GOING to the footy is a great way to spend a weekend. At least, it is if you can afford it.

The reality is that prices — both of tickets and food — at some grounds are just too expensive for the average fan, which has led to decreasing attendances across the board.

Rugby League Week revealed attendance at NRL games was down 5.2 per cent in 2015 with an average crowd of just 15,074 — the lowest since 2004. The magazine then went on to explain why this might be, investigating which clubs give their fans the best value for money, and which teams are ripping supporters off.

Those living north of the bridge heading to Brookvale Oval might not be afford to live so close to the beaches if they keep heading to Manly games, with the Sea Eagles proving the most costly club for families and second-most costly for a single adult.

To calculate the cost for an adult, Rugby League Week added the prices of: one adult ticket, one pie, one packet of chips and one beer.

Included in the cost for a family is: one family ticket, four pies and four packets of chips.

A family heading to the footy at Brookvale will need to cough up $114.40, while the cost for an adult at the same venue is $45.56.

The Brisbane Broncos aren’t any better. They charge $46.15 for an adult and $108.92 for a family at Suncorp Stadium.

For adults, the next three most expensive clubs are the South Sydney Rabbitohs, St George Illawarra Dragons and Sydney Roosters.

For families, the Roosters are the third most expensive club to see play, with the Newcastle Knights and Gold Coast Titans not far behind.

On the other hand, fans of the New Zealand Warriors, Parramatta Eels and Canberra Raiders would read these findings with a much bigger smile on their faces — the clubs all finishing in the top three for both families and adults when it comes to the lowest costs.

Warriors — Adult $29.92, family $69.19.

Eels — Adult $36.36, family $79.12.

Raiders — Adult $36.19, family $86.18.

The huge gulf in prices was startling to Rugby League Week editor Shayne Bugden.

“It’s fair to say that even we were shocked by the results,” Bugden said in a media release.

“The Auckland Warriors, Parramatta Eels and Canberra Raiders are the best value clubs for those going to the footy, while the Brisbane Broncos and Manly Sea Eagles hit their supporters the hardest.

“The results will surprise a lot of people, and no doubt reignite debate about the affordability of, what has often been described as, the working person’s game.”

All calculations were done using the 2016 prices provided by all 16 NRL clubs.

Full details of the investigation appear in the latest issue of Rugby League Week.

With clubs like the Wests Tigers facing the prospect of abandoning their spiritual homes — Leichhardt Oval and Campbelltown Stadium — in favour of playing at bigger grounds like ANZ Stadium at Homebush, keeping supporters happy and encouraging them to come out and watch will be a bigger challenge than ever in 2016.

Whether fans will keep flocking when some clubs’ prices are as high as they are remains to be seen.