Looking at the eticket stadium map it looks like there’s only a couple of hundred left in the South Stand, will probably go down today for a ticket rather than wait till Friday now.

Anyone toying with going, think of this:

It’s Shaun Wane’s and Sam Tomkins last ever home game for us, possibly last game ever. We are also saying goodbye to John Bateman and Ryan Sutton - again possibly forever. Lockers has already spoken about using the emotion of this in the build-up to the game.

Cas are also bringing 4K+ so will be a great atmosphere.

Why would you NOT want to see this match? Under normal circumstances you would think 18-20k should be attending this. It’s that important!

Sadly I think the South Stand is showing that because ST holders have until 5pm today to claim their seat. I would expect this evening we’ll see that another couple of thousand tickets have become available.

It's a tough one this. I'm a season ticket holder who has bought tickets. I can see people having issues with a £17 ticket for a TV game bearing in mind that they could be on a full day out next week if they win. Wouldn't enter my head to miss the biggest game of the season so far, but I can see why it could happen.

Would fans stand an increase on their season tickets on the chance that there would be a home play off game? Could be more than one play off game with a top 5, but is that something to play around with? I think I could live with that, but the VT would probably self-combust at the arrogance of assuming that we would make the playoffs. It's a chance you'd have to ask if people are willing to take.

Don't the reciepts go to the RFL centrally? They clearly don't need to market the game in Cas as they look likely to have an impressive following

Didn't know about the 5pm deadline but booked my three ST seats half an hour ago.
Couldn't do it earlier due to family matters. I'm sure a lot of ST holders are in the same position as me. Previous years sometimes I've not booked my ST seats but paid on the gate.

Phil Wilkinson's tweeted that Wigan have sold somewhere in the region of 12k so far. Unsure if that includes the Cas sales too, but with walk-ons etc. it should be reasonable enough.

Shaun Wane has named his 19-man squad for Friday’s Betfred Super League Semi-Final against Castleford Tigers on Friday 5th October, kick-off 7.45pm.
Wigan welcome back skipper Sean O’Loughlin and scrum-half Tommy Leuluai into the 19-man squad whilst Liam Farrell is retained in the group after making his comeback against Hull FC last Friday.
19-Man Squad for Castleford Tigers: John Bateman, Tony Clubb, Tom Davies, Morgan Escare, Liam Farrell, Ben Flower, Oliver Gildart, Joe Greenwood, Gabe Hamlin, Tommy Leuluai, Dom Manfredi, Romain Navarrete, Sean O’Loughlin, Sam Powell, Dan Sarginson, Ryan Sutton, Taulima Tautai, Sam Tomkins, George Williams.

It includes the Cas fans but still a little better than I expected. Fingers crossed - the players and the occasion deserves a big crowd.

Cas' 19 man squad.

26. James Clare
23. Mitch Clark
18. Matt Cook
5. Greg Eden
7. Luke Gale
11. Oliver Holmes
14. Nathan Massey
36. Peter Mata’utia
12. Mike McMeeken
9. Paul McShane
10. Grant Millington
13. Adam Milner
2. Greg Minikin
1. Ben Roberts
15. Jesse Sene-Lefao
4. Michael Shenton
16. Joe Wardle
32. Liam Watts
3. Jake Webster

Strong squad for you guys. Moors and Trueman missing for us.

Two strong squads, going to be a cracker.

I'd leave out Tautai and Farrell (purely match fitness on Faz's part) but I'd bet my mortgage it will be Hamlin and Escare.

Tautai and very sadly Hamlin to miss out for me.

I think that SW will leave out Escare & Tautai but it is such a close call it will probably boil down to personnel carrying injuries and how bad they are together with how training goes this week.
I'd be pretty amazed (unless injured) if Farrell doesn't play.
Ive still got feeling that Flower may not play in which case Tautai would get the slot by default.
Im sure SW would rather have this headache rather than picking from a depleted squad.

My excuse for not going is I'm in Florida on holiday haha or I would definitely have gone to the game.

I’d have never thought it 5/10 years ago but this is me and my group of mates.
I’m not going Friday because as petty as it sounds I’d sooner watch on tele than in a half empty, soulless DW. I know that makes me part of the problem but I can only control what I do. Not the other 5k-8k fans we need on the gate to make it an occasion.

Roll on a day session in Salford, Saturday week.

Proper fans will be there get there make some noise simple

You did read my post - and that very acknowledgment - didn’t you?

If you’re a proper fan you’ll get down the DW and cheer the lads on, potentially Wane’s, Tomkins, Bateman and Sutton last ever games for Wigan, massive semi final game, but you won’t go because what? atmosphere hasn’t been great all year

Honest opinion asked for. Honest opinion given. Usual RL Fans board reaction. I’ve hardly killed someone, son.
Proper fan my . I’m a wigan fan with more to my life than Wigan RL. I’m not paying 50 odd quid for my family to sit in a half empty stadium when we can sit at home and enjoy the game just as much.

As for the ‘atmosphere hasn’t been good all year’. Where have you been since 2012? I’m bored of the lack of spectacle. I’ll watch sky and listen to Millsy (and hopefully Bilko?) on Wish. If that means you don’t want me at OT next week (if we get there) then I won’t be losing any sleep.

I aren’t particularly bothered about if you go to Old Trafford or not, it’s just your view is everything that’s wrong with Wigan fans and Rugby League fans in particular. Your view of we’ll probably win so I’ll turn up at old Trafford is quite sad because it’s reflective of modern day fans. Friday night is one of the biggest games in years for us, but hey you can watch it on tv so never mind

Statements like that annoy me.

I started watching Wigan in 1976 albeit from a Oran. I was a season ticket holder for around 25 years also going to most away games until life took me 250 miles away.

Now I do shift work, the need to provide for my family far outweighs my desire to attend so I will be watching the recording when I get in from work around 10:30 on Friday night.

I guess that means I am not a proper fan then?

Not at all, life circumstances mean you simply can't attend games currently. I was the same five years ago.

For those who know they could easily attend but choose not to, you're completely entitled to do whatever you like. But you can distinguish between those [ifans[/i who truly care about the club and the game of rugby league and the [ifollowers[/i who simply care about themselves and their night's entertainment.

Fair enough if you're in the latter category as long as you don't claim to be anything more. The challenge for the sport is to reverse the trend of declining attendances by persuading the public that you would truly be missing out if you didnt attend. That's essentially Robert Elstone's main target. Although some won't attend because they feel others won't, those same fans will also likely attend if they feel others will. We need to reverse the domino effect.

Huge difference between that and somebody just saying they’ll watch on the tele through choice. I’m sure not one person would get in to you for that and in truth nobody should get in to anybody who simply chooses not to go because they’d rather watch it at home. We all make our own choices.

I wouldn’t miss it for the world yet there’s been the odd game this season where I’ve simply not felt like going and that is unbelievable really as there were seasons I wouldn’t miss a game Home or away and miss out on all sorts of holidays, family parties etc. I blame the ridiculous league set up and the lack of quality across the board for that. To not attend a semi final is unthinkable for me personally but that’s me and not everyone’s the same.

I politely disagree, It may well be half empty, but i doubt it will be soulless. We are travelling in huge numbers (compared to Wire who have sold just over 2000 for a 12 mile trip), the away end will be packed and bouncing.

I dont know if any of you agree but there is always something special about Cas v Wigan.

**Just on a side note, all the best to Shaun Wane (apart from Friday), I like the bloke and hope he goes on to achieve everything he wants to in his future.