Agree they probably won't, but if 70k just on the marketing element for one game excluding the general management and running of the club that has to be covered anyway. Assume the hire of the venue is an extra cost. So quite a bit spent over a few weeks to market one game. If Wigan continue to be a dominant force and continue with this and the capital challenge against skolars they will probably reap the rewards corporately which longer term might out weigh their costs. I hope it goes well for them but I have yet to be convinced that Wigans commercial acumen will necessarily provide any direct benefits to London RL, either Skolars or Broncos.

I didn't ask about LB's previous expenditure, as nothing directly on topic (there's a surprise) as not relevant to this aspect but if Hughes was spending 40k a week just to make the bills meet on running a club like hiring a venue, funding training facilities, first team squad, travel, accommodation for away games and homes for players, academy structures, support staff and even the lack of marketing commonly identified after all the Sky money received. We're talking about what on top of this weekly figure to provide the right level of marketing for a year. Another 10k a week perhaps, or say £500k extra a year on marketing, though that sounds far too small an amount to make the sea change difference for Broncos require to make an immediate impact from where they are now?

Good to meet up with you again Paddock . Glad to see you still hold Union in such high regard lol .

Might catch you at the England oops. (sorry) New Zealand match in November lol .

Regards , EW

Actually it is possibly disastrous. Not for Wigan, this match was never about bums on seats for them. This was about corporate schmoozing and we have no idea how that worked. However if a known name like Wigan, with decent press, PR and marketing struggle to get southerners through the door what exactly is the message to anyone interested in "investing" in southern RL?

There was a serious attempt to put a consortium together to take on Broncos within the past 18 months or so. It didn't get off the ground, there was no formal bid. If Wigan decide not to return that will send a huge message out to anyone approached now. I have no idea whether the main man behind the consortium is even interested now but with London out of Superleague, gates down to 250 -350 and the clock ticking on David reducing his financial input it's fast approaching now or never.

I know a bloke who works for Millwall and will be able to put in a more accurate guesstimate of the crowd than most of us. I have some photos of the crowd on my phone. I should see him next weekend. If he reckons it looks like an 8k crowd I'll post that as it's only fair on Wigan.

Good to see you all as well.

I enjoyed my day out. Travel was easy enough by train from Kent. Bumped into some other Bronco followers, they said they didn't go to Broncos matches often if at all nowadays. The ground was good, game was entertaining up to the last 20. Even had a bite to eat in Peckham Rye on the way home. I'd go again if the Den was used for SL.