Waratahs 2016

[Braveheart81]

Swans crowds declined because large parts of the SCG were closed.

Presumably the SFS refit will happen in stages and parts of the ground will be closed at each time.

I would be very surprised if no upgrade ends up happening. The SCG Trust and the three stakeholders that have the SFS as their home ground do have some sway.

Realistically you'd imagine that the bulk of the work will be done between October and February which is during the A-League season but represents the period of time where the SFS has the least use.

March - May is the worst time as both union, league and A-League all use the ground.

 

[fatprop]

Western Sydney doesn't mean Homebush.

Parramatta Stadium would have been brand new - but apparently that didn't suit Davis apparently because the Waratahs might draw more than 30,000 .
There was also the option of playing some matches at the SCG.

Anyway, it's now a done deal. I have my doubts that there will be much left to spend at Alliance. So any bleating by the Waratahs about the facilities there, will probably be greeted by a "bad luck" from the government.

Mate, for many of the Eastern Suburbs, Western Sydney starts at Anzac Parade.

 

[boyo]

How Sally Loane got a gig, openly admitting she is not a GPS old boy, I'll never know!

It's not what you know, but who you know.

 

[Groucho]

I was about to say the same thing. But the Waratahs were too busy having a hissy fit to even consider it.

Even if they did one day take a super game to Western Sydney, Parramatta Stadium would be a much better fit than Homebush (even a rebuilt Homebush). Don't hold your breath though, the GPS types on the NSWRU Board would get lost on the way there.

The Kings' old boys won't.

 

[Quick Hands]

Swans crowds declined because large parts of the SCG were closed.

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Correct and I'd be surprised if similar closures weren't part of this. If no closures are necessary, then the work will be so minor as to make little difference.

I would be very surprised if no upgrade ends up happening. The SCG Trust and the three stakeholders that have the SFS as their home ground do have some sway.

Yes, they have some sway, but they've burnt a bit of goodwill with government and bureaucrats.

Realistically rugby had the most to lose. The Roosters rarely draw above 20,000 and most of their crowds are in the 10-12,000 mark. Sydney FC draw even less - except to the WSW Sydney derby.

IMO it's a big missed opportunity for rugby - 2 or 3 years of inconvenience for a 55,000 seat brand new stadium.

 

[Quick Hands]

The Kings' old boys won't.

They think that Sydney ends at Pennant Hills Rd. Davis is a Kings OB and clearly couldn't stomach the thought.

 

[Braveheart81]

Correct and I'd be surprised if similar closures weren't part of this. If no closures are necessary, then the work will be so minor as to make little difference.

Yes, but they aren't building a whole new grandstand that covers a reasonable portion of the ground and the Waratahs crowds sadly aren't that big.

If they lose 10k capacity at a time it isn't going to make a scrap of difference to Tahs crowds unless they manage to host a semi final during that time.

IMO it's a big missed opportunity for rugby - 2 or 3 years of inconvenience for a 55,000 seat brand new stadium.

That was originally promised by Stuart Ayres as a whole new stadium but subsequently was taken off the table.

It doesn't seem like a complete rebuild of the SFS was ever really on the cards.

 

[barbarian]

It doesn't seem like a complete rebuild of the SFS was ever really on the cards.

It was- that was what the Government announced pre-election.

Then things got messy as to where it would be built. Government wanted it on the existing site, but the teams and trust wanted it on Kippax Lake.

Whilst a new stadium would be nice for the Tahs, we don't need it. Especially with an extra 15k empty seats each week.
.

 

[Groucho]

A renovated SFS will do just fine. There's nothing much wrong with it, except perhaps for weather protection.

 

[Quick Hands]

Yes, but they aren't building a whole new grandstand that covers a reasonable portion of the ground and the Waratahs crowds sadly aren't that big.

If they lose 10k capacity at a time it isn't going to make a scrap of difference to Tahs crowds unless they manage to host a semi final during that time.

But wasn't the Davis pretext for opposing the knock down that they would lose 10k or more by having to move to the west?

That's my point, we're going to lose crowds either way. One way we end up with a brand new ground, the other way we end up with a pig wearing lipstick.

 

[fatprop]

A renovated SFS will do just fine. There's nothing much wrong with it, except perhaps for weather protection.

The SFS highlights the challenges of using "award winning architects" they create a thing with a pretty roof that doesn't stop the punters from getting wet

 

[Quick Hands]

It was- that was what the Government announced pre-election.

Then things got messy as to where it would be built. Government wanted it on the existing site, but the teams and trust wanted it on Kippax Lake.

Whilst a new stadium would be nice for the Tahs, we don't need it. Especially with an extra 15k empty seats each week.
.

And could have played pretty much all Wallaby tests there. It would have been mainly used by rugby, with league using the revamped Homebush and Sydney FC.

 

[Braveheart81]

But wasn't the Davis pretext for opposing the knock down that they would lose 10k or more by having to move to the west?

As Barbarian pointed out I was wrong about what was announced pre-election.

I think Davis' comments were him suggesting that they would lose part of their crowd if they had to relocate to ANZ or Parramatta for three years from their current crowds due to disenfranchising them rather than having less seating capacity.

It seems that the order of preference was:

1. Getting a whole new stadium built next door to the SFS with a 55k capacity as promised by Stuart Ayres thus being able to use the SFS until that opened.
2. Getting the SFS renovated without actually having to close the stadium.
3. Having the SFS knocked down and rebuilt which would force them to relocate for 3+ years.

 

[Groucho]

The SFS highlights the challenges of using "award winning architects" they create a thing with a pretty roof that doesn't stop the punters from getting wet

Put a tarp over it, in the form of one of those sails.

 

[Quick Hands]

The SFS highlights the challenges of using "award winning architects" they create a thing with a pretty roof that doesn't stop the punters from getting wet

It won an architecture award - no more needs to be said.

 

[barbarian]

And could have played pretty much all Wallaby tests there. It would have been mainly used by rugby, with league using the revamped Homebush and Sydney FC.

Well you would play 1 of our 2 tests there each year. The Bled is still a premiun product and gets around 70k, could never see ARU wanting to reduce that to a 55k stadium, even if the atmosphere would be better.

Now there would be a big push to get our mid-year test at Homebush if the new stadium is as good as they say it will be. Could get 50k+.
.

 

[GTPIH]

Well you would play 1 of our 2 tests there each year. The Bled is still a premiun product and gets around 70k, could never see ARU wanting to reduce that to a 55k stadium, even if the atmosphere would be better.

Now there would be a big push to get our mid-year test at Homebush if the new stadium is as good as they say it will be. Could get 50k+.
.

From memory, the ARU and SCG Trust have a 10yr agreement to play one Test/year at the SFS. i think it finishes in 2022

 

[Braveheart81]

From memory, the ARU and SCG Trust have a 10yr agreement to play one Test/year at the SFS. i think it finishes in 2022

Yes. That is correct. It commenced with the Wales test in 2012.

 

[Quick Hands]

Well you would play 1 of our 2 tests there each year. The Bled is still a premiun product and gets around 70k, could never see ARU wanting to reduce that to a 55k stadium, even if the atmosphere would be better.

Now there would be a big push to get our mid-year test at Homebush if the new stadium is as good as they say it will be. Could get 50k+.
.

Bled hasn't sold out for a while though has it? But yes, that would still have been played at the larger stadium - but we're not likely to get 55,000 plus for anything else other than a Lions test (once every 12 years) and a RWC final (once in a generation).

 

[wamberal]

A third and deciding Test against a Soap Dodgers team coached by Eddie Eyebrows might go 55k ++.