This isn't just a Wigan problem, it's every league that the playoffs suffer when they should be the prestige games. Maybe the RFL or SLE should wake up and offer half price entry to all playoffs games and kids get in for a quid. Every team, every league. Reward the fans for the clubs success.

HOW MANY TIMES do you need to be told that we were always playing two home games in the play-offs? We have plenty of fickle fans and Friday night proved it. It's not disrespectful, as for too many fans it's the truth.

However it would seem that as other club's have fickle fans as well, that makes it alright.

I Don't need telling AT ALL that we were always playing twice at home but we weren't always going to be playing 3 play off games!!! therefore EXTRA COST!! and the least attractive of the games would mean a smaller crowd FOR ALL TEAMS

Wire had 8k on against hudds, if that was against Saints it would have been a bigger gate as it was a more attractive fixture

So basically what you are saying is that those who didn't bother on Friday are those who will be going to Leeds - both you and I know that is not the case. The hard core who go to away games will be the ones who follow the team no matter what.

So because the Dire have fickle fans as well that's ok then.

It is disrespectful to assume that fans who did not attend on Friday was because they are fickle! you are suggesting that we only had a smaller crowd on Friday because we lost the week before and that fans are fickle!

No I'm not saying it is ONLY because we have fickle fans. I suggest you go back and actually read what I've written instead of continually generalising.

Interesting piece in today's Express (think it was that paper) about the concern with attendances in Rugby Union. London Irish down to 8K and Mick Hogan complaining that crowds of 6000 at Sale are not sustainable.

It is you who are generalising by suggesting that we had a smaller gate for the the Hull KR game due to "Fickle fans" that is just your opinion and one which I disagree with, I am not generalising at all. I am suggesting that we had a smaller gate for the KR game because it was an EXTRA fixture that obviously some people chose not to go due to the extra cost and the fact it was on SKY. Backed up by the several people that have posted in support of this. I know for a fact that quite a few people who I know attend most if not all home games chose not to go because they couldnt afford both and chose instead to save their money to go to Leeds in the hope we won as it was a more attractive fixture (with more at stake).

You are simply choosing to avoid the fact that playoff/cup games are not well supported (despite you thinking they should be) by ALL clubs fans because of the extra cost incurred for these games, some people simply cannot afford to go to some or all playoff games due to cost.

You talk about there being a big drop in gates for the 2 games, there was only a drop of about 2k between the 2 games when there was 5k difference between the leeds and Hull KR games in the league. Leeds is simply a more attractive fixture.

Is it so hard to understand? Answer me honestly Which game would you expect to have a bigger crowd, Wigan v Leeds or Wigan v Hull KR??? then ask yourself why should this be any different because it is a play off game? Before you say because if we lost to Hull KR our season would be over just consider that we have comfortably beaten Hull KR twice already this season and a lot of fans would have been very confident of a victory and considered the game to be merely a stepping stone to the leeds game and also a game that they could watch in the comfort of their own homes without spending £50 for the priviledge.

I see you still haven't read what I've said properly again, which makes most of what you've written above irrelevant to your reply - I've actually said it was for other reasons as well including financial, but you continue to seem to miss that -why?

So because you know a few people who didn't go because they've saving for Leeds that explains the huge drop in attendance? By that reckoning we'll be taking about 8k on Saturday. Some of our fans are fickle - why do you have problem with that?

Trust me I've read it, you have never suggested any other reasons than fickle fans. You said it was shocking that there was a smaller crowd for the Hull KR game, you then went on to say that this was due to fickle fans. There was actually 2k difference between the 2 games Define huge drop in the 2 gates?? 2K less when there was 5k difference for the same 2 league games! where have I suggested that there would be 8K going to leeds and where do you get 8k from??? I said that if peopole where considering going to the 2 games but couldnt afford both they would go to the leeds game as it was a more attractive fixture with more at stake, Correct??

What proof do you have that our fans are fickle?

Some of our fans didn't go to the Hull KR game as they couldnt afford it - why do you have a problem with that?

Really?

Here's what I said to you two pages ago:



Want to rethink that?

No, I really don't!!

My stance is 100% that it was always going to be a smaller gate for the Hull KR game just like it was in the league, although it was only 2k less as apose to the 5k difference than the league games involving the same two teams.

This is almost entirely due to financial reasons and the fact that it is a less attractive fixture just like it was during the season!!! But you seem to ignore the fact that there was a bigger attendence for the league game against leeds than there was for the Hull KR game in the league


I really don't care that you keep bringing up that it was always going to be the same amount of home games or what you say is the reason for this etc. The fact is you have suggested from the beginning that the drop in crowd was MAINLY down to fickle fans and that it can't be finiancial because "surely if people can afford to buy a season ticket, they can afford to pay for play-off games" That is simply not the case!!

So you're still saying I've only ever said it was fickle fans?

minority of fans (or maybe more) don't like the play off system.
some fans can't afford it.
some fans have other arrangements.
some fans prefer to watch it on the tv.

none of these factors say that any fan is fickle. you must know for sure that this arguement does not comply with wigan fans who have for the past number of years showed loyalty by turning up in their numbers home and away, growing average attendances each year that most teams would be proud of and some are jealous of.

end of discussion.

If you'd have put

some fans didn't turn up because we lost

I would agree with you.



That would be a great theory if it wasn't for the fact it is wrong. Our crowd average went down two seasons in a row before this year.

i'm sure wigans attendances, even if they did decline for a short while, still rose in comparison to the other teams.

take the other play off games so far... very low attendances.

all will change this weekend though with two packed houses hopefully!

at the end of the day its not down to the fans, its down to how the sport is run and the clubs need to step in and turn things around in my opinion.

i reckon next year all play off games will be reduced in price

It's the same every year though - play-off attendances are poor. In the NRL they rise dramatically at play-off time. Given the discount ST holder get the games offer extremely good value for money in my opinion.

quite right, i do agree. however season tickets should at least extend one game into the play offs if you ask me considering that the play offs are in fact part of the season! and i'm not even a ST holder. lower prices would definitely increase attendances if you ask me and the clubs wouldn't lose out as they'd surely benefit from the turnover in and around the stadiums.

and to you the ST discounts may seem favourable but that doesn't mean it does to every one else. each to their own.

I'm not a ST holder myself and I still feel that RL offers extremely good VFM.

definitely, especially in comparison to football for example, although i do know our local football neighbours do have cheap season tickets and plans etc so fair play to them there. you only have to look at childs ST prices etc and that alone is great for the future of our fanbase.

but for me to compare rugby league to football and expect it to be a fair arguement isn't worthwhile as football is a massive sport whereas rugby league isn't, unfortunately.

i'm not saying fans of any clubs [ideserve[/i to be rewarded with cheaper admission for playoffs for example, but something along the lines of cheaper admission prices or freebies with a season ticket could surely benefit the attendances and as a result the sport as a whole?



to be honest, i'd imagine in the next few years the playoff system may be revamped. i've no idea how, but i think it will if attendances are poor again over the next few years.

When you consider the value of the game does it really? I not saying its expensive but the prices for the rugby and latics arent much different and they play in a multi billion pound sport.

Everyone who watches rugby will feel the same as you otherwise they wouldnt watch rugby

Latics compared to SL prices might not be that much different, but a mate of mine at work was moaning to me yesterday that Liverpool tickets had increased beyond the limits of his wallet this season - £45 per match ticket.

Like I say they have a far superior sport in terms of finance and need to support this. its £20 to watch Leeds in an uncovered concrete stand.