Of course it was like a mad and semi-incoherent rant. That was sort of the point...

Your a changed man, Adey, I never realised the high esteem in which you held the RFL

Well you failed.

Must try harder!

Brother, verily have I trodden the Road to Damascus, and indeed have I undergone a most remarkable epiphany...

Aye, I realise I could never aspire to the greatness of some of the reactionary rants that grace the Wakey forum. I could only ever seek to provide a pale imitation. Your argument is irrefutable.

Oooh Adey, we used to be friends.
What happened??!!

Nothing! I merely humbly acknowledge that, as you rightly observe, I am a rank amateur when it comes to anti-RFL rantmanship (contrived or for real) compared with some of the real pros over your way! As we saw the other week!

Thats ok then.
Apology accepted!

Not always - only in the context of describing something that is, or pertains to, iron.

In this case, the irony wasn't entirely lost on me, but turning it into a lengthy pro-RFL rant, or an anti-anti-RFL rant, diluted the message.

Anyhow - those viewing figures are pretty impressive; well done to all the teams involved for providing an entertaining showcase for the new SL season.

When issuing [i'record breaking'[/i statements claiming that SL is more popular than ever, it often helps to back up such statements with a statistical analysis which compares like for like. Claiming that Round 1 average attendances in 2012 is a 12% increase on last season’s average attendance across Super League is not comparing like for like.

[uFACT[/u: The Round 1 average attendance in 2012 was surpassed in 7 out of the last 8 seasons where like for like comparisons can be made!

On the subject of Sky viewing figures, I'd be very interested in a comparative breakdown year by year as a whole, comparative Round 1 televised fixtures by Round 1 televised fixtures, etc, because once again, a statement claiming the Widnes V Wakefield fixture had viewing figures which were 75% up on the average weekly TV audience last season is not comparing like for like and is a spurious statement to make at best.

The sky is certainly dark over these parts, do you think we may also be touched by the RFL's golden wand, so that we may also see the way forward

...as was intended, to parody the way the real-life rantathons likewise do. If I'd have had time, I'd have rambled it on a lot longer still, so that even the most hardened readers would have given up even earlier. Like they do with some of the wilder real-life rantathons.

I'm assuming your "like for like" comparisons mean that all these 8 years of first round fixtures had the same horrendous weather conditions with decisions on whether the matches would even take place being made on the day in many instances?

Otherwise, they aren't really "like for like" at all, are they?

Have we had 14 teams in Superleague for the last 8 seasons? if not, how are they like for like comparisons?

My son, verily I will offer up a prayer to the Lord of our Land, who liveth in the great Hall of Red, to show mercy and compassion upon others of His wayward sons. But, even though His house has many rooms, it needs yet more. In my vision, which was given to me after communing at length with the great Lagavulin, I saw His new house as part of the gleaming New Jerodsalem that may one day, perchance, be built where currently all is cold and seemingly without hope. But, since He can be anywhere and everywhere, I feel sure nothing can be beyond His boundless power or undeserving of His mercy, and He would surely seek to treat all His sons equally.

But He strikes a hard bargain, and likes to keep accounts current. So you'll first have to sell Him the place where your soul resides - for all eternity - if you still have one to sell.




[i[size=85=#40BFFFTaxi booked...[/size[/i

The definition of what constitutes [i'horrendous weather conditions'[/i during the SL-era of summer rugby is an interesting one to say the least.

If you wish to dismiss the comparative Round 1 average attendance figures I produced earlier in this thread on the basis of [i'horrendous weather conditions'[/i, that's entirely up to you. What cannot be denied is that the 2012 figures are not record breaking attendance figures by any shape of anyone's fertile imagination.

On the issue of alleged [i'horrendous weather conditions'[/i, could this be the reason there was an alleged increase in the viewing figures for the opening SL fixture this year as the softcock variety of SL supporter preferred to wrap up indoors and watch on TV from the comfort of their armchairs instead? I say alleged because nobody has yet provided the viewing figures for the opening SL fixtures year on year and the weather conditions were hardly reminiscent of arctic conditions.

Thanks for helping to establish that the average Round 1 SL attendance in 2012 is actually the lowest average during the recent era of the 14 team competition.