Quote: LeythIg "From your earlier post where you said "Who cares if it's not growing?". Which was a ridiculous thing to say.
Was just asking if you would've been happy if the grand final hadn't grown to become the event it is today. You seem hell bent on declaring MM as the best it could be, and blaming fans for staying away. What the RFL should be, and I would imagine are, doing is trying to find out why fans stayed away and what they can do to improve on 60,000 over 2 days.
Or would suggesting an event which is advertised as a showpiece occaision, which shows more empty seats than fans could be improved on, make me a flatcapper that's not interested in the game?'"
I'd say its fairly obvious why many fans stay away. Its because they are not the target audience for the event. MM is mainly aimed at the hardcore rugby diehard and those that like to combine a boozy weekend with a few games of rugby. Thats a fair section of the RL community but by no means all. There are large sections of the RL community for whom MM just isnt their thing, other than as a televised event.
MM isnt aimed at those fans that watch rugby in family groups, the category I'd put myself in from the mid 90's to the mid 00's. The idea of watching multiple games of rugby with a group of 6-12 year olds just doesnt appeal. They're never going to maintain interest beyond the match their team is playing.
MM isnt aimed at young teenagers, the groups of kids that you see at every ground watching a match with their mates. They couldnt afford it and would be largely excluded from the social side.
Perhaps the largest group that MM isnt aimed at are those who's work/family/financial commitments are such that they can justify the time to watch a game of rugby once a weekend or fortnight and if their team gets to a final, but just couldnt afford the money or time required for a MM weekend.
I think MM does a decent job in attracting its target audience, its just that that audience isnt huge.
