​ Monday night's South Sydney-St George Illawarra game was a high-quality, entertaining encounter – but I'm willing to wager it was a better spectacle on television than it was at the ground.

On a cold night, that is where a large majority of those who could have gone to ANZ Stadium chose to watch it – from the couch.

Many vacant seats: Rabbitohs winger Aaron Gray scores against the Dragons on Monday night. Credit:Getty Images

The official crowd was 14,126, which was the biggest Monday night crowd of the season. It was one of those nights where you could hear the players talking over the referees' microphone, and via the mic attached to the TV camera that ventures onto the field after tries.

That is not to say those who were there didn't make an effort to create an atmosphere – in fact near the end I'll swear I heard the Headingley south stand chant "we're the Leeds Rhinos" late in proceedings! Obviously they were singing something else…