Confident that Willie can see the areas we need to strengthen. Got to think top of his list will be trying to get Rocky signed up, trying to replace Arundel and trying to get another prop.

Well, go on the I'll call you on that.

Name an available player that is within our much-reduced budget that would sell season tickets.

I'll go further, I can't name a player who we couldn't afford who'd do that. There are no Martin Offiah type players out there at the moment who have that star quality bums on seats reputation.

The only way I can see that working is if we signed a raft of top players, but we've already done that with Hood, Lineham and Gaskill who are not exactly unknown but that doesn't seem to have registered.

If those three have not got people reasonably excited then I'm not sure who will, again I'm referring to realistic targets.

I'd go prop first, then Hampshire then Arundel, I base the last on Bill making a full recovery.

I also have a feeling that WP may have the ear of a few more payers than perhaps CC did. I don't base that on any knowledge just that he's been around a bit more, most notably at Leeds and Warrington and of course with his down under connections if he still has some.

How many season tickets have we so far sold ?

Don't know, my guess would be very similar to the last non-covid pre-season, and I'm almost certain it's not as many as we really need.

I will actually ask for you but I can't guarantee an answer, I hope you do actually realise my alleged best mate status with MC and JM is a joke, I've met them once, about a year ago. Seemed like nice guys.

Have you bought one yet?

No but it is a pertinent question because for example if we have only sold about 400 then a signing would assist the numbers but if we have sold a 1000 then it is not so urgent don’t you think.

No.

If we can get the squad we have playing to their potential as they did when poaching took over albeit a blip or two , we already have a competitive squad . No big incoming on the horizon to drag newbies or stay always in , but I’m more than happy with what we have and not be the leagues rubbing rags. Obviously if injuries bite I’d like to think a few smart loan deals will shore up the ranks .

I guess no late signing, regardless of their star quality, will make you buy a season ticket?

I bought mine, as I do every season, as soon as they came on sale so signings never come into my equation.

I reckon between us we cover 99.9% of people out there.

Actually signings would not make me buy a season ticket because I had one for many years regardless of if the team was good or bad. The problem is more to do with the game itself plus I guess like many it is no longer the centre of my existence.
I am still in the consideration stage because I usually miss more games than I can attend but we will see.

As Vasty says there is no player with our budget who is available who has a 'must purchase a season ticket' aura about them, I don't think there are that many in the game. I guess keeping Tanginoa, Johnstone and at Fifita could've held some sway. Regardless there will be no one waiting for a player to convince them to but a ST. They either will or they will not based on their own circumstances.

Correct.

There are only three ways to increase season tickets imho. So here they are in order of effectiveness.

1: Start winning things on a consistent basis or at the very least compete.

2: Make BV an acceptable venue to a wider spectrum of people.

3: Heavily incentivise season tickets, but not discount!! . How you do this without devaluing the product and losing money I’m not sure. However if you get 1 & 2 sorted there may be some limited scope.

If we did all the above we might increase sales to around the 3000 adults mark, which imho would be pretty good. Sales like that give us approx 750k, you can do some damage with that even if it doesn’t put us in the same bracket as Leeds.

No player I can think of would get anywhere near that.

For us to realistically compete we need an average of 4-5,000 trinity fans per match. SO by my reckoning with 3k season ticket holders and anything between 1-2k casuals per match depending on the opposition and an average 1k away fans a game excluding the two derbies that would give and average gate of 5-6k, Dream time for MC.

The two derbies could pull near the 8-9k mark depending on the state of play in the league, those two games are your profit makers.

All the above of course is just theory.

Maybe not commit £275 at once, but for me the Commit 6 is a great way to buy a season ticket.
£26 month isn't a huge amount and the club get money every month from it.
I get my season ticket this way and maybe the club could push it more for when it starts again in January.