...because of what has happened in the previous 2 seasons.
Leeds having a very average season 2 years running and still going on to win it all has really changed the way other teams view the competition.
Last season we dropped players in games we viewed to be meaningless even though we were supposedly chasing Wigan for top spot.
The reality is that because of what happened the year before, we didn't care about finishing top.
The emphasis was on getting to the playoffs with a fit squad of players.

The entire way the league and playoffs are setup, will always discourage fans from attending games.

Why would anyone make the effort to go to London for the weekend to watch us play the Broncos, if we are going to put out half a team and not care about the result?
Why would anyone pay to go tonight, when the view is, that it doesn't matter who wins as it will have no effect on the outcome of the season, and it is on TV?

Then we get to the playoffs, and they are poorly attended.
Well what do you expect when a team can lose, but not be eliminated?
That first week between the top 4 teams is even more pointless than the regular season!!!!

Yes, they have to try things to make the regular season mean more for longer for more than just the top 4 or 5 teams, but the current setup has been shown up for what it is by Leeds in the last 2 years, and the results are less bums on seats.

Time for a rethink.

--good post--

A very fine post, but how many times must the likes of you and I keep banging on about it’s what Leeds have done in the last two seasons, that has devalued the weekly rounds. Why can’t they see? Why do they always ask the same question,” Why what’s changed things?” LEEDS HAVE!!!!!

This system works in the NRL. A team/manager can't think "I'll rest half my side tonight and play a load of young lads"; fans don't think "this result won't make any real impact on the season"; teams can't be inconsistent and expect to peak for the play-offs...because anyone who does these things won't make the top8.

Billy Slater can't take his foot off the gas at any moment because Greg Inglis, Ben Barba, Bret Stewart, Josh Dugan, Darius Boyd, Jarryd Hayne, amongst others will be there ready to take his test (or origin if they're a Queenslander) place off him. Josh Hoffman can't do the same as Keven Locke will be picked for the Kiwi's instead. And this is just the full back position, I could do this for every position in a RL team (maybe not to the extent of the full back as every NRL team seems to have a top FB - I never even mentioned up and coming lads like Todesco Duggan Coutte etc even little/old Matty Bowen is a brilliant FB).

Here it doesn't work because there aren't enough good teams and there aren't enough good players. So you're left with mediocrity becoming acceptable throughout the regular season due to it not really making any difference overall.

1945/46 season to 1972/73 (not incl 62/63 & 63/64)
Champions league position and no. of times won from
26 Seasons in total
1st - 11 times
2nd - 5 times
3rd - 4 times
4th - 4 times
7th - 1 time
8th - 1 time

15 seasons of SL with a Grand Final
1st - 8 times
2nd - 4 times
3rd - 1 time
5th - 2 times

TBH nobody thought about teams not trying in the rounds until 2 years ago when Leeds first won from 5th place then it suddenly became " we don't need to play properly till September". It won't be every season that such a result happens & it would be a foolish coach who allowed a mindset like that to develop among his players & a foolish club chairman who allowed it to happen on the terraces.

Many have said that Leeds bucked the trend by winning from 5th. Two years in a row means that I would say they might have set a new trend. Attendances may or may not have been affected by this but its not the only reason.

a) Friday night, Monday night games affect attendances
b) Fixtures being changes at short notice (applies to latter end of season) mean plans cannot be altered.
c) Short of spare cash due to the economic position doesnt help
d) Dare I suggest that the increase in use of smart phones and tablets, couple with the availability of dubious websites means people can watch from home without laying out the cost for SKY.
e) Maybe even expected success in the cup means people are (even at this early stage) planning for a family holiday down south in August.
f) and YES......the "it doesnt matter for 27 weeks" DOES affect it as well.

Attendance for last weeks Saints game was 13,381. So after 3 home games our attendances are down by 5.6%.

Is that a like for like comparison against the same teams or from the same number of opening fixtures?

Is that game for game i.e same opponent.
In Wigans case down by 9%
Saints down by 16%

Yes, the figures are like for like against last years opponents at the HJ.

Thanks for the Wigan / Saints figures B.

Given Saints abject form, Wires weakened squad, Friday night commitments, the weather and the apathy of the league format I actually thought Friday's attendance was quite reasonable.

Following this 5.6% fall in attendance I can now accurately predict that in 20 years time our average gate will be 5,000.

League Express articles, 2033;

" I may hang my boots up next year, but I will see how things go and talk with the coach before making any sudden decisions"
Adrian Morley

"After reviewing the budget, we can confidently say that the cladding will definitely be in place next year"
St Helens CEO

" Absolutely shocking. I can not understand why the RFL seem incapable of stamping out punching and fighting, it has no place in RL"
Gareth Hock, Coach Widnes Vikings


[iThe super rich NRL in Oz have started buying up UK SL clubs and are turning them into feeder clubs.[/i

" Yeah, they should be a really good asset for us. We will probably re-name them Headingly Stormlets"
Melbourne CEO

" This is not how partnering was supposed to have developed, it's degrading, and as chairman of 'Save the Rhino's' I am asking for everyones financial support to buy back this great club"
Gary Hetherington

" I really feel for Gary, it's a black day indeed. We will of course help as much as we can (muffled laughter)"
Hunslet Coach

Very good Chaz, although your crystal ball missed the obvious headline, "2033 THE year of the Wolfs"