If we're good, we'll get a good average. If we're as pants as this season we'll struggle. People in St Helens won't turn out to watch the team flail about in mid table.

Eh??? Pants this season?????

It won't be as good an average as they would of had moving straight into the new stadium from KR.

No doubt the first league game should sell-out and then both the Warrington and Wigan games will sell-out with big crowd for Widnes and Leeds games. I reckon they should top 14k.

We lost to Warrington at home. We've not been this low for about 15 years.

No trophies for us again this year. What motivation is there to turn up if that is going to be the case again?

We're two points off the top, that's not mid table. We're still in the cup. Some of the best Saints play for a long time was played in that last game against Leeds (you must have left at hlf time).

All we have to do is finish in the top four to have as much chance as anyone of being at Old Trafford and if we get a fit team together we'd beat anybody we meet there too.

Some of these youngsters coming through are very exciting to watch.

I think you and me are seeing two completely diferent teams.

Are you serious or are you pulling my leg and I've fallen for it?

No, I agree with you in a way. We're doing fantastically for the squad we've got. I just feel we're 4 or 5 senior players short of where the likes of Wigan, Warrington and Huddersfield are this season. With Jammer leaving and us unlikely to have more coming in than leaving, that will still be the case next season.

That would be the one.

The first few games will see a big increase from this season at the new ground, but I am not that certain if the attendance figures will compare with such as Wigan or Leeds after those first matches??

I think you need a massive game to kickstart the new season in 2012 and a full house of 18,000 for the first game at the new ground.

My choice (not biased) would be Wire, we would bring 5,000 alone.

You'd get about 3000-3500 and it would still be full.

Not necessarily a massive game as I feel the opening game will sell itself out no matter who we play really. Catalans or quins would be the only teams that would put us in any danger of not selling out.

AM why do you think it will sell out regardless?

Saints didn't sell out their farewell game at KR which I would have thought would had a greater pull.

We should have the first game against Widnes they always bring a large crowd to St Helens

That would seem to me to be the obvious fixture, particularly as it would be their first in Superleague 2012.

In a word yes, you will get all the McCewans lager shirt wearers coming back in droves just like we have the Ellegren brigade when we get to a final.

I think curiosity will be on the agenda for some folks. I know people who havn't been to KR for years because of the state of the ground but will attend the new ground. I think the hospitality suites will sell out as well. Did Wigan have a sell out when they played at JJB for their 1st game? I'm sure it didn't. It took a while for it to build up so we shall just have to wait and see.

No they didn't, which was the point I was making. I do think Saints v Widnes would stand a chance though if it was the first game of the season.

given that we had about 5 'last games' at KR, with the actual last game being about 3 games after the "official" last game, there was no focal point for the celebrations.

I can foresee however, that there will be about 3 or 4 "first" games at the start of 2012 - which will have the same impact.

No but dare did against wakey on their opening game at the HJ - it was well over capacity; they got their hands slapped from the safety boys after that game.
Crowdwise, they have never really looked back even when they were playing w**ky.

Prior to that gates at wilderspool were.... welll....dire!

There will be a significant increase in attendance for the first game compared to the attendance at KR (except for Wigan/Warrington) and I am fairly confident that 95-100% of Saints tickets will sell out for the first league game regardless of who we play but selling 3500+ away tickets is going to be a struggle against more than half of the league even for the first fixture so I tend to agree with those who have suggested Widnes as the first game, they'll want to be out in force back in SL, they've always travelled pretty well to KR too.

So few teams have good travelling support at the moment that over the course of the season I would expect Wigan and Warrington matches to sell out and good crowds against whoever is first, Leeds, Widnes, Hull, and of course Hull KR... the rest I've no idea what to expect, but for Saints to average near to 13,500-14,000 (about 20% up on KR) they are going to have to pull in a base crowd of at least 12,000 against the teams with minimal support.

I'd rather we did not play Widnes, Warrington or Wigan as an opening game. All 3 are capable of selling out on their own. The first match brings it's own draw as it's a first for everyone regardless of who you play. eg if we played Salford for the opening game, we would get more in than Salford 10 games in. Wigan and Warrington will sell out whether first or last game.

So it makes more sense to maximise revenue and play a team like Catalan or Quins where crowds are traditionally lower than other teams and get more people in.

In the end the RFL will decide and not Saints, as it is, it could be a friendly that is the opening game.

The very first game WILL be a friendly as the club have to demonstrate safety procedures to get a safety certificate , I am sure i read that they have to do this before the Stadium goes "live" , I am pretty sure that a boxing day game against Widnes was mooted , it would be a nice thank you for playing there all year , also the first full game should be Cas , as that would be a nice follow on from the last game at KR

Saints will have a say to the RFL who they play in the 1st game at the new ground, Wire did knowing they would sell out easiliy regardless, so they picked Wakefield.

this is a very very good point, why chose Wire or Wigan when you know that gets number in anyway

Given the size of the stadium, you might need more than one ramp-up game. Pretty sure that was the case at the LSV as we held one game at 4,500 capacity then another at 7,000 before being allowed to open to full (12,700) capacity.