Leeds did offer £3 off if you were a season ticket holder. I got mine and enjoyed the game.

Do the 6k gate at St Helens and the 4k gate at Wakefield put the 11k gate at Leeds into some perspective?

Maybe people just aren't willing to pay at the moment when they can watch on TV? Then of course there are those who given family / work commitments will not be able to make it.

Maybe 11k isn't that bad an attendance for a first round play off game?

The figures speak for themselves, the RFL either accept the numbers or they accept that their marketing and/or pricing policies are not working.

I suspect that they don't have the nounce to evaluate their position in a competitive entertainment market though, and nor do the supporters who think they have some sort of kudos for blindly handing over their money for whatever is on offer and wearing badges that state how they never leave before the end.

Businesses have names for blindly loyal customers and tend not to do much to retain them, its the more discriminatory ones that they have to work on.

I don't think the RFL see it like that though.

The gate figure was a true reflection of the importance of this game. This wasn’t a ‘must win’ game by any stretch of the imagination and by shoehorning an extra fixture into our playoff scenario the RFL have diluted the overall process.

This in turn dilutes the overall interest in this game.

This is the problem with a dictatorial administration, there’s no-one to tell them that it’s a crap idea in the first place.

Playoff gates are always low. The RFL need to think about re-pricing.

The playoff games are, obviously, all pay and do not come with your season ticket. They come at the end fo the summer holiday period and when kids are back to school. They come a few weeks after many fans will have paid to attend the Challenge Cup Final. They come along a few weeks before fans will have to shell out for a Grand Final.

These factors remain every year.

This year you can add in the looming expense of a four nations tournament and the poor economic climate which has seen virtually all clubs suffer a decline in attendances.

I was going to start a thread with observations on the new format so far but as you've brought it up you're right.

The games between the top four were a complete bust. HKR especially (and probably the giants) were saving themselves for next week. There was not sufficient incentive for them to win.

Under the old format there was only 1 game where both teams had a 2nd bite of the cherry and the incentive to win that was a berth in the GF. Under this format there were four teams playing each other with nothing at stake. Poor.

So far new format = epic fail.

Precisely.

Agree 100%. I think the RFL need a re think on the format. I think most supporters were saving them selves for the sudden death game before the GF. Add to that is was also on sky.. it reminded me of an early Challenge cup round.

Bang on that G.

While we are certainly stuck with this format for this year i have found it amusing that during post match interviews etc players and SKyTv team are confused as to who plays who in the next round.Reflecting on that makes me wonder how people will respond at the turnstiles next week.

Sums it up in my opinion.

Games are only interesting to fans when there is something riding on them (although how that explains the p*ss poor turnout at Belle Vue god knows). The winner getting a week off in the playoffs isn't sufficient to motivate a fan out of their armchair to relieve their wallet of £20 plus.

All the RFL have done is add another two meaningless games into the schedule, and then they will be wondering why top players look knackered come the Four Nations.

Fair points, although perhaps the accountants of the respective clubs might not regard the extra games as meaningless.

You raise a bloody good point there mate.

A lot of the Saints lads look exhausted, and as good as it is for Leeds (which is all I care about) it's bad for England who are likely to get thumped again this winter.

Completely agree AG.
I also think it should revert back to a top 6 with only the top 2 getting a 2nd chance,the club call bollox ditched and the magic weekend concept ditched.

Great point there Andy. Agree 100%. A set of bloody amateurs the RFL

Although it pains me to say it I think you're right. I paid good money and turned up at Headingly only to see a very weakened team playing, had this game been a do or die game I can bet we'd have played nearly all our 1st string.

Think we tried really hard in the 1st half but once Leeds went over two scores up I got the feeling we switched off and went into next week mode. Can't blame Morgan for it as even at full strength we'd have still more than likely got beat by a very good leeds side and knowing that we would have only had to play them again to get to the final. I don;t think even the most optimistic KR fan would think we'd beat you lot twice back to back.

As for the confusion, I was over the moon that cats beat wakey thinking that with all the travel cats would be shot coming to ours on Saturday only to find out we play Wigan, seems an overly confusing format.

I knew we'd never hear the last of the "weakened team" excuses. You were crap...get over it.

I hope the RFL take notice of all the small attendances and realise that fans are voting with their feet as to what they think of the new play-off system.

Was talking this through this morning.

Imagine your average working couple, no kids who support RL.

If they went to Wembley at the end of August with hotels, travel and tickets it will likely have cost a conservative £250

If they attend two home games in the playoffs at Headingley in the seats at £25 each there's another £100

If they go to the Grand Final they will likely have to spend another £150, conservatively, if they go for the day.

Then come the four nations. They buy two tickets each for four games at £20 each, £160

Then guess what, its' season ticket renewal time at the end of November. Two season tickets at £250 each, £500

So, in the space of three months this couple will have been asked to shell out, conservatively, £1160 to follow Rugby League.

Now factor in some kids.

Wow.

And that G is the rub. Plus all the little things that the kiddies want ie shirts, programs, food and drink you make a very real and salient point.

Good point G


To everyone here, how much do you realisticly think you have spent on supporting Leeds and RL this year?

So you now realise it is an exspensive hobby, does that mean you still also find it "criminal" to miss a game, like you said in the attendances thread?

£20.

I suppose I could claim my travel and hotel expenses, but I was coming to Leeds anyway, so just £20 for 2 tickets, plus the cost of a couple of pints. Maybe £26 would be realistic.

In previous seasons which might have included every home and away Leeds game (including Perpignan), Millennium Magic, a Cup Final, a Grand Final and a Test Match or two, a lot more than that. Obviously.

please read in what context that was regarding and come back to me

not a bad season for you then