Source: Roy Morgan Single Source Australia, July 2016 – June 2017.n=14,544. Base: Australians 14+.
The Brisbane Broncos have ‘won’ the annual Roy Morgan NRL supporter ladder with 1.02 million supporters. This puts them ahead of tonight’s Preliminary Final opponents, Melbourne Storm, with 828,000 supporters – although both power clubs lost support from a year ago.
Broncos rivals, and 2015 NRL Premiers the North Queensland Cowboys, fill out the podium with a solid 608,000 supporters.
The most well supported club in the traditional Sydney heartland of Rugby League is the Parramatta Eels with 457,000 supporters. This is despite the Parramatta Eels having the longest Premiership drought of any NRL club stretching back to 1986.
The reigning NRL Premiers, the Cronulla Sharks, may have only 224,000 supporters well behind the top Sydney clubs, but their drought-breaking Premiership in 2016 should lead to solid increases in support in the future.
NRL Club Supporter Ladder 2017
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source Australia, July 2016 – June 2017.n=14,544. Base: Australians 14+. *New Zealand Warriors support only includes Australian-based supporters.
Gary Morgan, Executive Chairman, Roy Morgan Research, says:
“The Brisbane Broncos with 1.02 million supporters are again Australia’s most widely supported NRL club – a position the Broncos have held unchallenged since the NRL commenced operations in 1998 following the Super League split.
“The Broncos have over twice as many supporters as any Sydney-based NRL club including long-suffering Parramatta Eels supporters on top in the Sydney market with 457,000 supporters ahead of two merged clubs – the St. George Illawarra Dragons on 441,000 supporters and the Wests Tigers with 403,000 supporters.
“The strong support for the Broncos is evident when one considers the home attendances for NRL clubs. The Broncos are the only NRL club to average home attendances of over 30,000 spectators.
“Broncos Preliminary Final opponents, the Melbourne Storm, grab second place on the Roy Morgan 2017 NRL supporter ladder with 828,000 supporters. The Storm’s home attendances are also second only to the Broncos. Queensland rivals the North Queensland Cowboys with 608,000 supporters also have the league’s third best home attendance behind the Broncos and Storm.”
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