If we lost on Friday our season was over - I'd call that a bigger game.

Also we were guaranteed two home play-off games after finishing in the top two, so it shouldn't have come as a major surprise to be playing another home game.

No but it did come as a major surprise to a lot of peoples bank managers!

Bigger game in your opinion, not in mine, a leeds play off game is always going to be a big game, a hull KR game not so in my opinion (no disrespect)

i've said time and time again, whether wigan had been in the play offs or not, all teams should charge half price admission for all play off games apart from the SF's & Final. its an extra game and at the end of the day the RFL and sky sports just want more money out of the game for their own benefits.

half price tickets = stadiums packed, looks good for the sport when after all the main thing about the play offs is making more money out of the sport. also, you may be taking a cut in attendance income but surely the income generated in and around the stadium as well should boom with packed stadiums.

considering may of the fans who go to the play off games are season ticket holders, its a shame to try and make more dosh out of them again. maybe even give a free admission to all season ticket holders if your team gets a home play off tie, etc? (i'm not a ST holder by the way)

so many ways we can make it look better on tv. but otherwise, people can either not afford it, have alternative plans or simply would prefer to watch it on the tv out of principle or detesting the play off system. i don't think anyone can come on here and say our attendance was poor. everyone surely expects it for every game in the play offs.

maybe the two semi-finals will be different matters though.

Like I said we were always going to play two games at home in play-offs so why it was a surprise to anyone is confusing.

If people view play-off games based on who we are playing rather than what it means, it's no wonder the crowds was disappointing. Lets hope we can sell our allocation if we get to the GF and have to play Huddersfield.

Yes, but we weren't always going to play 3 play off games so therefore extra cost and some would avoid the Hull KR game in favour of the Leeds/saints game (Me for one)

People will go to the final regardless of who they are playing, the point I am making is that its not a wigan problem, it is a problem in general but you seem to be getting at the fact that it is down to fickle fans other than anything else. Its mainly financial

But 3 or 4k extra will not be going to Leeds just because they didn't go on Friday. I just don't buy that as a reason why the our support dropped off so much between the matches. While it will be financial for some, I've never understood why some people spend hundreds during the regular season and then don't bother in the play-offs (all fans not just Wigan).

Its expensive, cost us the other week £57 for tickets before we bought food and drinks at the club. Thast was with discount for being a season ticket holder. Now to go to Headingley we are looking at nearly £80 before transport.

Is purely financial as far as I can see as if we offered free tickets we would get a full house.

Precisely

If it was "purely financial" people wouldn't spend hundreds on season tickets in the numbers they do.

But they would, as they can plan that into their year's finances.

If its a choice between getting a season ticket which covers all the years regular season games, or not getting a season ticket and just choosing the odd game to go to and then the playoffs, wouldn't you then turn around and call them part-time supporters?

People view any game based on who we are playing, that's why Saints league games (for example) have the most home fans, and the lower opponents the least. There were 17k+ home fans v Saints in June (+ about 3k away fans), but they clearly don't come to every game.

I'm not entirely sure finances are such a big reason, either - the CC4 games are usually poorly attended, despite all the ST holders with free tickets. The last time we were at home in Round 4, we got about 4000 on, IIRC.

If people were planning you'd expect them to budget for play-offs games as well surely?

No I wouldn't call them part-time supporters. I don't have a season ticket myself and can't make every game. My point all along is that we have a basic core support of around 12k who will go to the Catalans and Salford games, even accounting for when people can't make it due to other commitment. However this fell by 4k on Friday and fell by around 3k from the week before against Leeds.

Because by the time they come around mate some people might just not have the money to hand, and the fact its certain to be on tv makes it very easy to sit at home and watch it there.

Its a fact of the playoffs, attendances are going to be reduced until the semi's. Stumping up for a season ticket is different than having to buy one for the week ahead.

Agree with all that. I'd say last Friday was a considerably biggest game than the Leeds game simply because our season was on the line.

Compare it to the NRL, their crowds go up substantially come play-off time as they can see what the games means. Some people say it should be part of a season tickets, but would they be prepared to pay proportionately more for a ST to cover it, especially if their team don't make the play-offs but have essentially still paid for it.

I said that it will be a financial issue for some, but I don't believe that accounts for the substantial drop off we've seen.

cheers

I reckon our crowds would be a lot better if more people turned up to watch the game.

Do you reckon the RFL have consider this yet?

Edited for accuracy!



Not being funny Andy but it's quite obvious to me.

10,000 Season ticket holders buy their tickets in advance at the start of the year, that's a hell of a start on reaching 14k/15k home supporters on average.

How many kids get their £26 season tickets and when it comes Play off time they and/or their parent scan't pay it as Each ticket costs say £12?
Last 2 weeks I've paid £50 for each of the games plus game day costs etc.

I'm very fortunate, others are not!

Family of 4 pay say £360 last year for a Season ticket to 13 home league games, a CC game, Kids get all their away games free plus all the other benefits.

And then

They have to pay £40 for 1 game when it's live on SKY etc

###################################################################################

Final word Andy and my Original grievance with your post.

Call the support shocking, but it's not just Wigan!
All teams have gone down pro-rata the same as ours, so if you mean the Attendances for all the teams in the Play offs is shocking then fair enough, teh RL need to do something about it, but it's not just Wigan!

I don't disagree with the majority of what you wrote (need to lie down

) and I've said elsewhere it not just a Wigan problem. But for me that doesn't explain the big drop after we lost to Leeds. Some of our supporters are extremely fickle - there I've said it.

Told you I'd talk you round!

PS

Some of EVERY TEAMS SUPPORTERS are fickle!
Then I'll partially agree with you!

We have more fickle supporter (because we have more supporters in the first place)

Not sure where you get that from Geoff tbh

Garbage! The drop was because it wasn't as appealing a game, and because it was an EXTRA game that many could not afford to attend, NOTHING to do with fickle fans, if that was the case we would have had far less fans the year we struggled and were nearly relegated but the fanbase increased.

I think its massively disrespectful that you assume fans would just not attend because we lost a game!