Wellington is it working??

[saintwalsh]

I really fear that Wellington is becoming exactly like the tassie gig years ago. We played our third game there yesterday for 0 Wins from the last 3 years we have played there. And every year the crowd has got smaller and smaller. This year we played Carlton a well followed team that if we had played in Melbourne we would of got 30 plus thousand at the game. We now have to play another interstate team at etihad and get a small crowd which of been better to have played in Wellington. The kiwis are not going to follow a team that only plays in Wellington once a year that loses every year. I really feel that this experiment has no more then 2 more years left in it if we keep losing over there. It was the one game we had to win and we just ran out of legs. I would love to hear how the locals treated us this year in Wellington??? And who were the 12 thousand that actually did rock up??

[8856brother]

Nathan Thompson on radio today suggested there was only around 5000 at the ground.

[snoopygirl]

Official crowd was 12125.

Very big whisper starting that next years game may be in Auckland. Just have to find a suitable venue.

[plugger66]

Official crowd was 12125.

Very big whisper starting that next years game may be in Auckland. Just have to find a suitable venue.

I don't think there is a suitable venue though. Unless a lot of people travelled over then this could be dead already especially as it is Wellington paying the money, not the NZ government, and if they don't want it then it sounds gone as soon as the contract is over.

[thejiggingsaint]

At the risk of being proved wrong, I think that the club should persevere with the NZ venture. True, the results have been underwhelming, however, the revenue and marketing potential is what the whole exercise is about, and to become established we need to hang in and stay the course. I do believe we gave up on Tassie WAY too early!

[spert]

Mates from NZ tell me the general feeling around the traps is that the AFL sent their dud team over, and after our second loss, the interest died off big time. If that's the case, then probably best to put the experiment to bed and put resources elsewhere.

[saintspremiers]

For as long as we are getting half a mill bribe to play in NZ we should stay. It's all about the money.

If another place offers up then we consider that. We need the cash. End of story.

[noob]

Doesn't help the fact we go to Wellington as the reigning wooden spooners and no superstars to get excited about.

[mr six o'clock]

Mates from NZ tell me the general feeling around the traps is that the AFL sent their dud team over, and after our second loss, the interest died off big time. If that's the case, then probably best to put the experiment to bed and put resources elsewhere.

Yes
once momentum is lost it is nigh on impossible to regain

[Sainternist]

At the risk of being proved wrong, I think that the club should persevere with the NZ venture. True, the results have been underwhelming, however, the revenue and marketing potential is what the whole exercise is about, and to become established we need to hang in and stay the course. I do believe we gave up on Tassie WAY too early!

I'm with you, Jiggster. The club should persist with it. Once we start becoming a more competitive on the field, people will come. It's a shame we can't have a match against a Collingwood or Essendon. That would help our cause.

My only concern would be if the club is losing money from it.

[WinnersOnly]

500k a game says its great! The Tassie experience is exactly the reason the club should persist - when (if) we start winning games the Kiwis will claim us and jump on board!

[bigballs]

I've never been a fan of us playing games outside Australia.

It's an Australian sport and that's where it should stay....in Australia!!

If there was any chance that we could get back to playing games over in Tassie again, then I would be all for it instead of clinging to any hope that we will be successful over in NZ.....just sayin'.

[WinnersOnly]

I've never been a fan of us playing games outside Australia.

It's an Australian sport and that's where it should stay....in Australia!!

If there was any chance that we could get back to playing games over in Tassie again, then I would be all for it instead of clinging to any hope that we will be successful over in NZ.....just sayin'.

Our history of poor administration and our lack of vision has us in the position $$$ we are currently in! Where do you propose the club generates the 500k they get from playing the NZ game?

[desertsaint]

I don't think it will be the Saints that end the experiment - hard to see Wellington wanting to renew it unless we show something special in the next two years.

[thejiggingsaint]

having lived and worked in Auckland for four years in the eighties I would think a match at Eden Park would definitely be worth considering!

[bigballs]

I've never been a fan of us playing games outside Australia.

It's an Australian sport and that's where it should stay....in Australia!!

If there was any chance that we could get back to playing games over in Tassie again, then I would be all for it instead of clinging to any hope that we will be successful over in NZ.....just sayin'.

Our history of poor administration and our lack of vision has us in the position $$$ we are currently in! Where do you propose the club generates the 500k they get from playing the NZ game?

I fully understand the reason we're doing it, it's all about generating extra money for the club and it's different, it doesn't mean I have to like it (playing in NZ).

Whilst I'm happy that we're getting the 500K, I'm not happy with having to play outside of Oz to get it, that is my point!!

At the moment, if not for the $$$, playing over in Wellington has been a flop crowd wise, I can't see it improving anytime soon.

Besides, what's wrong with playing at TIO Stadium in NT or Traeger Park in the Alice, why can't we play there?.....at least it's on Australian soil!!

[plugger66]

I don't think it will be the Saints that end the experiment - hard to see Wellington wanting to renew it unless we show something special in the next two years.

Exactly. If what snoopydog said is correct then Wellington obviously don't want the game. Not a good sign when they are paying.

[saintspremiers]

I don't think it will be the Saints that end the experiment - hard to see Wellington wanting to renew it unless we show something special in the next two years.

Exactly. If what snoopydog said is correct then Wellington obviously don't want the game. Not a good sign when they are paying.

Depends on how much tourist dollars are being pumped into Welly, and if it's an adequate return on investment

[saintspremiers]

I've never been a fan of us playing games outside Australia.

It's an Australian sport and that's where it should stay....in Australia!!

If there was any chance that we could get back to playing games over in Tassie again, then I would be all for it instead of clinging to any hope that we will be successful over in NZ.....just sayin'.

Our history of poor administration and our lack of vision has us in the position $$$ we are currently in! Where do you propose the club generates the 500k they get from playing the NZ game?

I fully understand the reason we're doing it, it's all about generating extra money for the club and it's different, it doesn't mean I have to like it (playing in NZ).

Whilst I'm happy that we're getting the 500K, I'm not happy with having to play outside of Oz to get it, that is my point!!

At the moment, if not for the $$$, playing over in Wellington has been a flop crowd wise, I can't see it improving anytime soon.

Besides, what's wrong with playing at TIO Stadium in NT or Traeger Park in the Alice, why can't we play there?.....at least it's on Australian soil!!

Apart from the annoyance of having to get a passport and it's cost plus the immigration cards you have to fill in going to NZ is very much like a domestic travel experience for Aussies. And the distance to NZ is similar to many places in Oz from Melbourne.

NZ is so similar to us in many respects it's barely "overseas"

[plugger66]

I don't think it will be the Saints that end the experiment - hard to see Wellington wanting to renew it unless we show something special in the next two years.

Exactly. If what snoopydog said is correct then Wellington obviously don't want the game. Not a good sign when they are paying.

Depends on how much tourist dollars are being pumped into Welly, and if it's an adequate return on investment

Well I would guess if they don't want it then it isn't enough.

[spert]

I would like to see the AFL do at least one country match per season. The pre season game I saw with Hawks and North up at Shepparton went well- good ground, large enthusiastic crowd and I think a match for premiership points should be looked at. The AFL really need to get out there and push the game in the regions- bugger NZ.

[Griggsy]

Keep going so long as it turns a profit imo.
But in terms of success I think you have to put yourself in their crowds position, if a foreign sport came over to try win fans here with one of the worst teams in the league would you attend?, let alone buy into a membership. Plus coming from a town that they may not even recognise the name of.

It was always stacked against success, unless we had the name Sydney and winning games there for 3 years it Might have stood a chance.

[IanRush]

As prespective, how much did the Wellngton-Sydney A-league game get yesterday?

[SydneySainter]

Based on what a missed opportunity Tassie became, I think the club should persist, should Wellington or NZ still want it.

That loss against Brisbane was costly though.

[Trixilver]

Stick with NZ until we win a game there. We're currently basing this off of nothing to get excited about. If after a few wins there is still no growth, then consider it a potential failure.