NRL offer freebies to Roosters-Storm NRL finals clash
They are the tickets almost no-one in Sydney wants — seats at Saturday’s Roosters v Storm NRL preliminary final at the SCG. So the NRL have taken matters into their own hands.
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Fearing a small preliminary final crowd, the NRL has given ANZ Stadium thousands of free tickets for Saturday night’s blockbuster between Sydney Roosters and Melbourne at the cross-town SCG.
The ticket giveaway will shame Sydney rugby league fans after Canberra’s GIO Stadium was sold out this week within five minutes for Friday evening’s grand final qualifier.
An ANZ Stadium email to members was titled: “SPECIAL TICKET OFFER.”
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The Daily Telegraph also understands the NRL will use a Telstra database to offer further freebies. Each ANZ Stadium member can claim up to four tickets to attend the SCG elimination game.
Early indications suggest a modest crowd of 25,000 will attend the Roosters-Storm match although officials hope a late walk-up coupled with fine weather — which is forecast — may increase that figure to a respectable 30,000.
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The ANZ Stadium email to members – obtained by The Daily Telegraph – read: “With no NRL finals game to be played at ANZ Stadium this weekend we are pleased to be able to work with the NRL to provide our members with a special ticket offer to watch the Roosters take on the Storm at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday night.”
An NRL spokesman stressed there had been similar giveaways this year, including tickets to State of Origin III at ANZ Stadium.
The Daily Telegraph also has emails showing free ticket give aways for last weekend’s South Sydney-Manly elimination final.
ANZ Stadium emailed its 15,000 members in a late attempt to bolster the crowd for what should be one of the best matches of the NRL season.
“Members will have the opportunity to access up to four (4) complimentary tickets to this match per member,” stated the ANZ Stadium email to members. “Tickets are available on a first in first served basis until allocation is exhausted. There is a ticket limit of four (4) per member and should you redeem tickets they must be used on the night.”
NRL officials claim a reciprocal arrangement between the SCG Trust and ANZ Stadium would enable an exchange of memberships to ensure members’ grandstands were well accommodated for big games.
Ticket sales have been sluggish given the Roosters’ modest fan base, Melbourne’s struggle to bring fans interstate and difficulties associated with watching rugby league at the SCG.
An ANZ Stadium member said an offer of four complimentary tickets just three days before kick-off indicated a mediocre crowd was expected to attend.
“I have been a member for around 10 years and I can’t remember this happening before. It seems strange the offer would come just three days before the game,” he said.
It comes after 27,000 tickets for the Canberra-Souths game GIO Stadium started selling at 10am on Tuesday and were sold out by 10.05am.
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There was also a free ticket give away for last weekend’s Rabbitohs-Sea Eagles final.
An email from the NRL, the NSW Premier’s Sporting Challenge and ANZ Stadium, also obtained by The Daily Telegraph, read: “As your school is participating in this year’s NSW Premier’s School Sport Challenge, up to four (4) FREE tickets are available for each student and staff member to redeem for the match.
“Tickets are limited so be sure to secure them quickly for what will be a great evening of rugby league.”
The NRL will conduct a media opportunity – involving former Roosters and Storm players Bryan Fletcher, David Trewhella, Russell Fairfax and Anthony Quinn – on Thursday to try and grow ticket sales.