I'll have to disagree with you there.

I know 2 key workers who didn't go last season but were regulars the season before taking advantage of this offer.
The performance on the field will dictate how many of these people will come back either way you can't knock the club for trying to attract a bigger crowd and increase revenue streams.

I also don't feel it devalues the membership.
I'm happy to have my pass and support the club in their attempt to increase the fan base through what has been unprecedented times.

Whilst us die hards are happy to do so, I feel it stops alot making the step up.

The club can only do so much, right now people are distracted by the Olympics, skint from the Euros nights out, there's Hundred Cricket on, Football friendlies starting, nightclubs and gigs are back...lots of competition for places to go and things to watch on TV.

RL is hardly hot properly right now, we have the ongoing World Cup debacle, games are being played on different nights of the week, we seem to be the only sport cancelling games due to Covid, the standard of play in SL is getting worse and even as a diehard fan I'm rapidly losing interest in the sport.

Crossing my fingers we pull a big performance out the bag and that boosts the gate for the games that are left.

Some dreadful excuses there

Distracted by the olympics I'd say the opposite it's hard to truly follow it when half the stuff is during the night majority of the country won't watch highlights the next day and of course Alot of big athletes have pulled out so this will be the least valued Olympics in this country for a long time

As is friendlys how many people go to a city friendly? Hardly any

Cricket....

Positive news and media exposure if re-signing Connor would certainly encourage a few people to come, especially after last weeks performance and those that where 50/50 about coming.

You only have to look at the hype the Kelly resigning had at the game a few years ago.

Hopefully they will do something similar pre match tonight.

With the number of cases there are around now and indeed the number of people some of us know who have got it at present, I expect the main resistance is from folks who are still a bit scared to go anywhere where they are sat so close, so long, to people who are shouting and not wearing masks. The mental health aspects of this pandemic business are often under rated by those it doesn't effect and cases such as that of Piers Morgan don't help that general situation. I have been in touch with several staunch fans who are in that boat and It's going to take time for people to get back into it and get their confidence backs I believe myself that gates across sport in general will suffer for some time yet I'm sure. For many of those the fact it is on Sky has maybe made their minds up for them too. I offer that observation not as a dreadful excuse just as a fact.

after listening to AP on the zoom call last week a big crowd for this game and Saints is essential, out of interest what does the club receive for a televised game from Sky?

Truthfully if I didn't have a pass I'd probably not bother tonight, I'm struggling to get enthusiastic about it as it is.
All the cancellations have killed any momentum we had with getting people back into the game. I've barely paid any attention to the results over the last few weeks with us not playing. I suspect I won't be the only one.

I'm in the same boat. I didn't watch Wigan-Wire last night, when on other years I would watch 'big' games on SKY if Hull weren't playing.

The table is too lopsided, we are above Wigan but in fairness to them they've played 4 more games and won 3 more. I know there isn't an easy answer for cancelled games and how to assign points but I struggle to understand why RL has so many absentees for 'covid contacts' compared to other sports including RU which also of course features contact in the sport.

Covid has created a lot of unexpected problems of course, but even without it it is almost certain the reduced SKY deal was coming, Toronto were still likely to fold as the long term plan just wasnt there etc. SL has limped along for at least a decade now.

Only thing Hull can control is the home form, as we know it hasn't been good enough for 5 years, I've seen green shoots of improvement under Hodgson but it needs to turn into consistent performances at home.

I think its the recent home form that does it. On paper tonight should be an excellent game but I can't help but feel like I am just as likely to see us plod along or get battered for 80 mins as I am to see an entertaining 80 mins, especially as we've made efforts to boost the crowd. The team usually rewards this endeavour by turning in a dire display.
That may be unfair but I find that trepidation rather than excitement is the mentality that has crept in over the last few years.
Anyway...enough gloom. Hopefully it'll be a good return.

I don’t have a pass and aren’t bothering for much the same reason. Only habitually checking on here and Twitter has kept me aware of RL at all. Work with a few Wigan fans who’ve completely lost touch with it all as well. Tough times ahead for the sport IMO.

Whilst I understand all the reasons for our fine supporters not attending matches, especially those who at present don’t feel safe, or comfortable enough due to the risk of infection.

But if you can attend, our club and AP needs its supporters more than at any other time,

If the Olympics was live then you might have a point that some people would be distracted by it but the fact most stuff has already happened during the night
Most people won't watch it as much as normal

You will probably be right about the crowd which does surprise me as you can't get a much better offer than £5

A Supporter= someone who backs his or her team through thick and thin no matter what. All the people crying off tonight will be crying even more if the team goes belly up. I would be there like a hot if i didn't live in another country.