NRL finals LIVE: Dolphins comeback breaks Warriors’ hearts
The Cronulla Sharks faced criticism for low attendance at their NRL finals match at Allianz Stadium despite the venue's quality. Coach Craig Fitzgibbon expressed frustration over the decision to move the game away from the team's traditional home ground.
Why it matters
Highlights the tension between financial decisions in professional sports and the importance of fan culture and home-ground advantage.
Pinned post from yesterday 9.49pm Go to latest Report: Sharks finally show up, but same can’t be said for their fans By Adrian Proszenko If you build it, they won’t come.
It may be the one of the best stadiums in the southern hemisphere, a mere 25.2 kilometres from the Sharks’ spiritual home in the Shire. But many Cronulla fans refuse to leave Cronulla.
Not even the siren song of their Mermaids cheerleaders, free public transport for ticket holders, or the chance to witness their team in a finals fixture was enough to bring them to Allianz Stadium.
An official crowd of 17,429 was posted. That’s only about 2,500 more than the capacity of Shark Park, otherwise known as Ocean Protect Stadium. Understandably, only a handful of hearty Cowboys souls made the long commute from Townsville.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in