The order would be:

=1.Rugby League
=1. AFL
3. Cricket
4.Soccer
5.Rugby Union

The only reason Cricket gets sprouted as No.1 is because it's played nationwide. But it's not in the same league as RL and AFL. And yes RL is massive in Canberra and Darwin. NSW and QLD add up to be over 52% of the population. AFL only has crowds; RL gets better TV ratings. RL has major keys of SoO and Internationals, which puts it beside, if not above AFL. Soccer is bigger than Rugby Union, It has =International appeal, But soccer has a far bigger club support.

here we go again.

Considering the media coverage nrl attendances are pretty poor. Apart from in Brisbane where elephant water polo could draw a 50k crowd at suncorp.

Its very poor tbh, it does have a number of contributing factors though.

There is no such thing as a national sport in Australia. In fact if you were to go on participation spread throughout the country netball would probably be the most national game!

RL is king in 60%
Afl is king in 40%

RU, soccer, basketball are 2nd tier sports

Cricket is something to watch in summer when tests are on and there is no footy and comes in the same category as golf, fishing etc in that it is more a pastime than sport!

Whats this based on?

I agree about Cricket.

Nsw,q,land,act&nt v Vic, sa,wa,tas (although the crowd for storm in Hobart this year would suggest plenty of nrl support in tassie)

Consider also nrl in Perth rates as highly as afl in Sydney despite population difference and hundreds of millions invested in nsw by afl.

I'm not denying NRL rates very high on tv, If ever a game was made for tv this is it.

Bu lets not get carried away, Afl is stronger in Qld and Nsw than Rl is in Vic. In SA and WA rl is virtually non existent.

How do you figure? We have not had opportunity to test that yet. When the game is live on fta in afl states and the Arlc he the money to spend expanding the game that afl has had we will ge a truer picture. As said now we finally have some decent tv Covg in WA the tv ratings are on par with afl in nsw and per head of population crowds for nrl are better than swans are drawing. Just wait until we get a team!

Just because people watch it on tv doesn't mean their going to support a club.

Afl is the dominant in WA, to suggest other wise would be ridiculous.

I'm a great supported of the WA nrl side for all the reasons you put forward, but the recent South Sydney crowds aren't amazing and this has to kept up for 24 rounds.

Was it supported well the last time the Reds were in the Nrl, did their average attendances come close to the 2 Afl sides?

More fans at games.....more TV money and currently more TV viewers.......but JB says AFL is 2nd to Rugby League......

I rest my case





FFS.......of the 3 SoO games last year, the NRL GF and the AFL GF....which one got more viewers than the RWC semi-final between NZ and Australia?

Was it:
1. SoO
2. NRL GF
3. AFL GF

or 4........none of them got close?