Ah yes,the recession,always good as an excuse that old chestnut.Doesn't seem to affect fans of premiership football clubs whom,I would imagine,have to fork out bigger money to follow their teams.

Thats just an example of plucking a figure from the RFL/SKY propaganda machine. The game is massively more incentivised than back then. I could watch all of Wakefield's games next year for 125 quid, I remember Ken Davy walking on the Huddersfield pitch with 'news that was going to shock the sport' - it was that Huddersfield were flogging season tickets for next to nowt. I think not so long ago you could get a ticket to watch the Giants for 50 bar if you were one of the first 2,000 to purchase a ticket.

Is it any wonder there is an increase in attendence when the game has reduced itself as bargain basement? Its one of the big problems today, and why coincidentally Eamon McManus mentioned the challenges of improving commercial revenue.

...or maybe it's just that,for playoff games, the home club cannot include all it's ST holders thus giving an HONEST figure for once.

This is what bugs me most of all. RL these days exists in an Orwellian world of doublespeak and spin creating a totally false picture of the state of the game.

8k for a grand final qualifier between arguably the two biggest clubs in the UK?

FMD

They got 8,000 to the Newcastle RL grand final the other day. And that featured a team that no one likes.

the RFL need to sort something out......2 bog standard Union games last night got bigger crowds than the play-off semi.....that's a ing disgrace.

Fans have become more and more disillusioned in pretty much every aspect of the sport. I see that over the years there is a slightly bigger core of regulars but far less of the irregular fans turning up for matches. Fewer away fans overall, certainly across to Hull and that's not just down to the high ticket price despite the whining about it it is good in terms of VFM. To me I see it as the effort to travel as well for some fans. Both Hull teams travel in numbers, bar London & Cats we have the furthest to travel on average to away games but regularly do so. Is that because our fans are more passionate about the game & our teams? I wouldn't necessarily say so.
Certainly I wouldn't say our fans have any more disposible income over and above any other teams fans so the actual cost of RL is not the factor IMO

Kids no longer want to go with their parents as much, so parents just won't or can't go. BITD kids could/would go on their own, I know I did from the age of 10 (though uncle & auntie worked at the Boulevard so was easier & mostly free to get in anyways..lol) That just doesn't happen anymore (do gooder social serverices see to that!) The lure of other activities not just for kids but for adults too as well as the fact attending the match is about 6 pints of beer's worth. The fact that we have bigger screens and in HD means you can see all there is to see in the comfort of your home and in a pub it can be a great atmosphere yet not have any restrictions on drinking and ease of getting the drink whilst still watching the game.

The RFL have gradually devalued the sport, the Stobart deal is just about as far into a trough as you can get with regard to sponsorship, the example of Hudds & Bradford further enhance that by selling themselves cheaply which was a massive mistake.
The officiating is awful and more importantly not open to criticism nor has any openess and the (in)consistancy just beggars belief at times.

Sure RL will go on & it'll always be my first love but we will never ever reach the heights that I and many others think we can reach..too much apathy from fans & incompetence from those that run the game