Nonsense. I went to my first match at Wilderspool in 1967. Styles of rugby may have changed but there is as much skill, speed, finesse and class in the game now as there was then. In the 1970s, I enjoyed matches like our unique ( because the comp only lasted one season ) Captain Morgan trophy win in 1974 but that match was nothing more than mud, grunt and wrestle for the entire 80 minutes. And that was a final between two 'top' teams!

If you want to see the skills from not so long go I suggest you watch a tape of the 1978 Challenge Cup final between St Helens and Leeds...That game was just as fast as any game you will see today...Fast free flowing RL, keeping the ball alive at any cost and none of the incessant kicking you see in the modern game.. I know the game is on the way out when some talk about the game as a *product*...Could you perchance be first year economics students or perhaps wanting to appear to be business savvy ? ? It's a game of sport not a widget on the end of a production line.

Will our season ticket sales for 2015 be down on previous...... Probably
Is there a single reason for them being down ......... Probably not.

Its got to be more than just coincidence that numbers are down since :-
a) No cup final
b) GF defeats
c) The overall economy
d) SKY constantly playing with the fixture list
e) People not being able to make Thursday/Monday/Friday games even if they were as originally announced.

Wait, wait, wait.

First off, 1978 is almost 40 years ago, hardly "not so long ago" is it?

Secondly, you claim that the game has got worse and then use an example from the past and say it was "just as good" as today's game is. The only beef you seem to have with it is the kicking, which we tend to avoid anyway as we're so shoddy at it.



Lastly, it is a product.



Nostalgia is a wonderful thing but don't knock a sport that is growing and is certainly NOT on the way out.

Nostalgia was a lot better in the old days

Nostalgia isn't what it used to be

The overall standard of fitness and athleticism is obviously much higher than it used to be, and we do still see some very talented players, but I'm inclined to agree that the 'product' isn't as exciting as it could be. I think there is a real dearth of characters and 'showmen', for want of a better word, amongst modern players. There used to be loads - Hanley, Offiah, Davies, Edwards, Holding, Gill, Boyd, Sorensen, Andy Gregory, Harry Pinner, Bobby Goulding, etc. Since Briers retired I'd be hard-pushed to name any player who shows any sort of 'personality' out on the pitch these days. Maybe Ryan Bailey

Strictly speaking 'nostalgia' means 'longing for another place' ( not 'another [itime[/i' ) but I guess he means Wilderspool.....................

Isn't this the thrust of the argument though that the game is not growing. Average attendances are down for most teams and across the league in general.The number of teams in the top flight of Northern Hemisphere Rugby League has reduced also by 2 teams (14%). Attendances at the "Magic" events has also decreased. In terms of geographical spread and expansion SL has diminished with the loss of a Welsh and London team in the top flight.

I fail to see the growth in those statistics.

yes but a few out of shape exiled northerners pull on a kit in hemel hempstead and coventry so don't worry about dwindling attendances. The game is booming

A unified comp in the USA and more and more countries are taking up the sport.

Yeah, RL is growing.

bet we dont....

Fantastic thread. Five pages of people discussing something about which they have absolutely no reliable information. Absolutely pointless.

Preseason.

Tenner!

I was there for everyone of those defeats in your run against Us. Every bloody one of them. If I ever won the National Lottery I would buy St Helens and run it into the ground, I really would.

how many years do you reckon we will get back to those figures

Waste of time staying that Yed.. There's folk on here who think its funny when people can't get to games due to Sky's chopping and changing..

Hmmm.. I'll be confident and say by 2018.

Equally pointless to criticise it then? No in seriousness we do have 2 web articles, one is a Rugby subscription publication for "rugby decision makers" the other is the Manchester Evening news. We have discussed other topics with less information/sources.

Are you suggesting we should not discuss the subject in the absence of sworn affidavits from each clubs Finance Director ?

cant see it....

The marketing by both the RFL and the club is improving, if it continues improving it's a decent shout!

Quote ="Vespid_Wire"The marketing by both the RFL and the club is improving, if it continues improving it's a decent shout!'" This is a RFL publicity video. www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/117 ... gue_Rocks/ Is that improving ?

Quote ="Vespid_Wire"The marketing by both the RFL and the club is improving, if it continues improving it's a decent shout!'" This is a RFL publicity video. www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/117 ... gue_Rocks/ Is that improving ?

Not bad for a dying sport: www.superleague.co.uk/article/31 ... kes-on-the

Not bad for a dying sport: www.superleague.co.uk/article/31 ... kes-on-the

Quote ="Vespid_Wire"Not bad for a dying sport: www.superleague.co.uk/article/31 ... kes-on-the'" That is good to see & hear about.

Quote ="Vespid_Wire"Not bad for a dying sport: www.superleague.co.uk/article/31 ... kes-on-the'" That is good to see & hear about.