"Astounding"? I know you're not daft enough to actually believe that Barnaby so only confirms you're on the wind up, I'm sad to see you've sunk to this mate.

Some perspective... I bought tickets for the last WC Final, in the hotbed of Brisbane FFS, a few days before the game. I'm not sure it ever sold out - and certainly had less than they've already sold for this one. The one before that in 2000 had a crowd of 40,0000 (so we've already sold 50% more in advance, at the same ground) and only managed that by giving away thousands and thousands of frees in Manchester the week beforehand. I was also at the previous WC Final in the much-vaunted 1995 tournament, with shedloads of marketing (those "Chariots Offiah" tube posters etc) and GB in the final with a genuine chance of winning, and Wembley was a long way from sold out that day too. With the major structural and strategic weaknesses of international RL as a product, we need to be realistic about objectives at this stage of the long rebuild - this is a step-by-step process.

You're a plastic Irishman so maybe I'll put it like this: I was in Dublin once and lost, so I stopped a taxi and asked him for directions. "Well, I wouldn't start from here..." he said.

I wouldn't want to start from here either. I'd rather have stronger uncertainty of outcomes, rather than England not beating the Aussies in a tournament for 40 years. I'd rather have a strong international history, rather than one hampered by the killer combination of incompetence / small mindedness of RFL and NSWRL administrators (since at least the fifties) with the barriers the RFU/IRB so carefully erected to XIII's development at amateur participation level globally for decades. But I can't have any of those things. What we can do is recognise where we're starting from, and take realistic steps to move towards the destination we're aiming for. Maybe not today, but tomorrow.

60,000 pre-sales for the Final is what's truly "astounding" in that context, and somebody with the sport's best interests at heart would celebrate that progress whilst continuing to constructively highlight areas for improvement. So what's your objective?

Don't underestimate the need for a counter point.

Without William this thread would be one hand clapping. In terms of getting a story out there, it keeps the story fresh on the board.

A lesson from the world of biology: s - everybody needs one.

Or, in your case, a cloaca will suffice.

As touched as I am by your concern and as relieved as I am that you know I am not thick, I have to say that I am most assuredly not on a wind up at all.
We came close to filling the Westpac this year when the Warriors came to town....personally I was ed off that there were 7,000 seats unsold. It's my nature to be a pessimist....it was a cracking game and a great night, but when they come back down next season, we will fill it or I'll die trying....it's just the way I am and it's what I now get paid to do!
I genuinely want the RLWC to fill Wembley, Cardiff, Old Trafford and all the other grounds, it's just the RFL have gone about this all like a schools sports day IMHO. I know that RL has never sold out it's RLWC's and any improvement is good, but this is the last time the sport will be in the public limelight for at least 8 years and it really needs to make a good impression....to the sporting public and to commercially minded folk who may look to invest in the game. I have little confidence in the RFL and even if they pull it off, I suspect it will be down more to luck than anything else.

Don't mistake my frustration for trolling or winding anyone up....the events unfolding in the UK game at present make my blood boil because like the farce in London, it could all so easily have been avoided.

Your issue is your communication style, and your inability to surrender some positives within your overall message. Any valid points you might make get lost. Ireland v Aus in Munster, stupid I agree. 60k pre-sales for a likely non-England final, an achievement to celebrate. Unless you concede where things are signs of progress, nobody will take you seriously. I'd suggest you know that deep down, and that this approach has also limited your ability to persuade people in the real world in the past.

I agree on the RFL leadership, but don't extrapolate that to cover everyone involved or everything being done. I was interviewed by Nigel Wood and that other joker Gary Tasker for the Marketing Director job at the RFL a few years back and despite being prepared to cut my pay in half when I considered the role in the first place, I just couldn't face going back for another stage so idiotic were they. So believe me I know what I'm talking about, and the trying environment people like Sally Bolton will be operating in. Her and her team have done alright with those and other structural limitations, so give them some credit when there's some good results to celebrate.

Fair enough mate.....I do have unique sledgehammer to crack a nut style

seems to be working a treat gutters!

Still haven't received my England - Ireland tickets.... leaving for England on Monday :\ hopefully they can put some aside at the stadium for me to pick up, or I can get another pair sent to a different address

I think the world cup is going to be a great success, despite what england may, or may not do in he tournament. I think we will better all our previous attendances, both overall and average from the last world cup in this country and I think it will make a decent profit. You can't ask for much more than that.

I think with the drain and dilution on overal talent and star quality in the super league over the last 5 years I think fans are genuinly hungry to see bona fide world class players in the flesh and this shows in the reported sales so far.

William eve is a huge fan of the game, from grass roots to international level, but he is also a very very accomplished troll and always finds an angle or agenda which really pushes people buttons. Would this thread be a 100+ pages without his input? Nowehere near.

In general life you will always encounter negative people, it's best to ignore these types, never underestimate the power of a positive mental attitude and positive outlook.

Nigel Wood interviewing someone for a marketing job. Horrendous. I wouldn't let that clown interview for a window cleaner.

One reason a lot of people aren't inclined to 'be fair' and point out positives now and again, is that the positives often amount to no more than acheiving what would be expected of someone in the job. Mediocrity isn't good enough, but it seems like Wood has a job for life should he want it. It's hard to see what would shame that lot into resigning. Against that background people get very frustrated.