6,790 attendance

[x Wigan Warrior x]

NRL Play-off's last two wkends (5 matches) Crowds were 14,800 at Melbourne, 45,000 at Wests Tigers, 49,000 at Brisbane, and 31,000 at Manly & 29,000 (Capacity) at Melbourne again.

Season Tickets not valid there either, all live TV, Away support minimal due to the distances people have to travel, up against RU World Cup at same times, plus we have the farewell's of some of our favourite players & coach and we get the lowest attendance in the play-off's.

Something not right here - don't know what others think.
Just a case of not being bothered ?

Bet all of a sudden we get to the GF and suddenly 30,000 will be after tickets?

so does that mean i cant go to the GF now that i didnt go to that game ? After paying over £400 on season tickets for the past 10 years or more ? .... BOLLOX !

[Sutty]

I didn't go to Wembley, nor will I be going to any of the playoffs. I do have a season ticket though, and have had for years.

We've obviously not all got as much money as yourself, to be able to go to every game. I enjoy the rugby, and I'm passionate about the club. But, family commitments and other interests prevent me from going to any away games / most playoff matches etc. I realised quite a few years ago that there is much more to life that Wigan RLFC.
That doesn't make me any less of a supporter. How much would it cost to go to Wembley, go to 3 playoff games and then the Grand Final? £300, £400? I've no idea, but it's certainly money that I've not got spare after other hobbies and family things are paid for.

This thread is as bad as the "people who leave the games early" type threads. Yes, the attendance was poor, but it's been poor for every team in every match of the playoffs. The blame for that doesn't lie with the fans, it lies with the RFL for persisting with and further diluting the whole concept of playoff rugby.

My own personal opinion is that the CC should be moved back to May, to give a big enough break to the players and the fans between the CC final and the end of the season, in order for the players to recover mentally and the fans to recover financially. The team that finishes top of the league should be crowned champions and the playoffs and Grand Final should be more like the old Premiership matches used to be.

Alas, whilst the fat cats at the RFL are lining their pockets and Sky are so influential over the league and the playoff concept, nothing's going to change.

[First Try Tickle]

Think the biggest issue is that whilst you can't make people turn up, its not the RFL's fault. This is working in Australia so why shouldn't it work over here.

People are going mad saying how can they afford it, but a family ticket yesterday was £38, this is alot less than an away league match and a hell of a lot less than if you were to watch any other sport.

I went yesterday as there was no way i was sitting in front of the TV when MY team was playing down the road and after last week needed my support.

Its embarrasing to be crowned the best fans in the country and then less than 7000 turn up for what could have been the last match of the season and the last time to support Madge.

So stop moaning and get your arse down to the ticket office and support this team thats done us so proud.

[markill]

The bottom line is if the RFL and Sky want the playoffs to be bigger better, more competitive and better supported then they need to make sure they have teams in a position where they can be competitive and make prices affordable for more people to go.

The first thing they should do is have less teams and less games in super league over the whole year. This will mean players will be less likely to be so tired as Catalans were yesterday or so out of their depth in the playoffs as the Hull teams appeared.

It will also mean less games so in a two month period we as fans of a top team wouldn't be expected to fork out for a cup semi-final, a final, a league leadership deciding game, two home play-off games and potentially one away one and a GF after following our team home and away all year and the cost that involves.

Maybe we'd be more inclined to pay £20 for a play off game if it was two teams at top intensity with glory on the line if we hadn't been also expected to pay to go to murrayfield or had 13 away games in the league to maybe go to.

Personally i'm a fan of the play off and GF concept, but if anyone can get something wrong its the RFL.

[Sutty]

So stop moaning and get your arse down to the ticket office and support this team thats done us so proud.

The next match that I go to will be the Grand Final (if we get there).

It's working in the NRL because the sheer size of the sport and the administration in charge of the game aren't a total dead loss. Their competition is much more evenly balanced than ours. Pundits saying SL is brilliant now because anyone can beat anyone. That's only the case when one of the top teams have a proper shocker of a game, not because the level of skill of the lower team suddenly increases to a standard that can beat a top team.

[BriH]

The fact that Wigan were the best supported team in the regular season says it all.

The RFL need to get their heads out of the sand.

I was astounded to here that the revenue from the Play Offs went to the RFL. I thought it was only the CC.

The fans are faced with divided loyalties: support your team or pay hard earned money into the RFL coffers so that they can have a good living for doing nowt.

I have thought for a long time now that the RFL are choking our beloved game to death with red tape and bureaucracy.

Maybe some of you can remember when Uncle Mo and his hit squad cleared out all the dead wood out of the RFL.

Maurice, we need your help again!!

[Mike]

How come people are syaing it was overpriced on Sunday? It cost the same as a regular match didn't it?

[stevethegas]

As one of those who did make it to the match I too was very disappointed by the empty spaces all around.
It is worth pointing out that 24 hours before, a period which does not allow for major changes in the local or national economy, 18000+ turned up from the same town to the same stadium to watch another game.
It is difficult to believe that this is because of the product on the park - especially as the Latics lost. So I can only put it down to hype and the massive publicity machine that soccer has developed.

But if, as we believe, we watch the greatest game of all, and there were several goodbyes to be said, and Madge's last home fixture, then shame on those of you who couldn't be bothered to turn up. Our great club deserves better.

[Kittwazzer]

This is like a Latics thread!

[southernpie]

Due to other commitments, I can only get to a limited number of games per season, which is why it is not viable for me to get a season ticket. In fact I have been to more away than home games this year. At the beginning of the year I note certain dates to ensure I am free, I always go to OT and sometimes Wembley, this year I made sure both dates were available as well as the WCC and Good Friday, I then get last minute tickets as and when I can. My plan was to definitely go to the first play off game and OT and if I could the playoff semi especially as the last home game. Unfortunately by getting beat by Stains we had an extra date to play at home and this week is now away. Unfortunately I won't be able to go anyway and even if I could, it seems there won't be enough tickets available. (I thank stevethegas for enabling me to go to the Warrington game at HJ at last minute).
What some people on here need to recognise is that not everyone can go every week and when extra games are thrown in it can be very difficult.
So I take great umbrage at people who accuse me of not being bothered. I attend whenever I can and don't when it's not possible and it is no-one else's business if I can't make it, and it doesn't make me any less of a fan.