The town hasn't changed much since then though

I really don't get it. We had the first game of the season back in 2007 (I think) down in London and took around 5K. Now weve got a semi final 3 mile down the road and we may not even reach that figure. Doesn't make sense...

Course they do but they shouldn't come up with tedious excuses for not attending such as cost or opponent. The cost is more than reasonable for a major semi final and the opponent should be irrelevant in a semi final.

We've had many a chat on this but if Joe Bloggs knew he couldn't go to Wembley unless he'd been to Leigh then I'd wager he would go to Leigh.

But that isn't the case is it?
Name me 1 final where someone couldn't get a ticket?

Unless we now have to bribe people to go to games for fear of missing out on a ticket for a game that 9/10 doesn't sell out?

There hasn't been one which is why we don't have such a system. That is imo though one of the reasons why we have big games played infront of 3 men and a dog.

Sorry but that is complete horse$hit. Plenty of people are on tight budgets and im guessing 99.9% of people who need to budget what they spend would rather go to a final than a semi-final. I myself am not going to the semi as its on tv and I am possibly going to go to the final so I am saving my cash for that.

To berate people for not attending a game because of the cost is a touch unfair

I didn't mean it in that sense. I meant it towards comments such as "£18 to stand up is a rip off etc etc" when £18 for a supposed major cup semi final whether stood up, sat down or being shot at is incredibly good value.

It's got nothing to do with it (ill stick on IMO on the end even though it doesn't need it)

We're playing in front of 3 men and a dog for dozens of reasons some dating back almost 20 years.

Fair enough

I guess a lot on here who are saying that £18 for a semi isn't much are singletons or just pay for one person when attending. However for a family paying for 4 tickets, travel and ancillaries it is a major expense and I can well understand them, having shelled out for season tickets, deciding to watch on tv and save for a very expensive special day out at the final.

If you look at it that way I agree, but at the end of the day it's £18 to watch Wigan v London, which almost certainly won't be a competitive game, considering that same £18 could get you in to a league game against Saints, Warrington, Leeds etc, I do think it's comparatively low value. Perhaps the way to go is to make a semi ticket half price when purchased with a Wembley ticket, with the Wembley sale only to be made if your team wins, but it guarantees you the seat you wanted, thus beating the rush after the game when everyone knows who is playing.

At the end of the day the quality of British RL has steadily decreased each year and the ticket prices have steadily increased. I know plenty of us will always watch them as long as we can afford it, but it's no great surprise that games like this are getting fewer and fewer fans.

The Challenge Cup competition has needed modernising for decades. The current format (for SL clubs) hasn't changed in a very long while.
We have all mentioned better than we have now but the RFL are really stuck. The BBC have broadcasting rights and they pay a lot of money. They therefore say when the ties are played and at what time. Trouble is they are still running the C Cup in the old Grandstand and Sunday Grandstand slots where those shows ended years ago.
The RFL need to sit down with the Beeb and negotiate a new deal with a new schedule based on todays needs of Rugby League and the need of the BBC to retain large sporting events, of which very few remain.
I'm sure a deal can be done to the benefit of both parties as a new shaped competition is as important to Rugby League as a re-structure of SL.

What would you change, out of interest?