Storm CEO claims crowd figures inflated
MELBOURNE Storm chief executive Ron Gauci has declared reported crowd figures are commonly inflated to make clubs look better - but not by the Storm this year.
Gauci was answering questions in relation to the Storm's past three home games at AAMI Park drawing less than 10,000. The games against Newcastle (9460), Canberra (9628) and Cronulla (9733) are traditionally among the less appealing to home crowds, but the appeal of a modern, purpose-built rectangular stadium and a team embarking on a year of redemption, have seemingly not helped.
However, Gauci said he was happy with attendances this year - crowds have averaged 12,744 over eight home games - and accused the previous administration, headed by former chief executives Brian Waldron and Matt Hanson, of inflating the figures. It was a practice, Gauci said, that commonly occurred in sporting clubs.
Both Waldron and Hanson declined to comment on the claims last night.
''I believe it's not isolated to Melbourne Storm or in fact the NRL,'' Gauci said.
''It was brought to my attention that most sporting clubs do that in terms of adjusting their numbers.
''We made it very clear when I arrived that we would record numbers as they are presented to us as an accurate reflection of the barcode scanned at the turnstyles.
''We record accurate numbers based on bar scans and as reported to us by Ticketek and then we'll be able to do better year-on-year comparisons in future years.''
An NRL spokesman said he did not accept that misrepresentation of crowd figures occurred. There were no plans to oversee the auditing of the numbers.
The Storm's biggest crowd of the year has been the 22,694 that attended the Anzac Day clash against New Zealand Warriors. Gauci said he expected the average to rise on the back of upcoming games against St George Illawarra, Brisbane and the Sydney Roosters.
He said the club had reduced the number of complimentary tickets - limiting their issue to supporting good causes and targeted marketing campaigns. The club was happy with the way it was tracking because its ''revenue numbers are up significantly and our profitably is up significantly''.
Meanwhile Greg Inglis, who has been battling a hip problem, has been named in the South Sydney team that will play the Storm at ANZ Stadium on Sunday.
The Storm has kept the same team that beat Cronulla in a lacklustre 14-8 win last Sunday.
■RABBITOHS: Rhys Wesser, Nathan Merritt, Shaune Corrigan, Greg Inglis, James Roberts, John Sutton, Chris Sandow, Ben Ross, Issac Luke, Shannan McPherson, Chris McQueen, David Taylor, Michael Crocker (capt). Interchange: Eddy Pettybourne, Dave Tyrrell, Jason Clark, Nathan Peats.
STORM: Billy Slater, Sisa Waqa, Dane Nielsen, Maurice Blair, Matt Duffie, Gareth Widdop, Cooper Cronk, Jesse Bromwich, Cameron Smith (capt), Bryan Norrie, Adam Blair, Kevin Proctor, Todd Lowrie. Interchange: Ryan Hinchcliffe, Sika Manu, Adam Woolnough, Jaiman Lowe.
Gauci was answering questions in relation to the Storm's past three home games at AAMI Park drawing less than 10,000. The games against Newcastle (9460), Canberra (9628) and Cronulla (9733) are traditionally among the less appealing to home crowds, but the appeal of a modern, purpose-built rectangular stadium and a team embarking on a year of redemption, have seemingly not helped.
However, Gauci said he was happy with attendances this year - crowds have averaged 12,744 over eight home games - and accused the previous administration, headed by former chief executives Brian Waldron and Matt Hanson, of inflating the figures. It was a practice, Gauci said, that commonly occurred in sporting clubs.
Both Waldron and Hanson declined to comment on the claims last night.
''I believe it's not isolated to Melbourne Storm or in fact the NRL,'' Gauci said.
''It was brought to my attention that most sporting clubs do that in terms of adjusting their numbers.
''We made it very clear when I arrived that we would record numbers as they are presented to us as an accurate reflection of the barcode scanned at the turnstyles.
''We record accurate numbers based on bar scans and as reported to us by Ticketek and then we'll be able to do better year-on-year comparisons in future years.''
An NRL spokesman said he did not accept that misrepresentation of crowd figures occurred. There were no plans to oversee the auditing of the numbers.
The Storm's biggest crowd of the year has been the 22,694 that attended the Anzac Day clash against New Zealand Warriors. Gauci said he expected the average to rise on the back of upcoming games against St George Illawarra, Brisbane and the Sydney Roosters.
He said the club had reduced the number of complimentary tickets - limiting their issue to supporting good causes and targeted marketing campaigns. The club was happy with the way it was tracking because its ''revenue numbers are up significantly and our profitably is up significantly''.
Meanwhile Greg Inglis, who has been battling a hip problem, has been named in the South Sydney team that will play the Storm at ANZ Stadium on Sunday.
The Storm has kept the same team that beat Cronulla in a lacklustre 14-8 win last Sunday.
■RABBITOHS: Rhys Wesser, Nathan Merritt, Shaune Corrigan, Greg Inglis, James Roberts, John Sutton, Chris Sandow, Ben Ross, Issac Luke, Shannan McPherson, Chris McQueen, David Taylor, Michael Crocker (capt). Interchange: Eddy Pettybourne, Dave Tyrrell, Jason Clark, Nathan Peats.
STORM: Billy Slater, Sisa Waqa, Dane Nielsen, Maurice Blair, Matt Duffie, Gareth Widdop, Cooper Cronk, Jesse Bromwich, Cameron Smith (capt), Bryan Norrie, Adam Blair, Kevin Proctor, Todd Lowrie. Interchange: Ryan Hinchcliffe, Sika Manu, Adam Woolnough, Jaiman Lowe.
The figures have been noticeably wrong for years. But I don't agree they've always been inflated. I've attended most home games since 1998 and I generally try to guess the crowd. I reckon I've only got it right a handful of times.
The warriors game on Anzac Day crowd was far in excess of 22600. There was hardly an empty seat in the place. GA at both ends were chocker-block and theres no way there was 7400 seats elsewhere in the stadium.
The Anzac Test last year was a sellout and their was more empty seats I reckon from memory. Last years $1 game against Newcastle was reported to have 20000, but was far less full than Anzac Day 2011.
Olympic Park was similar. I've been there when you can hardly move and they've reported 12000. And then on other occasions they'd report 10000 and you could even get a OP parking spot it was so empty.
I was fortunate enough to be at Suncorp for the Storm game this year and they reported 30000+ I think. The reality is that the place was barely half full. Most of the bars on the upper levels weren't even open.
As for the previous admin. Nothing would surprise me.
[ Post made via iPhone ]
The warriors game on Anzac Day crowd was far in excess of 22600. There was hardly an empty seat in the place. GA at both ends were chocker-block and theres no way there was 7400 seats elsewhere in the stadium.
The Anzac Test last year was a sellout and their was more empty seats I reckon from memory. Last years $1 game against Newcastle was reported to have 20000, but was far less full than Anzac Day 2011.
Olympic Park was similar. I've been there when you can hardly move and they've reported 12000. And then on other occasions they'd report 10000 and you could even get a OP parking spot it was so empty.
I was fortunate enough to be at Suncorp for the Storm game this year and they reported 30000+ I think. The reality is that the place was barely half full. Most of the bars on the upper levels weren't even open.
As for the previous admin. Nothing would surprise me.
[ Post made via iPhone ]
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MENACING*STORM
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A possible reason our crowds are so low is that the next game is against 2 Sydney teams???
Taken from the latest Hail Storm email
Taken from the latest Hail Storm email
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StormSergeant
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The more things change, the more they stay the same!
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StormSergeant
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That image from the email you got from the Storm, Menacing, is quality!
Also, at the last three home game when they have put the next home game information up on the big screen at least one bit of information has been typed in wrong. I mean either the timne says 2.30 pm kick off when it is 2.00pm, or is Sunday the 28.05.11 when it was really the 29.05.11.
They never seen to get it all right. They need to employee staff/companies who know rugby league or just have a clue. Either way would be good.
They never seen to get it all right. They need to employee staff/companies who know rugby league or just have a clue. Either way would be good.
BIG JIM wrote: An NRL spokesman said he did not accept that misrepresentation of crowd figures occurred.
Surely he didn't say that with a straight face, deluded fool. Someone very close to me only up until last year worked behind the scenes at Ticketek Sydney where she pretty high up and was privy to all NRL crowd numbers (and any other event) More often than not when i asked the crowd numbers announced and the official crowd numbers would rarely match. She now works for a Sydney NRL club where the practice is still rife.
I never actually asked her about descrepencies in Melbourne crowds but wish i did now. I've no doubt we've diddled the figures as well but some of the differences i've heard in regards to the Sydney crowds are bordering on laughable.
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Show em Howe
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I hope this lady is a Storm fan Ice.
As long as prices are high and TV is all the NRL care about the crowds will remain low. It's a shame but that's the way it is. Cricket suffered (50 over games) due to the high prices and league is the same. General admin needs to be cut in half. They make no money with empty seats. Might as well get them filled at cost price.
As long as prices are high and TV is all the NRL care about the crowds will remain low. It's a shame but that's the way it is. Cricket suffered (50 over games) due to the high prices and league is the same. General admin needs to be cut in half. They make no money with empty seats. Might as well get them filled at cost price.
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Michael :P
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Id have thought hed have other things to worry about.
I also seem to remember a former Storm CEO saying the same thing as well.
I also seem to remember a former Storm CEO saying the same thing as well.