A Storm vs Cowboys Grand Final would probably make for the most interesting game out of the current four possible outcomes for the 2017 NRL Grand Final.
But from a NRL/Channel Nine perspective? I reckon they’d be hoping it’s a Broncos vs Roosters Grand Final because that would generate a big crowd and even bigger TV ratings.
It’ll end up being Roosters v Storm 
NRL/Nine would’ve been hoping Sydney Swans would win.
Ensuring no need for Melbourne audience for next Friday’s Adelaide Crows Prelim.
(i.e.) Melbourne Storm.
But now Geelong are in (huge VIC drawcard), will take away heaps of potential Storm viewers in Melbourne.
Unfortunate, nobody thought it’d happen.
AFL prelims will always draw huge ratings in Melbourne regardless of the participants. Swans have a big supporter base in Victoria anyway.
I think Nine will be hoping for Storm v Cowboys.
Sydney will get a big audience anyway, and the Roosters don’t have the biggest supporter base in Sydney, not compared to say Souths, Dragons or Parra anyhow. A lot of people dislike them. Having the Storm in the GF will probably double the Victorian audience.
@LukeMovieMan yes, Melbourne viewer numbers for the Storm v Broncos will probably suffer a bit since the AFL Prelim at the same time isn’t an all interstate game, but still there’s no Melbourne team playing. So hopefully still will rate OK, more than the 100k that the Storm v Parramatta final got last Saturday afternoon. I think Nine will put this game on the main channel in Melbourne and hope that the AFL is another blowout with the Crows running away with it early, which will probably see a big switchover factor down there.
@JKD I know we all thought the Cowboys wouldn’t beat Parra or Cronulla, but they did, and I reckon they are every chance to beat the Chooks. I’d still lean towards the Roosters winning since the Cowboys momentum will probably run of steam at some point (much like what happened to the Swans in the AFL on Friday night).
This Friday’s Storm v Broncos NRL will now be shown on the main channel in Melbourne.
I am a Cowboys supporter and was at the game last night. How good!! So happy!! Take the best 2 players out of any team and they will not make the finals, but, the Cowboys have defied the odds. Hopefully they can beat the Roosters which I am confident they will. I think Ch9 would love to have the Cowboys in the GF, it would be an amazing story if they were and one that would attract viewers.
Brave call. It will be thrashed by AFL preliminary final between Adelaide and Geelong seeing the Cats have many fans in Melbourne.
Though the GWS game in Sydney won’t rate very well either, even if Seven show this on the main channel (which they probably won’t). The late afternoon timeslot probably won’t help in outright viewer numbers.
But kudos to Nine Melbourne for having the guts to put the Storm on the main channel there, even though it probably won’t rate very well.
How does Vet on a Hill (?) or whatever it is they usually show on a Friday night rate? I’m guessing not very much.
There is a big difference between GWS and Storm and you know that.
Yes… about three goalposts, five players and 900 kms 
All good.
It shouldn’t be forgotten, last year’s GWS Prelim (also Saturday twilight) rated as high as over 200k in Sydney.
If I’m reading the following ratings post correctly, in 2016, the GWS game rated 169,000 in Sydney while The Storm rated 188,000 in Melbourne. Reading the comments, it seems that Seven News that followed the AFL recorded one of its lowest audiences ever. Seems like a pretty good indicator of what might happen again this year.
https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/saturday-24-september-2016/1883?u=tv.cynic
A movie won’t do any better. Besides main channel coverage will help promote the Grand Final coverage.
I’m discussed that Nine Blocked the Rugby League Players Association outside the Heartlands, Ripped off.
You couldn’t stream it on 9Now?
When I said “as high as”, I was referring to the post-match.
Also, to say it’s indicative of how Giants/Storm will rate this year is silly.
Different match-ups, different head-to-head, et. al.
Storm won’t get 188k on Friday night, especially if it’s one-sided or they lose.
They might have if it were up against ADE v SYD.
That’s all I was getting at 
Could Storm not have played on Saturday night (away from Cats & Tigers in Melbourne)? Tigers game should be over by 7:15pm or so?
The AFL were smart, GWS away from any NRL (but yes, they do have a much less following than Storm would).
Not available to stream on 9Now.
