Talking about the rfl nd the fact they are crap I ordered my tickets for anfield Liverpool for Saturday game so booked hotel for 2 nights come hom Sunday I now live don south when they changed it to Sunday I so it on Facebook if not I would not have known tryed to ring wast of time could not get through so emailed that ne’er I got was sorry you did not get the email so thanks to them have to book another night in Liverpool thank god I am retired so do not have to worry about work

It's woeful, and disappointing. I'm from Hull, live out of town, and came back into the City for the match. Plenty of West Yorkshire accents all around me, so I'd say the drop off was from locals. Here's why:
- Hull is not an affluent area, the pricing strategy was wrong for this game - £50 for a half way line ticket is just ridiculous.
- It appears that there no co-ordination on marketing with either of the clubs. It's a myth that Rovers fans won't go to KCOM - for Derby matches they regularly take 3k. Here's an idea: why didn't the RFL give Rovers a 'section' (or the South Stand) to sell to season ticket holders for a small discount to insensitive the club to promote the match. People might disagree with the idea of creating a Rovers colony within the ground for an international match, but I reckon it would've at least shifted some tickets. Bigger question - why aren't all (at least Yorkshire) clubs given an allocation of tickets to try shift?
- There was almost an 'anti-campaign' from the clubs if you think about it: in the last few weeks (where I suspect the RFL imagined they'd sell most of their tickets given their 'marketing (or press releases sent to the Hull Daily Mail) kicked), both clubs have released their 2019 shirts. In fact, Rovers have released 2 shirts. How do they think people will have spare cash to buy tickets for the match when they're spending £50-100 at least on a shirt(s). Surely the RFL could've got the clubs to hold back their shirt releases until after the match, or perhaps do something innovative whereby if you bought a ticket for the match you got £X off one of the new shirts?
- There was no effort to make it feel like a big match. No pre-match / half time entertainment announcements, no fan park, no City Centre activity to create buzz. It was like: ''pay yer £50 for a ticket for 80 mins rugby in the cold and rain and be happy with it'.

It's been the first time I've been back to KCOM in a few years and I was quite surprised that it's starting to get a bit shabby, especially in the concourse area. I didn't feel as 'new' as it used to. It seems like the management company are not investing in upkeep beyond the pitch, and it distinctly feel's like Hull City's stadium with all their signage (can't believe the RFL didn't cover the Hull City sign above the tunnel).

Overall, it feels like the RFL did the whole thing on the cheap.

This links nicely into the NFL thread. The NFL control all the marketing so no club would have been having a shirt release day on the same days as a big event for the league as a whole. It's the whole problem with no one entity running the game.

Having read this thread I can see why our game is struggling, if people are moaning about the cost of a ticket? £50 to £100 is not a lot to pay for the best seats in the house. If the majority of our fans can’t afford what any other major sport would charge for a showcase event then we are stuffed. We should pitch our sport at those who can afford to pay, why should we discount tickets? That’s the best way to go bust I know. If you want top athletes then pay what it costs to produce them.

It's not the price it's the value for money.

£50 to 100 a ticket is rather a lot. especially for families. For me its so much better if halving the price means doubling the attendance - nothing looks as bad as empty spaces at an event on TV. It gives the viewer the message that if no one can bother going then why should they pay attention. Those yawnion club games at Wembley where they practically gave away the tickets were a brilliant concept, forget that the game itself is dire; to someone channel hopping its the big crowd that will get noticed and it also helps get highlights on the national news. So what if they made next to nothing on the event - it gives something to build on in future

The RFL should be looking at getting big crowds first and be happy to break even. Once the crowds come then the sponsors and advertisers will pay more attention and then the prices can stealthily creep up.

You really don’t get it do you.

When we used to sell out big grounds in the early 90’s it was because the game was united.

Those games were attended by fans from every club including amatuer clubs.

Now most of those fans feel so alienated by SL and the RFL (even some clubs in SL)they would rather do anything than support a SL show team. Thanks to snobs like you and your stupid expansionist drivel the games support has contracted not expanded.

Get them back in the fold and then you’ll fill stadiums - individually they are small but added together and they make all the difference.

Hats off to Hull as I suspect they provided most of those who did turn up.

It’s a big ‘if’ tbf. It’d be interesting to know what, if any, pricing research the RFL does.

Money is definitely one of major factors. But internationals should feel like premium entertainment. I quite enjoyed the game, but this series somehow feels like it is just sort of tacked on to the end of the season as an afterthought. The crowd seemed very flat, as the commentators mentioned more than once. Can anybody genuinely say they’re nervous or excited by the outcome of these games? Even this one, which finished 18-16 and was close throughout, just wasn’t very... gripping.

It probably doesn’t help that we haven’t beat Australia in over a decade, despite being able to beat the Kiwis, who do beat Australia from time to time.

That is a totally different problem, being old enough I remember the sixties when the game was dying on its backside.It took a great leap of faith to move away from unlimited tackles to the six tackle & handover via four & scrum along with many other things. If the game is stagnating then it will take another leap of faith to kick start further progress. With full time athletes & scientific coaching methods many of the rules should maybe looked at again. Just don’t throw away the baby with the bath water.

The game wasn’t dying in the sixties, if it was it was right at the very end. It was the 70’s when it really was bad.

Out of curiosity, did you attend the game at Leigh.

I didn’t attend the game because it was at Leigh.

During the 1960–61 season the RFL appointed a special committee to look into the causes of declining attendances, and in the April they appointed a sub-committee with a wider remit to look at the game as a whole.

The end of the RL world has been nigh since 1895. Some times have been worse than others, of course.

So your complaining about attendances for national games..

Ones that YOU didn't attend.

You really are a star

Sorry but, I think that is pretty poor form from Leeds, to stage an event which directly clashes with an international fixture, which was bound to have some effect on the attendance at Hull.

Quite frankly, Leeds appear to have put 2 fingers up to the RFL by having their own gig clashing with a major event.
And you then say that The RFL couldnt organise the proverbial p up in a brewery. When one of the 2 major clubs in "Yorkshire" chose their own bash, instead of supporting the wider game, it's no wonder we're heading for the life rafts..

You say that fans could do both but, I wonder just how many actually did.

Club before country eh ??

I was at the KCOM Stadium on Saturday.
I won’t go to Leigh regardless of who is playing.

If your complaining about club before country, you want to challenge the Wakefield fans who were watching at home supporting New Zealand.

Leeds stood to make no money from pushing tickets at the KCOM, that’s a decision the RFL made, which is wrong, they need the clubs to promote internationals and clubs need to be rewarded for selling tickets. There were still a lot of Leeds fans at the KCOM.

That's actually pathetic and petty, even by your standards.

Carter and the other greedy money grabbers did their bit too the other week.

I’ll not go to any game that doesn’t include mine anymore as they showed that everyone is out for their own self preservation.

Especially when it’s played in a ground associated with Pearson.

“greed is good”

Which is a shame as my own club’s academy produced 4 of the players on show and two are shortlisted for the golden boot.

You do know your own clubs history, you have heard of Cris Caisley Rugby Leagues biggest ever money grabber.

I couldn’t make you up your that bonkers today times.

What money has Carter grabbed?

What’s the number of Academy players to do with owt?

We wouldn't let you in anyway, sinfield !

Didn't you used to be a Wakey fan till you jumped ship and joined the razz matazz when it all started at the Bull's.

Your opinion of me or my thoughts means nothing.

Neither does decades old news.

The fact is that group of sl chairmen have driven a massive wedge between the championship/league one clubs and them. It’s a fact whether you agree with the reasoning or not.

It was only announced several weeks ago, people have had all year to buy tickets for the 1st test. Anybody who was really interested in going to that test would’ve likely bought their ticket before the Leeds event was even announced. Any late casual fan would much more likely buy a ticket for the Elland Road game than travel to Hull.

If Leeds were sticking two fingers up to the RFL they could’ve announced their event way much earlier and not shown the England match. You could even argue that showing the game meant some people ended up watching it who wasn’t planning on doing so and may now as a result buy tickets for the remaining games.

Looking at Twitter, Leeds are constantly tweeting/retweeting England posts on tickets, team news, results of the main team and Knights and Womens teams much more than any other SL club. Wakefield on the hand have barely mentioned anything since Johnstone didn’t make the team (they were all over the France game) and were pretty much the only club not to even post something on the result on Saturday whereas others congratulated the team and urged people to get to the remaining games. If Johnstone plays this week I’m sure you’ll see plenty from Wakey but if not then any mentions of England will be non existent. Leeds on the other hand have no players involved but lead the way trying to promote it on social media.

Club before country eh.

What a load of tosh !

Staging a club event to clash with an international is mickey poor, whether you are Leeds or London.
Doing this can only detract from the "main event".



As for stating that showing the game on the big screen may have allowed some fans to watch the game who may otherwise not have seen it is just absolute garbage , especially as it was live on the BBC. It's far more likely that Leeds fans may have planned their day around the shirt launch so they didn't "need" to go the the actual game.

WHY couldn't Leeds have held their event on a different day, is every opportunity take up with other things ?

I do agree that many Leeds fans will choose the Elland Road game and good on them.
Might it be rude if the other Yorkshire clubs held their own events on the day of the Elland Road Test ?

Finally, a simple question for you.
Would other clubs staging their own events, on the day of a test, more likely increase numbers attending the actual game or, would it have a negative impact on those attending.

When you've worked out your answer, please post it, giveing your esteemed thoughts.