Attendance low yes reasons. Two teams local to main evënts lpool v everton semi at wembly if u was a saints or widnes fan and u had a ticket for this game u would be at wembly fact. I reckon 1k to 1.5k of fans lost to this. Grand national a day when many ppl from widnes st helens go to this sold out event again loss of fans 1.5k to 2k . Nt being part of the s hold package as told would be when signgng up and the fans dissopointment with the teams lack of effort in 75% of our games. Plus the cost expense of three games in 9 days fan loss 2.5 k to 3.5k " game being played on telly 1k to 1.5k fans lost . They are the reason y gate low. Was widnes the lowest gate involing a superleague club-. I think more worrys was the fev cas gate. Couple hundred more yet nt compeating against football nationai and nt on bbc.

Would it surprise you (and these are SOC words), that we have spent £1.4m on the cap this year?

We'd see how they would feel if their club had the worst points difference of any club for 15 years, regardless of their start.

Put it this way, Widnes's PD at this stage is -339. Catalans in their first season were on -109 at this stage. Even Leigh from 2005 were only -241.

Some Widnes fans think that whilst we only expected between 12th and 14th, we could be putting up a better fight with a more experienced coach and the club are refusing to accept this. Many Widnes fans never wanted Betts in the first place and most were gobsmacked when he was given the SL contract; now we're being asked to stick with sub-par performances in the presumption that improvement will come, when there is no reason to think that it will.

A few fans did 'boycott' the game, but it's important to say that this was instead of cancelling Stronghold. When SOC brought it in he specifically said that if we felt the club aren't performing we can cancel it as a message. This was a much less harmful message.

It's hard getting people to pay for watching dross. This isn't a go at Widnes the club but more a comment about how they are being coached. There just doesn't seem to be any sense of urgency, or determination to put things right. With the players Widnes have, most games should be at least competitive and defence better organised. Betts seems to have written this season off already and O'Connor appears to be backing him.

Wonder how things would have been if relegation were an issue.

Indeed, although, on the plus side, you have time to build a stronger team.

If they have spent the majority of the cap money on the current squad there isn't much that time will do for them.