You make a fair point, so let me elaborate now I've calmed down.
Factor The First: Time.
From my place in Western Sydney, it's a 90 minute trip, because I take public transport to avoid traffic.
(Driving the car would take about as long due to traffic, and cost about $30 in fuel, $50 in tolls and parking, not to mention just giving me the shits).
Factor The Second: Performance.
It isn't all about winning for me. There were some good signs last night, sure. And there was some utter dross.
Week 1 we were dire. Week 2 we played well. Week 3 we were back closer to Week 1. Do I spend my money in future on the promise of Week 2 or Week 3? Forget the scorelines, how am I being encouraged to return?
Factor The Third: EOB.
Every
Other
Bastard - to your point about Tahs supporters getting out there and getting behind the team.
We've established I live further from the ground than most of the "good rugby people" in the eastern suburbs heartland.
Crowd last night was low 13k - I did my bit so where was everyone else?
This has been happening since we won the comp in 2014; ~61k to the GF at Olympic Park to see us win the thing, and then ~17k at the first home game next year.
Factor The Fourth: Practicality
We're about to enter a time of year where I start running a rugby club fulltime. This means if they're going to play games on a Friday night (raffle night at the pub for us) or Saturday (game day) the logistics become nearly impossible. Sunday afternoon honestly would work except that means 2-3 days per weekend spent on rugby. Not something my family would support
Factor The Fifth: Refereeing
As a ref, I shouldn't cast stones, and I know a few refs on here (you know who you are
) will have knitted brows at this point, so I'll be as diplomatic as possible:
There are some officials in the upper echelons of our game (domestic and foreign) whose contribution to a positive outcome is not optimal.
(I should join RA with that kind of word salad)
It isn't even necessarily the perception of inconsistency or application of our very complex Law book.
It is that they just don't seem to have a
feel for the game; this is a limiting factor for good games, where teams are being positive. It is definitely a negative for scrappy games like last night where the teams aren't always being positive.
We need to take some pressure off officials by shaving back the Laws. At the same time, we need to nurture and promote an attitude of putting the fans first. This is difficult where players, clubs and coaches have money riding on the outcome, and will gladly pooch our game wholesale if it means they keep their job.
I keep meaning to rewrite the Law book to be better, and have a few notes already. Still have to filter out the number of swear words.
Factor The Sixth: Freebie
There's a function I'll be attending at the ground later in the year.
So when I say "Last Tahs ticket I'll pay for this year" that doesn't preclude my attendance, necessarily.
