If the highest level of RL cannot compete with Union at international level, what chance has a meaningless lower league RL x9's competition got with competing, or getting anywhere near as sucsessful as a RU x9's tournament?

There can be no comparison.

Most lower league clubs take few, if any, fans away from home and many don't even get that that many at home either.

So the idea they'll turn up in their thousands to a two day meaningless x9's tournament, and all the traveling and expense that would incur, is deluded.

Blackpool Panthers probably average around 350/400. I would expect those to go to the first day of the x9's, when their team will be involved, with maybe a further 800 - 1000 fans from other clubs involved. Probably 300-500 of those may attend the final in Blackpool.

I'm being optimistic here too.

Therefore another venue should have been chosen for the Final and 9's comp

I suppose that's a slightly diffeent debate, but bearing in mind that this game has sold out only once, and had Widnes not got there this year it wouldn;t have been a problm, then it is a big move.

The game is staged in Blackpool to give it a unique factor, rather than just being played at somewhere like the Halliwell Jones or Headingley.

I think even if one of the following Barrow Halifax Haven Leigh had made it to the final they would have still been in a similar situation due to the 9's

Its amazing how many fans come out of the woodwork for a chance of some glory

It is, but I'm not convinced that those clubs would have sold 4k as quickly as you did. They may well sell their full allocation, but only by the time of the game.

Widnes' support is at a much better level than all of those you mention.

It has been big clubs in previous years and not sold out.

Time for a Widnes and Wire group hug

Aye good luck to them in the Challenge Cup

That’s the capacity yes. The Castleford v Hull KR final (2005) has the record attendance of 9,400. Not quite full, but near as damn it. The East stand is included in that figure, it holds 1,700 and will be open on the day. Widnes have been allotted some sections of it. The rest may be earmarked for the x9's tickets.


Barrow has been given 3,500 max by the RFL, Widnes 3,700 max. That’s 7,200 from both. This leaves. 2,400 tickets left, and that’s only if Barrow sell their entire quota. 1000 tickets would be an over generous figure for Sponsors freebies and neutral fans (including the 9’s tickets) imo. That leaves at least 1,400 empty spaces on the day and I’ll tell you where they’ll most likely be.


There are a small square section of seats above the tunnel on the halfway line. (Grey area on seat plan marked section ‘M’) This is where the Northern Rail put their freebie clients, competition winners and RFL officials etc. I don’t think I’ve seen this full yet. There are slightly larger blocks either side of this that actually drop down to the touch line either side of the tunnel. (Pink sections L & N) This tends to be where they put the majority of the neutrals and this is where most of the x9’s tickets will go. (some neutrals seem to like to get in amongst the partisan fans. I saw around a dozen or so in Leigh and Wigan tops in the Widnes sections near me in 2007). This is also usually sply populated, and is probably the reason the Cas HKR game was 200 shy of being actually full. These and areas of the open East Stand will probably look emptiest.

If Barrow sells their allotted quota the rest should be full.

rlhttps://www.superleague.co.uk/tickets_event.php?id


Barrow is allotted
Most of these clubs don’t even take a coach load to league games away from home never mind a meaningless pre match warm up for the NRC. If you get half that number I’ll be amazed. I think 200-300 would be a more realistic guess.

Quote: Dave T "Again, these are all estimates, but it sort of confirms to me that the RFL have to be careful here, and can;t just give you another 500 or so, as they could end up in trouble if the 9's sales go as expected '"

If you read what I have written above, they could give us another 1,000 and still have room for more.

Go and wash your mouth out.