I think they're trying something different with this and I applaud them for it. Saints and Wire sell themselves so it would seem logical to go for another 'top' team of which, on league position, Huddersfield are one.

It's called Marketing. Our current average is 18,398

With big crowds to come at home against Hudds & Leeds plus hopefully increases seen across the board for all remaing home games we are on target to achieve 17,500+ average by the end of the year.

True but the phrase "Big One" is just a marketing tool. It was either this or Leeds match and I think Hudds is a bigger game on paper this year so far.

I guess they think the Leeds game can market itself to a good crowd anyway so seems a sensible idea to put effort into Huddersfield than the Leeds game.

I don't expect it but a crowd of 15,361 v Quins next Friday was see us have a bigger total attendance than second highest average Leeds having played a game less!

£10 for giants season ticket?! i wish! £175 for mine this season.

i always go to wigan and hopefully few more giants fans will for this one.

away following is on the up..ticket office recorded recent pre-buy ticket sales for the away games at leeds and crusaders

I don't think the name of Hudds will help draw 20k. Poor idea IMO, by all means try and market this game but the BIG ONE should have been Leeds.

When the first on was announced in 2009 I was looking forward to it because it was Leeds, the champions. We have had many classic games with them down the years.

Then Warrington, one of our local rivals, loads of away support.

Having around 18-19k on for this game with only a few away fans will make fun of the name IMO.

However, it will improve the average because the Leeds game will pull 17k without any marketing.

It's all about our averages though. If the Hudds game gets an extra 4/5,000 on from last year then thats a massive success. We've probably only increased the crowd by 4/5,000 for the 'big ones' in the past.

Correct. Last season's Wigan v Hudds crowd was 13,619

Anything over 18k will be seen as a success, but I'm sure the club will be aiming for 20k+

Wow! Hudds fans bought tickets before game day. Just how low was Hudds' following previously?

What is also interesting is what effect the 'big one' events could be having on corresponding matches the year after (when all attendees pay full price):


Leeds (H)

2008 - 14,911
2009 - 20,295 (The Big One)
2010 - 17,883
2011 - ?

Wire (H)

2008 - 15,537
2009 - 13,452
2010 - 22,701 (The Big One)
2011 - 21,056


Obviously the reality that Wigan (and Wire) are much better teams than in 2008 will show some improvement in attendances, but it can't be ignored that The Big One events seem to help the same fixture a year later.

Will be interesting to see how next years Wigan v Hudds attendance pans out, somewhere in the middle (c17k) would be tremendous.

No matter what we do marketing and seat prices wise - we wont get more that 1k Hudds fans over here on a friday night.

Considering the improvement in their team and the high quality stadium they play at their current home average is barely 8k, in fact the highest attendance they've pulled all season is only 9.5k. They're not a well supported club - so how are we expecting to attract big numbers for an away game?

Simple - We're aiming to pull in the extra numbers from our own area - the Radlinski article on the club web site is pushing the 'bring your, friends, work mates, neighbours' angle.

It starting to annoy me that we are the only club really achieving in the attendances area. There's only Leeds who'll come anywhere near our average this season and they'll by 20-30% below ours.

Its about time other clubs stepped up to the mark.

Regardless of that, this game just doesn't have the same feel as the other two. Those attendances are due to the quality of our team and also the warrington team.

Leeds has always been a big game and Warrington is a local derby. Much different to playing Hudds.

Hudds will have a core support of a few thousand, these are the type of people that Wigan are offering 1,500 ten pound tickets to and are hoping will travel.

It's already been stated on here that they took a similar amount to Wrexham at full price.

It probably doesn't make financial sense to promote Leeds as the 'Big One' anymore (as the club have to subsidise entry fees), we had nearly 18,000 full paying customers last season. It certainly doesn't make sense to offer it to Wire, just like we wouldn't with Stains.

Said this for a good while.... Wigan are one of the few clubs who could do f*ck all with marketing and still pull an average of 11-12k and never hear a peep from the RFL. We would get the fans in just by being Wigan.... and yet there are clubs in super league who's survival depends on their crowds and there are clubs who should be doing a lot better in this area and yet they do nothing!

Leeds should be having a big one at Elland Road against Leeds.
Hull should be doing similar.
Smaller clubs like Cas and Wakey could be doing a lot more.
Quins should be getting as many school kids in as possible...

None of this happens, if it did then the profile of our game would be up a notch.

I agree, see the last part of my post. I see what the club is trying to do but it just isn't quite a big one for me



It's a shame we don't have more big clubs in RL.

bit harsh on the giants support

2000 average was - 3392

2011 average so far - 7892

not many clubs can boast improvements like that.

and if you went into the 90's you would be looking probably a thousand!

Now that, I would pay to see.

I meant against Bradford

This will be crap.

leeds game will market itself - there away turn out at the first big one wasnt that impressive considering every ticket was a tenner at the first one (iirc), huddersfield game probably wont be on sky therefore encouraging more people to come and watch (hopefully)

Leeds vs us at Elland road would pull in a cracking crowd imo, especially if they managed do it in the off season of football and have it on a Saturday.

Home ends will be almost sold out imo. We will pass 18,000 easily but the 20,000 barrier will probably depend on the Hudds fans unless they send back the cheap tickets they dont sell