I guess it depends on one's definition of "a small fee". As best as I can tell, currently it's $10 per game for the supporters bus, which basically doubles the cost if I buy a 3 or 5 Game Package for the 4 parramatta games. Next year it will be $120/$130 for the season, depending on how many home games we give away. Compared to if I catch the public transport bus, train, train and bus it's free. The supporters bus both ways plus getting to Belmore takes longer than the game itself, the public transport option takes even longer. And that's if the timetables align, which they never do. Plus I caught the bus to the Canterbury Cup game last year and after the game I stood around for almost an hour waiting to get on one. That made me miss the connections and all up I spent almost 4 hours getting to and from the game. Cost isn't a deal breaker, but I have plenty of others things to do with my time and both added together makes games at Parramatta not at all attractive to me, could be for others but not for me.
Next, there is quite likely a short term financial gain in taking the NRL's money for the (notso) magic round and playing a home game away in Perth. But there is a longer term cost, how many members do we lose for next season because we only play 6 "home" games? There's no discount for membership, we still pay the same as if we were playing 12/13 games at "home". What's the effect of that going forward, how many members do we lose in 2021 and 2022 when we have 1 or maybe 2 games at "home" (Belmore)? How many members, once they have not been members for 3 years, will come back once ANZ is available again? I have no idea how the short term gain compares to the long term loss, but based on what I have heard from other members it's not as beneficial as some might have us believe. It was raised at the last member's forum, where quite few people expressed their concerns, and it will be at the next one.
All IMHO of course.
Go Dogs