Which is ridiculous as a knock out game against St Helens should be a must attend match for Rhinos fans.

Instead we get 18k for Wakefield at home in the regular season and a paultry 10k for this season defining game.

i think there will be just over 10k there tonight

Its because its just the core following of both sides that bother to attend.We have always taken a good number to the away play off games,i expect Saints to bring a few tonight.Its finding a way of pulling in most of the season ticket holders.But it has to be remembered a lot of these are familys,students etc... who are on tight budgets and the budget doesn't always stretch to being able to afford the extra games on top of the ST.Many fans of the big teams will hold out to see if their team get to OT and go to the final as the costs for that are enough in itself.

It sounds bizzare on the face of, like you say they should be clamouring to see these games but the trend has been the same for a while and it isn't going to sudenly just change because we think it should.Someone has to come up with a solution and the only one i can see is trying to factor the play off games into the ST somehow.

The Clubs have to be held accountable for poor attendances during play off games imo.
The Giants whose fairly low crowds are well documented only charged £10-00 for their fans whereas the best we can hope for is £3-00 off if you buy before a deadline WTF??
Like BT said many fans budgets wont stretch to all the play off games on top of ST's ,away travel etc etc and EVERY game is on Sky!!
A rethink of the format and ££££ costs is needed big time for the play offs imo but will the RFL/SKY/CLUBS do it??

If you went back to 5 team playoff series, it would have a negligible effect on playoff attendances IMO.

Clubs need to realise that their fans are not ATMs that they can constantly keep dipping back to for funds. The cost of attending all-pay games in SL has risen way ahead of incomes on average. Throw in nonsense concepts like the Exiles, a potential trip to Old Trafford and a World Cup at the end of the year and it's no wonder fans are picking and choosing which games they attend.

What factors explain the reduction in SL play-off attendances (not including Grand Finals) since the introduction of the Top 8 play-off format?

Top 5 play-off system (1998 to 2001)
248,342 attended 20 play-off fixtures at an average of 12,417

Top 6 play-off system (2002 to 200icon_cool.gif
468,499 attended 35 play-off fixtures at an average of 13,386

Top 8 play-off system (2009 to 2013)
348,304 attended 37 play-off fixtures at an average of 9,414

SL play-off attendances under the Top 8 format have fallen by almost 30% in comparison to the Top 6 format era and they've fallen by over 24% in comparison to the Top 5 format era.

Quote: William Eve "What factors explain the reduction in SL play-off attendances (not including Grand Finals) since the introduction of the Top 8 play-off format? Top 5 play-off system (1998 to 2001) 248,342 attended 20 play-off fixtures at an average of 12,417 Top 6 play-off system (2002 to 200icon_cool.gif 468,499 attended 35 play-off fixtures at an average of 13,386 Top 8 play-off system (2009 to 2013) 348,304 attended 37 play-off fixtures at an average of 9,414 SL play-off attendances under the Top 8 format have fallen by almost 30% in comparison to the Top 6 format era and they've fallen by over 24% in comparison to the Top 5 format era.'" Here's another graph that might explain things: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8242825.stm

Quote: William Eve "What factors explain the reduction in SL play-off attendances (not including Grand Finals) since the introduction of the Top 8 play-off format? Top 5 play-off system (1998 to 2001) 248,342 attended 20 play-off fixtures at an average of 12,417 Top 6 play-off system (2002 to 200icon_cool.gif 468,499 attended 35 play-off fixtures at an average of 13,386 Top 8 play-off system (2009 to 2013) 348,304 attended 37 play-off fixtures at an average of 9,414 SL play-off attendances under the Top 8 format have fallen by almost 30% in comparison to the Top 6 format era and they've fallen by over 24% in comparison to the Top 5 format era.'" Here's another graph that might explain things: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8242825.stm

How much is a student ticket on the gate tonight?

rl£13 standing, £16-£22 seatedrl

I agree William.And have stated on many threads what i think of the current 8 team format, and really hope we go back to top 5.

It has to be said though that these attendance figures could be skewed by the fact that less well supported clubs have feature in the 8 team format.Cats don't have an away following.Bradford had a big following when they featured regular in the 5/6 team format.And it was always pretty much the bigger clubs that met in the early days who have a decent following i.e Bradford,Saints,Leeds,Wigan,Warrington and Hull.So them teams playing each other is bound to lift the average.

Personally i think the interest in the games leading up to the final has always been pretty much the same whatever the system, a groundbreaking solution needs to be found.I dont have it i am afraid.

Ah nice one! Thank you.

Kinda depressing stats william lad.

Why do you think the playoffs are attended so poorly in comparison to regular season? You've done numerous other comparisons elsewhere and playoff attendances come up short. I've read your musings on how super league has spawned a generation of fans only interested in season tickets and less so in paying extra for an individual game (unless of course it's a final).

I'm sure theres other factors at play though.

I agree with the gist of what you're saying above, ReLeeds V Wigan
2010
2008Wigan V Leeds
2012
2002Leeds V Hull
2012
2002Wigan V Castleford
2009
1999Wigan V St Helens
2011
2004St Helens V Wigan
2011
2002Warrington V Hull
2012
2005Hull V Huddersfield
2012
2007: 12,140 (Top 6 format)

What do we make of these comparative play-off attendances played under different formats?

Solution as follows:

- Add the maximum number of playoff games to the season ticket price. Say for example 3 x £20.

- Club ends up with one home playoff game that season.

- Discount next years season ticket purchase by £40.

Fan isn't short changed and is more likely to buy next years season ticket.