SRP (Super Rugby Pacific) 2023 General Chat

[Braveheart81]

It seems like a reasonable idea during COVID when there was another reason behind the event.

I'd be canning it for the next couple of years though. It doesn't add enough to make it worthwhile.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

So it's the quality of entertainment. People will travel for the Aus Open/Grand Prix/AFL matches. Obviously not saying these are similar but how do we get Super Round to be more attractive?

Unfortunately, I think this is more of a sign of Rugby's standing in the sporting landscape in Australia right now. We've all been happy to just see it getting a few headlines recently which shows the low it has been at.

Things like the Grand Prix, Aus Open are events general sports fans want to tick off the bucket list.

 

[PhilClinton]

Rugby just aren't doing it right. Conceptually a 3-day footy fest works fine in Australia, Magic Round is still very much a marquee event for the NRL. But as other posters have mentioned, they time it correctly. It's nearly halfway through the season and everyone knows the lay of the land for their team, builds some hype around new players and rivals etc.

I have to admit I'm not well versed in Melbourne's geography, but I know Suncorp with Caxton St as the 'party venue' works really well for a multi day footy carnival. I know plenty of mates who go along each year simply to park up at the pub and soak in the atmosphere.

And love them or hate them, but league definitely have more 'well known' media personalities who use the event as a launchpad for their own functions. Matty Johns, Fletch and Hindy hijack a pub in town each year and host a pre-paid package with lunch and beers and tell a bunch of stories. Groups fly up into Brisbane simply to attend that.

 

[qwerty51]

It makes much more sense to have it in Aus than NZ. Let's assume <5% of attendees travelled from across the ditch. Same number if it was in NZ vice-versa likely. Now, who's going to support the Aus teams in NZ? Barely anyone. Hosting it in Aus means there are still tons of local NZ, Pasifika and Fijian fans. Melbourne (or Sydney/Brisbane) are much more tourist destinations than anywhere in NZ too.

 

[Wallaby Man]

Rugby just aren't doing it right. Conceptually a 3-day footy fest works fine in Australia, Magic Round is still very much a marquee event for the NRL. But as other posters have mentioned, they time it correctly. It's nearly halfway through the season and everyone knows the lay of the land for their team, builds some hype around new players and rivals etc.

I have to admit I'm not well versed in Melbourne's geography, but I know Suncorp with Caxton St as the 'party venue' works really well for a multi day footy carnival. I know plenty of mates who go along each year simply to park up at the pub and soak in the atmosphere.

And love them or hate them, but league definitely have more 'well known' media personalities who use the event as a launchpad for their own functions. Matty Johns, Fletch and Hindy hijack a pub in town each year and host a pre-paid package with lunch and beers and tell a bunch of stories. Groups fly up into Brisbane simply to attend that.

It’s a brilliant precinct where AAMI is. Swan St is 2mins away and contains dozens of places to drink and eat, the cbd is a 5min tram or train ride away (15mins if you want to walk). It’s the best sporting area in Aus, similar to Caxton but with even more.

One thing I think rugby is caught in at the moment is trying to appease everyone, where ‘events’ like this weekend are all a little too bland for a bunch of mates to attend and get on the drinks with and not enough going for families.

Personally I don’t think things like this should be targeted as family events as children have no interest in sitting there for hours on end. What the Magic round has going for it is it’s essentially a lads weekend with a bit of footy. It’s full of bucks parties, footy trips etc. where it’s more about getting on it with friends than the actual games. One of the great lines in marketing is if you target everyone then you target no one. Rugby has dipped into this territory the last 10yrs and explains its struggle to connect with an audience.

I hope they persist with it and like the idea of a different place every year (this is what the 7s should do), but the commercial reality is they all sign multi year deals to lock in location because governments want to secure events and prepared to offer $$ for it.

 

[PhilClinton]

I hope they persist with it and like the idea of a different place every year (this is what the 7s should do), but the commercial reality is they all sign multi year deals to lock in location because governments want to secure events and prepared to offer $$ for it.

I actually thought the 7s should persist with the Gold Coast. I agree with you that these festival events should probably stay in one lane, which is catering to the 'touring party' crowd. The Gold Coast is quite fit for purpose for those events, but I guess the surrounding area of the stadiums isn't ideal, as it's a 25min drive to any of the accom.

Specifically for Super Round, I simply don't think our Super Rugby teams have enough of a following to keep the younger fans engaged for multiple games.

 

[Doritos Day]

Kind of surprised to hear it's going to NZ, not sure there are many options.

Hamilton and Christchurch are too small you'd think, doesn't exactly scream exciting trip away + their stadiums aren't good.

Wellington has the Cake Tin... enough said.

Auckland is doable but there's not much of a precinct around Eden Park.

Dunedin would be awesome but can't see many Aus punters going all that way.

Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney (in that order) are definitely a class above for this sort of event.

 

[RugbyReg]

Kind of surprised to hear it's going to NZ, not sure there are many options.

Hamilton and Christchurch are too small you'd think, doesn't exactly scream exciting trip away + their stadiums aren't good.

Wellington has the Cake Tin... enough said.

Auckland is doable but there's not much of a precinct around Eden Park.

Dunedin would be awesome but can't see many Aus punters going all that way.

Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney (in that order) are definitely a class above for this sort of event.

you need two fields correct? Most teams warmed up outside? Takes Brisbane (at least Suncorp and Metricon) out. Townsville the next most likely but not at this time of year.

 

[LeCheese]

Kind of surprised to hear it's going to NZ, not sure there are many options.

Hamilton and Christchurch are too small you'd think, doesn't exactly scream exciting trip away + their stadiums aren't good.

Wellington has the Cake Tin... enough said.

Auckland is doable but there's not much of a precinct around Eden Park.

Dunedin would be awesome but can't see many Aus punters going all that way.

Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney (in that order) are definitely a class above for this sort of event.

I'm pretty sure they said Dunedin at the end of the broadcast - although this was a 'correction' after Queenstown was suggested, so they could've just been throwing names around

 

[LeCheese]

you need two fields correct? Most teams warmed up outside? Takes Brisbane (at least Suncorp and Metricon) out. Townsville the next most likely but not at this time of year.

Could be a nice debut event for the revamped Ballymore... we'd then have a chance of a sellout too

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Cbus on the Gold Coast wouldn't be bad...

Plenty of Kiwi ex pats living there + not a bad joint for Aus fans to travel to if they wanted to

 

[Doritos Day]

you need two fields correct? Most teams warmed up outside? Takes Brisbane (at least Suncorp and Metricon) out. Townsville the next most likely but not at this time of year.

If the NRL can do Magic Round at Suncorp, Super can manage.

Don't think rugby will be (or should) go near Townsville after the recent crowds there. Too far for someone from Sydney or NZ as well.

 

[Dan54]

you need two fields correct? Most teams warmed up outside? Takes Brisbane (at least Suncorp and Metricon) out. Townsville the next most likely but not at this time of year.

Yep Reg, that puts Auckland, Wellington and Chch out too, but as I posted already I all for keeping it in Australia where it can do with promo of the game.

 

[Wilson]

you need two fields correct? Most teams warmed up outside? Takes Brisbane (at least Suncorp and Metricon) out. Townsville the next most likely but not at this time of year.

Do you though? NRL's magic round has operated fine at Suncorp for years now.

Main oval at BGS isn't too far if they desperately need a second field either, I'm sure you could have a shuttle bus straight to the ground from there.

 

[PhilClinton]

Definitely don't need a stadium with two fields.

The games aren't banged out one after the other, plenty of time for outdoor warmups between games whilst the punters go and checkout the game day activities/local bars for a feed that isn't a $25 stadium hot dog.

 

[PhilClinton]

Cbus on the Gold Coast wouldn't be bad...

Plenty of Kiwi ex pats living there + not a bad joint for Aus fans to travel to if they wanted to

Went to a few of the Gold Coast 7s and had a great time. But the hungover taxi to the stadium was a real buzz killer, especially with the traffic that can build up down there.

 

[dru]

Do you though? NRL's magic round has operated fine at Suncorp for years now.

Main oval at BGS isn't too far if they desperately need a second field either, I'm sure you could have a shuttle bus straight to the ground from there.

Isn't BBC reasonably close too?

 

[LeCheese]

Isn't BBC reasonably close too?

Reasonably, but BGS is considerably closer

 

[Wilson]

Yeah, BGS is the only field truly close enough to be relevant.

The next closet are Wests and Ballymore (Broncos training base at Red Hill is about the same distance as these two, but it wouldn't be available), but they're about 10 minutes drive instead of 5 and outside the city so you could run into traffic problems bringing teams in on a schedule. I guess the argument could be made for Ballymore given the QRU own it, but I don't think there would be any issue getting BGS either.

 

[RugbyReg]

Round 2 Stats update to come when the Opta Stats get delivered.

In the meantime, via more accessible data, on the hunch that the Reds were throwing to Liam Wright a bit, I thought I'd look at how teams are using their lineout. I only count forward catches so no quick lineouts. And it doesn't include steals (or losses).

Waratahs - 17 lineout wins of which Jed has taken 70%! They don't use their backrow with Seu and Sinclair the only other catchers.

Force - 30 lineout wins with more shared around. Williams has taken a third of them, with Anstee not far away on 30%. There's plenty of trickery afoot with Wagner and Robertson taken 3 catches at the front.

Rebels - 33 lineout wins with Canham taking about 42% with Tualima and Hosea the main other targets. Kemeny and Wilkin have won a couple each.

Reds - 28 wins with Liam Wright having taken a quarter of them (all on the weekend). Wilson, Upfield (from the bench) and Uru are all equal with Smith with 5 tackes. Faifua has a solitary one.

Brumbies - 30 wins with Frost (33%) just edging Neville (30%). Samu (20%), Swain (13%) and Bobby V (just one take) round it out.

Interesting to see Tahs so reliant on so few. I wonder if this changes? You'd be double teaming Holloway for the time being.