I suspect that figure will also include ex-pat zebras as well. I'm sceptical about the figure being put around and I don't think it will materialise on the day.

As for Hull fans cheering Leeds in Melbourne. Not a chance.

I know a mate of mine from Hull is coming down to support Leeds with a group of Black and Whites. Also a Wigan lad, is kipping on our floor so he can come and watch us.

You usually get a healthy portion of rival SL team fans that want the English team to win in the WCC regardless of who it is, I wanted Wigan to beat Cronulla last year. Think mostly they'll just be hoping for a great game which would require Leeds to give Melbourne a contest.

With the game fast approaching my excitement levels are rising! Just wondering which blocks are people sitting in for this?

Section S75 me. I'm bang on halfway.

Nice. We're in section 5.

Away section for me but I'm sure there will be plenty of empty seats to move around.

3 more sleeps til flying day. Cannot wait.

I am all in favour of this WCC occasion and I wonder if The Sleeve is expecting to make much profit on this game

Someone on the VT - possibly Rogues - suggested that Lenegan, in an address to wigan shareholders had claimed they were looking at £300-400k from their game with Hull. And while I'd take this with a large bucketload of salt, given the difficulty of convincing fans that the loss of a home fixture with a tiring schedule thrown in is actually a desirable thing to do, there must be a pay off in there somewhere. GH's apparent desperation to make the WCC happen this year suggest that he too could smell the cash, probably more of it than wigan are likely to see. Doubt it'll be as much as IL's claiming though.

Doesn't a large wedge of that figure Lenaghan talks about come from the NSW Tourism board? They're the ones, IIRC, that are the driving force behind that particular road show.

How much did we make when we played the game in Leeds?

It might well do, can't remember the details or where I read it. Only the figures.

Al be going in the young and jacksons opposite flinders station, it's a steady walk to the ground from there.

No Garbutt, Galloway, Mullally, Ferres, Oledzki, Peteru for the trip to Melbourne.

19 Man squad for Melbourne:
Golding, Briscoe, Watkins, Sutcliffe, Hall, Moon, Myler, Cuthbertson, Parcell, Singleton, JJB, Ablett, Ward, Dwyer, Delaney, Keinhorst, Ormondroyd, Walker, Walters.