The record attendance is an average figure which accounts for the increase in teams. We have more people, per match, as well as more people as a whole. This was the case prior to Widnes replacing Crusaders aswell.

Fans of RL must be the only set of fans in the entire world who will ignore a fact that shows the game in a positive light and make one up to show it in a negative light just so they have someone to criticise. Its like some people would rather the game suffer and they were proved right, than have the game grow because it means they were wrong, the RFL were right and they would have to praise them. These are apparently fully grown adults. Its embarrassing, If RU joined forces with Goebbels they couldnt hope to spread negativity and mistruths about the game as well as a certain section of the games supposed fanbase.

Never has the old adage been truer than in RL, With friends like these…………

Brilliant! I laughed out loud in the office when I read that line.

I wonder why we have more people per match? might have something to do with having a magic weekend in manchester (which i think is a positive, might as well have it where all the fans can get to) which help the figure out. 88,425 turned up for the 2 days, which was the 2nd highest ever attendance for a round of matches ever. Again, it helps having Widnes in the league as it brings a derby for Wire (more fans will turn up) as well as the general fact they will bring more to Manchester than crusader would bring to a Magic weekend.



I dont mean that to mean good attendance figures mean nothing. but these are clearly helped by a number of factors that are nothing to do with growth of the game. last season saints played away from home, this season they had a new stadium (away fans might go this season to see it and not go again, some home fans might turn up this season to take a look and not go again) same with Salford. Then we have widnes, a massive boost to the game compared to crusaders. then we have had fans turning up to bradford only because of the situation they have been in. these are one off factors that will not contribute to long term growth of our game.

i would be over the moon if these figures carried on next season, but i honestly cant see it. we have been fortunate to have a number of factors help out this season.

There would be a record average at the other games too. But it is clearly among the most idiotic things I have seen, that you are saying that record attendance figures aren’t records because we have gone out of our way to do things to increase attendance. I am absolutely astounded by the idiocy. So what if MM increases the average attendance, this is a good thing, this is why we do it you great big wazzock.

And again, you are, quite literally, arguing the game hasnt grown because attendances have grown due to 'other factors'. Do you seriously not realise what kind of grade A nonsense that is? Its a level of logic a three year old would laugh at.

People criticise the RFL for demanding better standards in stadia, clubs get those better standards in Stadia and experience an increase in attendance, people then criticise the RFL because attendence isnt increasing really, it is only increasing because clubs have improved their stadia, even though thats the whole reason the RFL demanded the improved their stadia, which they were criticised for doing in the first place. People criticise the RFL for the Magic Weekend, it results in the second highest attendance for a round of matches, people say that attendances arent increasing because of things like the Magic Weekend are inflating them, even though the reason we have a Magic Weekend is so people go watch it. It is astoundingly stupid logic, i honestly cant fathom how the people who rely on it have managed to get on a computer and understand what the keyboard they are typing on is for.

Yes new stadia increased the attendance, yes the Magic Weekend has increased attendances, they are the reasons we have improved Stadia and why we have a magic weekend, the fact a rise can be attributed to these things dont discount or mitigate the acheivement in increasing attendances. They show, quite clearly, a traceable and obviously successful effort to increase attendances and the success RFL initiatives are seeing.

Please, don't . . .



You can't? Noooooooooooooooooooooo

Who'd have thought?

Thats some response Smokey. I bet he's hiding under his bed after reading that. Well done!!

The game is in a dire condition.

many of the game on sky are played in stadiums which are sometimes only 2/3's full or even half empty. The games are of a poorer quality, much poorer. The product had definitly declined.

The playoffs and cc are poorly attended (except the final).

The future looks bleak. Football is mega. Why would youngsters take up rough and tough rugby league when they can do less damage to their bodies and have a chance of wealth and superstardom?

If anything we'll have less youngsters come through than years gone by because football is a growing monster and the new sky deal will see to it that it continues to grow.

What made me shake my head was the interview live on 5 live yesterday. When do the bbc ever interview any league player unless its in a bad light. It was as if they couldnt pour enough scorn on our game. I could see Inverdale in the background mouthing ask this question.

Well done for having drastically missed the point of my post and having a rant about whatever you wanted to read.

At which point did I say that having the magic weekend or new stadiums were bad things? They are great positives for our game as a whole. Why would I argue having new, modern day stadia is a negative.

My arguement is that this is one year. We have achieved records, but they are records that do not reflect the state of our game. As I have said, fans (both home and away) may go to these new grounds to experience it. After that they may never go again to that ground, or may go less regularly because they have already been. You may well find that next season these figures drop.

With Bradford, the attendances were boosted by the financial problems they had. Fans got together and made and effort(which was good to see) to help the club out, but the same won't be true next season. Dont think anyone can argue this was a positive over all as it took us nearly losing a club to boost the gates.

Don't get me wrong, I am especially happy with clubs like Wakefield, they have marketed the club excellently, and have gained supporters who are likely to stay long term. This is the difference between this sort of growth and they other types of growth I can see, this is likely to last (hopefully continue) the other types I can see being a one off.

It is easy to see record crowds and just think 'brilliant' but you have to look at longer term stability of that growth. What we don't want to see is this as a one year high with a series of one off events that contribute towards a strong year, we want year on year growth.

We have a product that is just about the most entertaining out there, but as a sport we undersell it. If every club made the effort to market their games like certain clubs have, with contribution from the rfl (like this new campaign they have going on) the game can grow. But to look at this yers figures and thik 'great all is good' is just totally wrong.

If any one can honestly tell me they think the rfl and the clubs (and many people often forget the role the clubs have to play in this) are doing the best possible job to market this sport the I will be happy. But i live within a short drive from 2 clubs when a uni and have never EVER been the contacted in any way (flyers, phone calls or promotions in town). When I am at my family home I am not in what you would call the heartland, just outside in the Preston/Blackburn/Bolton area and again, never once have I ever been the subject of some form of promotion our game. This in my opinion is a massive own goal by our game. There is massive untapped market here, but it has been ignored for my whole lifetime.

I think there is much much more this sport can do. And from people I know and talk to, many are getting upset at the way the game is run.

A lot of your posts are the kind that a condescending douchebag would make.

Not cool.

I didnt say that you said these things where negative, i said you were using them to attempt to mitigate the achievement of increasing crowds. Which you were, and which you are going to go on to do below. And it is still a ridiculously nonsensical argument.

how in the name of all f@ckery does a record not actually reflect the state of the game. It is the state of the game, it is unarguably the state of the game. It is, by definition, by god, jesus, allah, moses and Bob Marley, a god-damned record of the game. It is a comparison, a relative figure, it is the only actual, real, measurement of the people watching the game. You may wish to write a narrative where this changes by some indeterminate amount at some unspecified time in the future because it fits your pre-existing bias but anyone with even a little brain in their head can see what a futile circular argument that is.

Yet Bradfords average was lower this year than last year, and wasnt a record for Bradford. So we can strip that monkey-brained argument out straight away.
The other types you hope are a one off, because it isnt you will have to admit you dont know what the hell you are on about, you were completely wrong, the RFL knew and know more than you and your complaints were not only stupid and pointless but actively counter-productive.

You mean like an average in 2009 of 8864, 2010 of 9615, 2012 10169. Do your research.

Yeah, dont bother with facts, just make it up.
There is a difference between 'could do better' and the 'woe is me, the sky is falling in, the game is ruined, we are all going to die' nonsense you are peddling.

The stupid thing is, there is no story. They interviewed Jeffries after he quit to get a 'normal' job too.

The salary cap hasn't been increased since it was brought in. Inflation has massively eroded player's salaries since the SC was introduced.

The long term future for RL in Britain seems likely to be semi-pro rugby. Many players will be lost to the game or not get involved in the first place. We could well see SL reducing in quality to a level similar to the French domestic RL competition.

Without radical change to the game's structures and a massive improvement in the quality of financial management the future looks pretty grim.