Australasia Attendances : 2005-09

Average attendances had reached 14,000 over the last five years so was there room for improvement? Yes, the number got close to 16,000 during this five year period. Brisbane took its customary top spot and managed to increase by an average of 10,000! The new team  - Gold Coast - arrived in 2007 to make up sixteen teams for the competition. It had an instant following and averaged over 20k. The top four supported teams were outside of Sydney.

In 2005 Sydney clubs Parramatta and St George were top of the league. However, neither made the final which saw the first joint venture side win the grand final. They were the Wests Tigers (Sydney) defeat North Queensland. The two Queensland clubs had the highest attendances at matches.

For 2006, New Zealand had four points deducted for a salary cap breach that cost them a finals spot. Melbourne won the league by a country mile from the Sydney Bulldogs but later had the title stripped due to a retrospective punishment for a major salary cap issue. Brisbane prevailed over Melbourne in the grand final.

Newcastle passed North Queensland as the second strongest attended club, while the points deduction saw fans stay away in droves as the NZ side crashed to the bottom of the list.

2007 was the 100th season of RL competition in Australasia. The Gold Coast joined the party to make up the sixteenth side. Melbourne won the league from Sydney club Manly and did the double over them in the final. However the salary cap breach meant both titles were stripped from them, with no replacement winner. The three Queensland sides had the largest crowds.

For 2008, Melbourne won the league from Manly while Manly squared the ledger in the Grand final. However, this prolonged salary cap breach by Melbourne saw them have the league title taken away yet again retrospectively. The top four clubs for attendances were outside of Sydney.

With the 2009 season, a second on field referee was introduced. St George-Illawarra won the league from the Sydney Bulldogs but it was Melbourne defeating Parramatta in the final. Yes, you guessed it, another title was stripped from the winners.

I got the impression that NRL CEO David Gallop took it too personally and was far too heavy handed over the whole affair. Maybe it's time it was revisited and the titles restored or handed to another club. Yet more inertia from the NRL.

Brisbane averaged neary 35,000 fans each game with the Sydney Bulldogs enjoying a fine increase to  22,000. The 16,000 barrier was breached but was that as good as it was likely to get?

The first in the series of 1990-94 can be seen by clicking here.
The years 2010-14 in the series can be seen by clicking here.

NRL Attendances 2005-09
Rk	Club / Year	Tot	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005
1	Brisbane	32484	34587	33426	32868	31208	30331
2	Gold Coast	20762	19178	21618	21489
3	Nth Queensland	19157	17309	18102	20105	19681	20590
4	Newcastle	18166	15882	18750	15880	21848	18469
5	Sydney Bulldogs	18045	22068	15344	16488	18041	18286
6	Wests Tigers	17792	17943	16386	16961	18883	18789
7	Manly	14741	13782	13694	15085	15974	15171
8	Paramatta	14330	13127	13528	14142	14587	16264
9	South Sydney	14091	14715	14644	15702	10612	14780
10	Sydney Rooster	13840	13211	13970	11952	14010	16057
11	St George	13787	15299	12596	12159	14102	14780
12	Penrith	12762	13719	10899	12035	11579	15576
13	Cronulla	12757	11364	12965	10689	12488	16281
14	New Zealand	12417	15486	11444	13225	8829	13101
15	Canberra	11669	11027	11913	11512	11489	12404
	Total Average	15895	16065	15591	15750	15600	16468
	Total	2974867	3084481	2993469	3024040	2808055	2964288
			3.0	-1.0	7.7	-5.3	12.3