European holidays keep our NRL fans away, top Rooster Nick Politis

Nick Politis says Roosters supporters going on European holidays during the NRL season is keeping attendances down.

Sydney Roosters chairman Nick Politis. Picture: Brett Costello

Sydney Roosters chairman Nick Politis has hit out at suggestions his team is friendless, suggesting supporters going on European holidays during the NRL season is one factor that keeps attendances down at home games.

From jibes about conservative crowd figures to salary cap management, the Roosters have copped it from rival clubs and supporters, raising the ire of fans and the powerful figures connected to the reigning premiers.

Ahead of Sunday’s premiership decider, analysis of crowd figures for the 2019 season shows the Tricolours have a higher average home crowd (17,251) than their grand final opponents, the Canberra Raiders (14,864).

The Roosters sit fifth in the competition for that figure, while the ACT club is 10th.

Mr Politis said the Roosters’ fan base had shifted to all corners of the nation, and it was now harder than ever to get fans to a game. “The area (Sydney’s eastern suburbs) has changed. It was working class but real estate ­prices have got so high people have moved away, to the Gold Coast and Penrith for example.

“We’ve got fans spread out in a lot of places.

“Last year we had more people watching on the TV than even (AFL club) Collingwood, so the following is there — it’s just in a lot of different places now.

“But half the area is on holidays in Europe during the winter months, which is when the (NRL) season is on.”

Figures obtained from Nine show that the Roosters enjoyed healthy free-to-air ratings, with a 2019 season average of 354,040 viewers across metro homes for their matches. The Raiders meanwhile attracted an average of 300,312 viewers, culminating in a peak national audience of 1.495 million for their preliminary final win over the Rabbitohs.

On Fox Sports, Ricky Stuart’s side just out-rated the Sydney club, matches involving Canberra averaging 257,000 viewers across broadcast and streaming in 2019.

The Roosters averaged 252,000 viewers, but featured in nine fewer Fox League exclusive games.

Mr Politis also pointed to changing viewership habits by younger fans. “It’s a different generation,” he said. “They follow the team very closely on their iPhone, looking at highlights and clips and the like. If there’s a big match, they’ll go to the pub to watch and have a few drinks and enjoy it. But getting people to go along to the match is another thing.”

Premier Investments retailer boss Mark McInnes, a lifelong Roosters fan who served on the club’s board for 12 years before ­reluctantly resigning in 2011 after moving to Melbourne, said ­attacks by other clubs were motivated by jealousy. “People forget, we were the poorest club in Sydney, we didn’t make the final for decades,” he said.

“It (the eastern suburbs) was a slum. It’s only 20 years ago the sewage was still being pumped straight into Bondi Beach.”

Mr McInnes said like so many other Roosters fans scattered across the country, he would be screaming at the TV on Sunday, willing his childhood team to back-to-back premierships.

“It’s still in my heart. I think when you grow up with a footy team, it stays with you for life.”