NRL teams can spend a total of £3.1m on their side compared with our £1.8m. That's before we get onto the fact they have the draw of living in Australia and playing in the NRL going for them. Not to mention the massive pool of young rugby league players in Australia compared with the UK due to the size of the population and relative popularity of the sport. We shouldn't be able to touch any NRL side, as they can simply sign players we wouldn't have a hope of attracting. I absolutely see it as against the odds if we win

Haha you're dressing this up nicely to look like a miraculous victory should you win.

The fact remains Wigan are favourites to win.

I'd take 2 points at HKR the week after personally.

The RFL and NRL had a chance to make this a tournament style event but with the way they've formatted it we're basically left with two friendlies and a main event.

I'm looking forward to it though. A few beers in town pre match followed by a game that's a bit different to the norm. I'd like to see us win but I don't feel it's hugely important.

It's great for the fans. They get to watch a team they never really get to see live and few beers etc but as I've said earlier in the thread I bet wane and tony smith don't really want it. It has potential to disrupt a season when every game matters for a nothing game.

If I was a Wigan fan I personally wouldn't want the game.

15,000 sold so far

From email

I want the game but simply for the fact that without it we'd have a free weekend (and I've had enough weekend doing the tesco north west tour with the missus). It's good for the side as well I feel as it could give them great confidence if they can come away with the win.

Overall I'm just a bit frustrated that they didn't make a little completion of this. I think there would have been huge interest if they'd have made it a knock out comp.

Oh eck, you just sound spitefull now. If that is what the game means to grimmy, who are you to argue?
Hopefully we'll get a great game and you will join in the applause, especially if against the odds, with a largely homegrown side, Wigan win.

I'm not arguing, nor am I spiteful. I'm simply pointing out that a Wigan win wouldn't be as remarkable as he, and now you, seem to be making out.

You're either being deliberately obtuse or you genuinely don't understand the phrase "against the odds."

I agree. They've done the right thing in expanding the idea but the half-hearted way they have gone about it is frustrating. They have missed a trick in my opinion.

Just had an email stating that tickets have gone past the 15k mark. Not a bad effort. Would be nice to see a 20k crowd but considering the game effectively means nothing I can see why some people aren't going. If it wasn't for the groupon offer I probably wouldn't be going if truth be told.

I know quite a few people have picked tickets up in the last few days because of that offer as well. Tickets going for £10 or under is better than empty seats so fair play to them for shifting them any way they can.

You can see on groupon that around 700 have been shifted (vouchers that is) which means a minimum of 1400 seats have been sold via the offer and a maximum of 2800 (based on everyone buying the 4 tickets for £35 voucher) which is a tidy amount and will increase before the game I'd have thought.

I'd guess there will be around 18,000 which will be a solid effort.

Comical if our 'friendly' pulls in more than the main event.

Not really seeing as there are roughly 7000 extra seats at the DW. I'm sure if Langtree Park had an extra 7000 seats then they would have sold out.
Nice try though.