This is a thread about the board so if I was a mod, I'd be moving any game comments to their own thread.

It is possible to discuss both.

Personally I think we need to be more grown up about people watching the game or not watching it. I know a relation of mine was a staunch fan and then fell out of love for the game/ club for a good 10-20 years but then grew to love it again.

Peoples tastes and priorities change, as some fans leave others will fill the gap. As is shown by the attendances. Lots of people on several boards have stopped going, but the attendances hold up as new people start going. The key to growth would be to retain more than we loose.

I drifted very slowly away from the club. You miss a few home games, then travelling becomes more of a chore so you miss somemore games. Until actually you realise that it's no longer your top past-time.
I still want the club to do well, I'm still interested in seeing the scores and watching the odd game. But it's not the be all and end all that it once was.
No doubt my interest will ebb and flow, but that is pretty normal.
I'd say I'm a fan rather than a supporter if we want to split definitions.

I don't have the time, the money or the passion to keep saints front and centre. But I'm glad others do.

I think that Saints have lost their way on recruitment and that is showing on the pitch and ultimately, after a few years of not really doing very much (a pretty unlikely GF excepting) the club and this forum have taken it's toll.

Wigan, on the other hand, even with many players our are doing it tough and top of the league, without really doing anything out of the ordinary just passion and sticking to the keep on moving forward mantra.

We need to get that back, and instead of signing anyone we can, be more specific in the needs for the team and the needs for the clib as a whole ie bringing players through and sticking with them.

I think even the supporters meetings have ceased or they have stopped inviting me......

This sums up my thoughts on Saints at present as well.

For me, moving away from the North West is obviously a problem but I did attend a good number of games to start with three years ago. However the teams poor style of Rugby and the constant bleating of "everything is fine" from the club does not make me want to take time off work, spend hundreds of pounds and travel for hours, to watch the club. In fact the distance feels more like a blessing that I do not have to feel bad about or make excuses for not watching the dull rugby our club produces week in week out.

I am worried that this could apply to a lot more people who are just fed up and this could hurt the club long term.

At least battling relegation would be exciting.

I think a lot of people are falling out of Rugby League lately, and not just Saints fans. Many of my friends (most of whom support Warrington) say the same thing too. I've never really been one to post much on these forums but I used to read them as a daily ritual yet this is the first time I've logged on for months. I think only my 2nd time this season. It's been a fair few years since I've been able to make all the games but I usually at least manage to get to a good 10 or so, whereas this season I've been to just one. Saints being dull af doesn't help, the fact that we've not had anything to play for, for a while doesn't help either, but I honestly think Super League has just gone to crap now. I can't remember the last game I enjoyed watching on Sky. Even then I only watch it whilst in work and never go out of my way to watch it at home. I think the game is just dying a death unfortunately. Not many people seem to care any more.

Is paying off the stadium the reason for this?

and the Hong Kong loan?

Where's Mugwump?

He will be telling somebody somewhere that saints have the best pack in world rugby still

I do get what some are saying about generally falling out with the game, as a Hull fan of 30 plus years , I've seen great times and some really dark days. It isn't the team I fell out of love with, it is the brand, RL in general. The craft and guile has largely disappeared and you now have wingers who are the size of, if not much bigger, than props used to be. Players like Long, Topliss, Millward,Schofield and Gregory , to name a few, were entertainers, Matty Smith is by some regarded as the best scrum half our English game has and , with all due respect, would not get anywhere near a top team of the previous eras.
This season, despite my having a season pass, I have found better things to do than watch muscle "outmuscle" muscle, and Hull have had a great season , so I think I can sympathise with a lot of opinion on here.
For what it is worth, Saints still have a team in the upper echelons of SL, try years of treading water, under a coach and board that had no other intention than to milk the cashcow that some Clubs can be , through loyal support. It really does suck the life out of fans.

Similar thoughts, only watch the odd game on Sky Sports now. The game is far too slow these days, players are coached to slow the game down when defending by wresting to the ground interference at the PTB, penalty kicks to touch, goal line drop outs and scrums take a long time to complete, we also have too much questioning the ref on a lot of occasions. Then we have inconsistent weak refs who quite often change control of the game between the two halfs.
Warrington probably play the game the right way by keeping the game flowing and promoting the ball, whilst other teams its very much 5 drives and a kick to the winger.

Last night v Wigan is a prime example of why my enthusiasm for RL has gone. Two teams devoid of flair, which is true of nearly all SL teams now.

Only watched it on SKY for 60 mins, then switched to the Olympics for Team GB in the Ladies Hockey Final which had more excitement. For some reason Superleague teams are struggling with passing and catching skills its seems to be all kick and chase these days

Got to agree, if I am watching a Sky match I often turn over to another channel, for years we called Union kick & clap, now we are no better in fact other than the ruck you can see better tries scored in Union in many games. For too long we have been fed we are the Greatest Sport or Game but that is not completely true. Scrums are a joke, there is so much time wasted, water carriers are on the pitch more than some of the forwards at times,

I don't think many of the match officials help, those men who run up and down the line with a flag how they miss so many incidents is beyond me, I worry if they afraid of getting it wrong? then some referees want to be the best mate of the players, then some want to be the star, get sick of the shouting from them on TV.

Are you the fella with the Saints sticker in his car that I've seen around Trowbridge and Bath a fair bit?