide should be sold out, absolutely no excuses. Melbourne just doesn't get rugby league and having a dominant club team is the ultimate promotion. See the Brisbane Lions from 2001-2003. Even in 2017 they're averaging the same amount as the Storm with a team that won five games..
Imagine telling your 4000 Melbourne juniors that if you're good enough, maybe one day you can move down to the Sunshine Coast and have a red hot crack at an NRL spot. Now imagine telling someone from Rockhampton that they might get to move to the sunny coast. They'll never sell themselves to juniors that way.
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1910
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1910
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It has missed years before and the game kept going. I really don't think the WCC is so vital to the game. It's a trial game that involves a lot more effort than a normal trial for the same result and bigger risk.
It missed from 76-87 and a lot of the 90's. We all were fine.
NRL teams and SL team's business is winning premierships, why would you do something that could jeopardise that so early? If it wasn't a WC year or the WC was in England then I'd say play it but given the WC is here and the Storm have how many guys across all teams involved? I think they're right to say no thanks.
Someone should have foreseen the problem with the WC.
I know injuries happen in a trial in Dubbo or Redcliffe too but you're greatly increasing the risk flying everyone over to England in February to play one game when your guys are greatly fatigued.
If the Premiers had injuries and problems and started the year slowly would anyone say- doesn't matter they did a great job of promotion in February? No guys would still be under pressure for their jobs and guys would miss Origin out of form and they'd be losing games.
Storm will play a trial on the Sunshine Coast and I think New Zealand this time too- that's pretty good promotion.
Foordy
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The 2017 Anzac test only got 18k to it ... in rugby league mad Newcastle
Battler
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They are truly a sickening club. I can't wait to watch them fall apart after Smith retires and Bellamy and co jump off the sinking ship.
I hate the Cows, but at least they play an up tempo game, provide the game with juniors, and have a strong fan base that isn't primarily made up of plastic bandwagon 'supporters' who don't even live in Melbourne.
Nashy
Immortal
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Then it should have been full. That's an unacceptable attendance for something that should be a big deal in this game. They need to work on International, and they throw us a shit heap like they did last night. That and Aus and English officials, FMD, they just don't give a shit.
Foordy
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true ... the opening should have been played at one of the QLD stadiums ... only way you get close to a sell out
Nashy
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I would have gone SFS. Traditional rivalry at a traditional ground. Sydney or Brisbane deserved the opening, not Melbourne. I reckon Perth would have sold more seats than that.
Cult
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Newcastle has 500,000 people living there and Melbourne has 3.84 million. No excuse
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Lockysillegitimatechild
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I agree with you on some points.. going to nz and Sunshine Coast is great, but to suggest they are doing that for anything less then personal gain (eg player recruitment initiatives) is a bit naive.
Just on the injury front, there is no strong evidence to back that, and with the billions of dollars of athletes travelling to play in every sport every day you'd think they would have found it by now. Studies have found jet lag has an effect on mood, cognition and performance but no data has shown that it increases the likelihood of injury. Also, athletes recover quicker from jet lag & people who have flown a lot (eg nearly every player in the team) recover quicker also. Admittedly I looked into this a couple years back at Uni and only looked at free journal articles/research so would be interested to know if you have new info on the topic
And the fact that you are justifying the storm doing it by using examples of what teams did 20-50 years ago when is the exact type of thinking that has held this game back
And Brisbane didn't pull the plug on the World club challenge, it got pulled from them if I remember correctly? Bennett cops a bagging and even got kicked off the nrl committee for having "self interests" but actions speak louder then words and he has contributed and supported the international game more then any other coach in recent history.
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Sproj
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The thing about Melbourne is, they just don’t care about league in general. Most of the fans at the games are ex-Qlders/NSWelshmen or Kiwis. They also have a gazillion very well supported AFL teams. League missed the boat by 30 years, it’s far too late now.
Another thing is, transport in Melbourne is not free to games, so stupid. I also was excited to go to the game last night but not at $90 for the worst seats, that’s just greedy and to be honest, to get a crowd like that with those prices in a city that doesn’t care is not bad. Stupid idea from the organizers but not a bad result given the above factors.
The other thing is, most pubs weren’t playing it, they didn’t even know it was on, such is the promotional work done down here with all things league related.
Another thing is, transport in Melbourne is not free to games, so stupid. I also was excited to go to the game last night but not at $90 for the worst seats, that’s just greedy and to be honest, to get a crowd like that with those prices in a city that doesn’t care is not bad. Stupid idea from the organizers but not a bad result given the above factors.
The other thing is, most pubs weren’t playing it, they didn’t even know it was on, such is the promotional work done down here with all things league related.
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1910
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It's not jet lag specifically it's fatigue your chances of injuries are more likely if you're fatigued. After a long season, WC and then travel to England you don't think they'll be fatigued?
You can't just keep flogging the players thinking they won't break down. Clubs put so much money and resources into sleep, loading and fatigue it's not because it has nothing to do with injuries and performance.
My point was the WCC has missed other years and ask 100 people and I bet 100 wouldn't even know. The WCC isn't holding the sport together.
