And therefore a bigger deal from Sky next time the deal comes round to being renewed then.

Everyone's a winner!

It's true, then; RLFannies just can't by and large cope with good news about the game.To the diehards pushing the envelope of spinning good news into bad, I salute you. To the relatives of those who choked to death on their Cornflakes or were struck dumb by the news, I apologise.

The average attendance will go up this year simply based on the fact Widnes have replaced Crusaders, who had a small fanbase and we have created some more local rivalries in SL. On top of that Saints, Wire, Leeds, Catalan and Salford all have bigger grounds and there is renewed optimism at Wakey and London.

To properly compare the opening weekend attendances with previous years you have to look at the actual fixtures. To me there wasnt any particularly good fixtures maybe with the exception of Hull v Wire. Also you have to take into consideration the weather, which will have affected the attendances.

I suspect an average attendance this season of over 11k. This will improve if Bradford and Hull have a good seasons, as both are teams capable of 20k+ attendances for derby matches and 14k for regular round matches if they are playing well each week. I have hope for the latter but despair for the former.

I was very surprised with the TV figures, but more people watching the game will hopefully mean more people going to games in future and subsequently more season ticket holders and more money off sky and other sponsors.

10k average with London & Salford both being at home isn't bad going at all.

You'd imagine if those games were at St Helens & Castleford that the average would have been bumped up a bit more.

This much is obvious. Maybe they should included in your season ticket. Put 30 quid or so on season tickets at the start of the year and get play off matches and challenge cup games free or sell separate ST with them included . It would create a better atmosphere and look miles better on TV. You might not get any challenge cup games or play off games at home but thats the risk u take. You could get 3 CC and 2 PO games.

Don't hold you're breath waiting for a climb down, it won't happen.

The second stat is the most impressive IMO

Always said the RFL was chuffing useless. Not got a clue. And this proves it.

Regardless of the increased viewing figures and attendances, the useless buffoons went and picked a weekend when it snowed. Even though they have had MONTHS to plan for the start of the season. Just imagine what the attendances would have been had they picked a weekend when the sun was cracking the flags? Or how packed the pubs would have been watching the games on Sky had the RFL not recklessly chosen days when it snowed. But no...snow it HAD to be. We all told them the day before, but would they listen? Would they bollox. Never listen to the real fans, even though we know everything and they know nowt.

If you ever wanted proof that the RFL is useless and inept, you saw it this weekend. Yet another opportunity forgone. Who in their right mind would DELIBERATELY pick a snowy start? Downright negligent, if you ask me.

And as for the Stobart "deal", I walk everywhere and my eyesight means I can't read the side of a truck (although I CAN see that the opposition players are always offside and never ground the ball, and can count the opposition fans to the nearest minibus) so this "national advertising" business is just rubbish. Trucks up and down motorways and all that...what crock of shìte all THAT is! Anyone can see that, except the useless RFL.

And anyway, the pies in the pub were cold. All the RFL's fault. And it was the RFL's fault too that the pub I go to was showing soccer not my team playing RL so I had to sit through wendyball. Why should I have to go sit in the pub next door showing my team playing RL just because the RFL could not make my pub show a proper sport? And anyway, is it any wonder folk won't go to the games with this useless lot in charge? Its a bloody good job there are some of us real fans left, else the game would just die!

I could go on about how useless the RFL is - they ate my hamster too and stole my girlfriend - but I think I'd be preaching to the choir?

And anyway, whoever thought to sell our extremely valuable sponsorship to some tinpot company selling soup? Soup is for wussies anyway. Beer and fags were the way to go in the past, so why go change something that clearly worked? I despair.

I'm sure I speak for all genuine true RL fans? We are normally the most forward-looking, positive fans on the planet, but this lot would try the patience of anyone!

RFL out!!

Extending the comparative SL Round 1 attendance stats even further... which highlights that the Round 1 record breaking attendances in 2012 actually came in 7th out of 8, with only the year 2008 having a lower average attendance in Round 1.

Super League 2012 - Week 1 attendances = 73,720/7 = 10,531
Super League 2011 - N/A - Magic Weekend
Super League 2010 - Week 1 attendances = 78,090/7 = 11,156
Super League 2009 - Week 1 attendances = 78,141/7 = 11,163
Super League 2008 - Week 1 attendances = 60,320/6 = 10,053
Super League 2007 - Week 1 attendances = 69,237/6 = 11,539
Super League 2006 - Week 1 attendances = 65,624/6 = 10,937
Super League 2005 - Week 1 attendances = 67,474/6 = 11,245
Super League 2004 - Week 1 attendances = 69,499/6 = 11,583

At least there's more bums in armchairs watching Super League on Sky these days... allegedly.

Eh?

Hope standee is ok, normally has a lot to say on sky schedules but nothing on here? Strange!

To you, irony just means "A bit like iron" doesn't it?

Of course it was like a mad and semi-incoherent rant. That was sort of the point...