THE BENCH

[The Mauritian]

Anyone going to watch Manly game at Ammi Park at 'THE BENCH'.  Its open to all fans not just members 5pm-8pm Saturday.  Drinks & light snacks for sale. Game showing game on various TV's.  Limited to 500 people to sit the rest can stand.  If lots of people turn up  Storm will continue it for all away games.  If not many people turn up they will probably not do it again.  All this according to Chris Couch on SEN storm hour.

Anyone going?  I don't have Foxtel and am sick of watching streams online so I reckon this sounds alright

[sallymay]

im goingggggggggggggggg so excited

[Rabble_1]

It's capacity is 500.....125 seated with the rest standing room

[Michael :P]

Shame they didnt open it up an hour earlier to let the early birds watch the NYC.

[Hailstorm]

We are lead to believe the proceeds (after costs) associated with running this place go
to the Storm & Victory in a joint venture of sorts. If this is the case you'd think they'd
be advertising it more. Hopefully it will come to be a busy place for us on home AND
away games and they'll start making some money from it.

[Bourbon Rat]

If the same company in responsible for 'catering' ie: Spotless,(who have a stanglehold on almost everything in the MOPT precinct),then costs may well exceed proceeds 

[CooperCronk]

Shame they didnt open it up an hour earlier to let the early birds watch the NYC.

Now that would make sense wouldn't it, but I guess extra costs (staff, etc) would be involved so they are limiting it to just the main game.

I hope this really takes off as we need a place where we can all gather and watch away games.

Couchy said on SEN that Storm are using this game as a test case to guage whether to continue opening it up in future.

[madstorm]

I dont think this year is a good time to be testing things for next year.  I think they just need to do anything to get through the season, promoting RL as much as possible and then next year when we are competitively playing for points again then gauge weather it is viable or not.  The only thing they should be using this year for in regards to Away games at the beanch is ironing out any bugs ie. catering etc.

[steaming stormer]

the key thing as to whether this is a good idea or not will be if they find a way to get a Sydney feed (or Darwin) for our away games on 9 when we don't get them until midnight... they're the games that will get the best turnout I would think

[glennb]

You do not have to worry, we will not be a Channel nine game for a very long time.  Not away games or away games, even if we are undfeated on top of the ladder and it is the best game of the round.  Channel nine games are the teams that rate well, (Dragons, Broncos or Roosters).  Storm game never rated well before and now we are the most hated team, and will be for a few years so no one will want to watch us play.  Dollars are what matter to Channel nine and ratings are dollars. 

[Rose Madder]

If the same company in responsible for 'catering' ie: Spotless,(who have a stanglehold on almost everything in the MOPT precinct),then costs may well exceed proceeds 

Absolutely,this mob are ripping people off big time and I can't see any profits going to any body else!!!!

[Tigger]

So is anyone from here going??
We fortunately have Foxtel and I'm crook so we'll be watching from the comfort of the lounge room with our own cheap snacks 

[StormFront]

I went to the Bench before the last home game.

I so wanted this to work and be a great place for Storm fans to gather.

But in my opinion is was terrible. Sorry to say. 

The food well over prices and not much to choose from - I ordered a winter pastie
It was $10 and all that was on my plate was a small pastie with a splattering of rocket.
The pastie tasted like one of those frozen ones and not freshly made. I saw many plates
with 3/4 left of what was a steak sandwich - over heard whilst in the line that some
wanted their money back due to the steak sandwich being so bad. And it did not look good.

When I booked I asked if they had kids meals and on arrival they did not have any kids meals.
Was $7 for a cheap chardy - that came in a plastic cup - almost $4.00 for a coke.

So all in all I was very very disappointed - maybe others have had a much better
experience than me. I do hope so, as I said I did want this to work.

[Surandy]

So is anyone from here going??
We fortunately have Foxtel and I'm crook so we'll be watching from the comfort of the lounge room with our own cheap snacks 

I didn't go, pathetic effort by the Storm admin in promoting this. I found out about it via Stormman's facebook page. Plus I only finished work at 4pm and wanted to watch the end of the Under 20's game.

What happened to the other 9 away game telecasts we were promised in the membership pack? Can't blame that on the salary cap!

Anyone that did go, I presume their drinks at bar prices were hugely overpriced like at the After Party?

[JAMIE]

Apart from the result, good people, good venue and a nice athmosphere. I didn't eat as I ate before i went, but I did have a couple of drinks. Overpriced, but on par with everywhere else these days.