Albeit lucrative window dressing. Not easy to generate an alternative source of income were we to go down the above route.

How lucrative is a crowd of 7,000 at Headingley, once running costs, staffing etc for home games is taken into account? Likewise the crowd Huddersfield got against Catalans?

The likes of Salford and London should be grateful they didn't make the top 8. it would have cost them money to stage a home playoff game.

Can't wait for Huddersfield to stage an expanded WCC game next season. And if there's a power outage affecting the electronic turnstiles, they may be able to claim an attendance of 6,900 just like they did on Friday against Catalan.

They'd be better off begging Leeds to stage it instead.

I thought better of you

..Hudds can't offer Leeds a game if Leeds are already lined up as one of the 4....probably against Brisbane

Catalans getting through to the final potentially messes up the planned quartet of Saints, Wigan, Warrington & Leeds the RFL (and GH) were banking on

All the more reason to cheer on les Catalans

Let's take an guesstimate average price of a ticket is £15, that would make over £100K. I don't think the running costs would be above that. Unless we're employing minor celebrities as stewards.

Leeds (formally a big club but now seemingly happy to be mediocre) produced the lowest crowd among the opening four fixtures so perhaps not representative of the finances involved.

Talk of cost doesn't factor in the TV money for showing the game on sky which is the main reason the season is how it is, because of the sky dollar

Presumably there's TV money too? And I was thinking more of the final; I doubt the prospect of a premiership win without the accolade of champions would draw anything like the crowd that the current version does.

Thats pretty much nail on the head.

And the fact that the GF itself gets a guarenteed gate of 65-70k per year.

The sale of £10 adult grand final tickets should guarantee that gate figure.

Looking at Man Utd's accounts, "matchday variable" costs work out at £750k a game. Granted they'll be spending more on things like police, but the RFL will be spending more on entertainment and actually renting the ground. It might not be the massive money-spinner we imagine.

Can't say i have ever seen £10 adult tickets myself.On RFL website cheapest are around £20 i think.

I know that the RFL send out bundles of cheap seat tickets to various comunity clubs that will be probably around that price but i have always had to pay £25-30 for a seat with a reasonable view.

Feck the money. We're hardly spoilt for choice when it comes to show peice events in RL that get national media attention so I fail to see how scrapping the play offs and GF is of any benefit to the game.

Ah yes... (edited) ABW(igan)

I received several emails from the RFL a couple of months ago offering Grand Final tickets for £10. No idea how many they sold at that price but [url=http://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/events/gl-rugby-football-league/44555631[uGroupon flogged over 2000 tickets @£10[/u[/url.

Who do we want to win the [ireal[/i grand final?

Canterbury for me. Screw the burgi, Graham is the king. What a player.

I would like to see the Bulldogs do it.Done it tough and Graham has been awesome he deserves a winners ring.

Wouldn't mind if Souths did it though, think its 40 odd Years since they last cracked it and they seem to have a true and loyal fan base who have put up with a lot of crap down the years.everyone is entitled to their opinion on Sam Burgess but you can't deny he is a special player and deserving of some honours to show for his RL career.will be great to see him up against Graham one last time.

It's been a while since a Pom has earned a winners medal in the Grand Final down under. Last one was Adrian Morley in 2002 which was quickly followed up by two Grand Final losses in 2003 and 2004. Then there was Harvey Howard in 2000. Lee Jackson in 1997. Kevin Ward in 1987. Gary Stephens, Knocker Norton and Phil Lowe in 1976. Malcolm Reilly in 1972 and 1973. I think Dave Bolton and Dick Huddart collected winners medals in the 60's.

Gareth Widdop?

I'm not inclined to include Gareth Widdop in that list because I regard him as an Australian product, just like Ian Roberts and Bob Fulton. The same would apply to Jack Reed if he is ever successful with Brisbane or any other NRL team.

Translation = "I forgot about him"

Edited for honesty...



On a more serious note, and since you seem to know your onions when it comes to the NRL, how have the various Brits Abroad got on down under this year?

Nope, I hadn't forgotten about Widdop. Just didn't consider him for the reason stated. He is Australian produced. Your latest desperate point-scoring attempt to scour for errors (perceived or otherwise) is duly noted however. TVOC still giving you nightmares?



The context of my list is that much is being made (hyped) of Pom involvement in next weeks NRL Grand Final, particularly in light of Andrew Johns comments at the weekend with regards to player production over here.