OK we can use the word "offering" instead of product/service.

agree with all of that..but the real reason why not many people go to the hj for thursday night games is that they are all in the pubs or in the golden square or uci..

What kind of Wire supporter would plan to go to any of these, bar the pub to watch it, on game day?! Disgraceful

And how many games this season have been played on our traditional sunday. I think its just 4. If we play anyone outside the bottom 4 its on sky. Packing it in next year after over 40 years of buying a season ticket.

There were 5 Sunday games this year. I normally buy 3 season tickets, but next year I am only buying 1 as my family only made 6 games this year due to the rest being night matches.

This is very true. Last week I was waiting for a bloke that I go to a few matches with at a pub near to the Pie Dome - as usual he was late. So I texted him, bought him a pint, and sat down at a table to wait. A few minutes later another guy sits down at my table and starts to talk to me. Since he was wearing a Wigan shirt and my brain was in top gear I said to him " so you are off to the match then ?" "Oh no, he said I am just waiting for my mum and brother and we will watch it in here. In fact you are sitting at the table we normally use". I was amazed - why would you come within half a mile of the ground and then watch it on the box. And I think the Pie Dome is a great stadium, you get superb views no matter where you are. Anyway, it made zero sense to me, but obviously if you have limited cash and like your beer it makes perfectly good sense because he then went on to tell me that the three of them always watched the match in the pub whenever they could.

I've done a bit of (unrelated) research over the last year or so and it interested me how many games used to be played midweek. Also, Sunday games haven't been about all that long. I think the first was in the seventies? That heralded people saying spectators would go to hell.

If one of the reasons is "meaningless" games during the regular season, we'll see great attendances this weekend....yeah?

Crowds were always small in the seventies. There was a fair few games in the week and the number of cup competitions was a factor as was winter weather, often causing teams to play twice a week regularly as fixtures piled up.

I know quite a few that would say "I'm trying to save a bit of money so I'm watching it in the pub", then see the same people in the pub after the game, p****d up and probably £30 poorer

Could it be that the game has become formulated and coached to the nth degree ? The constant kicking for *field position* the wrestling tactics ? Skills players learned as kids being coached out of them ? The game used to be all about kidology now it's all brute force and ignorance...I've not been to a single game this season, It's just boring. This is from an old fart who has watched the Wire since 1953 at every single ground in Rugby League...I follow the game on Sky but very rarely all the game, I switch over to something more interesting such as Changing Rooms...I couldn't be bothered if I never see a game again unless we return to the old values of the sport

Changing Rooms is bobbins. Bargain Hunt, now that's quality broadcasting. Tim Wonnacott is free to pop round to chez Morrissey to have a cup of tea, fruit scone and a listen to "Hatful of Hollow" any time.

As for the game, yes it's become a bit sterile, but I tune in to MOTD every week and stare at the self-proclaimed bastion of elite-sport that is the Premiership, and I never, [iever[/i consistently see drama, herculian effort and skill like you expect to see in Super League every week.

It's no surprise seeing Ganson's Optician as the cheerleader for the sport on here, because he's a younger (I think) Warringtonian version of Rogue's Gallery - just an absolutely fanatical rugby league fan. Fair enough, there's nothing wrong with that, but it can be a bit of a blinding viewpoint because quite simply the vast majorty of people - even those who regularly attend matches - will not feel the same.

First of all, everywhere is NOT full on a Thursday night even in Manchester, Liverpool and the Trafford Centre (except in the build up to Christmas), nevermind in Warrington, so I've got no idea where that came from!

Secondly, you can't compare a Warrington match with a Liverpool match as has been attempted here. Yes, Liverpool played on Tuesday and yes a ground three times the size of the HJ was full. As an aside, tickets were priced from £46-59 (mine was £4icon_cool.gif and the opposition was a team no one had heard of until last month. However, if Anfield was bigger then there would have been thousands more there. Put Warrington in a similar situation with the same prices charged and Ganson's Optician would be the only person there! Big football clubs have a lot more fans than any RL club. Deal with it.

Thirdly, yes RL is good value compared to other sports, but that RWC Final at Twickenham will sell out at £150+ a ticket, and there will be thousands more who would go if they could get one but won't be able to. If the RLWC charged that for the final it wouldn't sell out Cantilever Park, nevermind a ground the size of Twickenham. Like it or not, the RWC is a far bigger event and is watched accordingly. Again, deal with it.

The concerns raised here by a few people who don't just think "It's worth it because we all know rugby league is the greatest game of all even if 99.9% of the world's population disagree" are valid concerns. RL is a small parochial sport primarily played (in this country) in largely working class towns. Clubs do not have a infinite fanbase, and if people feel £20 is a lot to get in and don't go every week then it is an issue that needs to be listened to. If people don't like too many games being played outside of the commonly recognised Sunday 3pm slot then that is an issue that needs to be listened to. If people think the product of Super League has gone downhill with less star players and truly great teams recently, then that is also a valid issue that will stop people coming. I acknowledge that isn't easily remedied without money though, and lower attendances are not going to improve that situation so it could be a vicious circle unfortunately.

The play offs are a constant issue (admittedly one which is being addressed from next year) firstly because season tickets aren't included, and because up to four extra games then come thick and fast. Let's say you are a parent who takes two kids to the game. To get into the South Stand on Saturday will cost you £29.50 with advance purchased tickets. If we go all the way to Old Trafford we will have two away games over the following fortnight at perhaps similar cost (plus travel) and then the final which might cost you around £30 each. To take your kids to those four games will cost you roughly £180 in tickets alone, plus any other expenses you may occur such as travel and food/drink.

Yes, that is good value compared to football and rugby union, but it is still a lot of money for someone to find if they're not on high wages.

If people start to think season tickets aren't worth buying because they won't be able to attend all games (I have been in this position personally for years now) then it exarcebates the problem and encourages people who pick and choose when they go. You can't just ignore these issues because other sports are more popular or you (wrongly) think the cinema is full that night.

Pretty much spot on DM.

Another point, if you miss 2 or more games over the season the saving you make by buying a season ticket is gone anyway, and it's not like the games are selling out every week.