We used to struggle to try find a second competitive semi final, now we've got at least 3 competitive quarter finals, little steps.

Every result has been highly predictable, but we still sold thousands and thousands of tickets.

The international game is the product lads, the domestic product doesn't even compare!

Will people pay up again to see such a poor product though? None of the games have impressed, its a good job we wont host again for a decade or so and memories will fade

No need to be rude!

90+ point scorelines just make the sports headlines look a joke, they may as well have just shared videos of England, Australia, NZ and Tonga training sessions

Hull FC have been awful for the past couple of years under hodgson / Radford, Warrington awful this year under Powell, Wakey awful.... indefinitely but fans still show up each week and will renew season passes for next year. I think people who go see the games in non heartland areas like Middlesborough today might have been impressed with the skill on show from the dominant side rather than worrying too much about it being a close game.

I do worry the marketing departments just presumed that because we, the core fans know rugby league is good, therefore new fans will turn up en masse because it's a world cup, marketing needed to be a lot better, today for example, emailing about buying tickets at 13:21 for a 14:30 kickoff in Middlesborough is unacceptable, no mention of the captain cook link either, again something they could have played on. They've had an extra year to get the marketing spot on, and sadly I don't think it's been good enough.

Yes lots of basic mistakes being made. The TV adverts werent direct enough either in my opinion, show some big hits, and a try or two then flash the date, time and location of the game up. Casual viewers dont sit wondering what 'this is real impact' is on about.

I remember one advert on Facebook advertising a game at the "eco power stadium" didn't even say where the eco power stadium was.

Everything can't be put down to the cost of living crisis either, Wembley is sold out today for the NFL, a game that has no domestic teams in the UK that you pay to go watch, and murrayfield had 67,000 fans there yesterday for a meaningless game against Australia. Club Wembley tickets are currently on sale for next year's Cc final for £30 on the halfway line, a family ticket (2 adults and 2 kids ( in a category E area) is £33, but I can guarantee Wembley won't sell out for the cup final next year, whereas the NFL at Wembley will be, regardless of what team is playing there. Pricing, whilst an issue, isn't the be all and end all. The England v Fiji world cup warm up game had tickets for £10, it only had 6k there. We need to look at Union / NFL marketing, work out what they do well and integrate it into our marketing.

The rules and the product, along with the officiating, dictate the excitement of our game. If that isn't appealing to most folk, then there is less interest in the game. This world cup isn't exactly hitting the headlines for the big top sport entertainment atm.

215,434 is the cumulative attendance so far, if we can get some big crowds for the England Quarter, Samoa v Tonga, and the semis/final then the best attended tournament of all time should be achievable.

On one hand thats good but the World Cup Team said they were aiming for 750k, to limp in with half that is disapointing.

571k is the target, as that would be more than the women's euros. 458k was the total sold in 2013.

750k ticket target has been mentioned many times by those in charge, theyve started to name drop the Womens Euros because they know they are miles away from 750k.

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That was the target last year, a lot has changed since then, particularly inflation and cost of living pressures.

I think if they get less than 500000 that would be disappointing. However we have had a similar format of world cup since 1995, so 2000, 2013 and 2021 all either added teams, fans or both! There is clear growth and lessons learned each time, and there is more that can be done next time.

The big problem remains, that less people are playing the game in this country and the result is we are producing less pro players domestically. Therefore England, and the rest of the European teams are less competitive with the improving Pacific nations.

Good summary.

Though on the participation front the stuff going on about head I njuries isn't helping either us or Union. Many parents don't want their kids playing Rugby now.

Focus for the next World Cup is quite obviously France...I'm not sure what the missing ingredient is but we need the French to get to at least the Quarters. Sadly even two teams in SL this year doesn't seem to have done a lot for them. England playing them each year should help but I'd also like to see them play Ireland, Wales and Scotland more too.

France aren't going to make the quarters

I meant for the next World Cup. For a sucessful WC at home they need to be getting out of the group stage. Might be they get a easier draw though, usually the hosts get the best schedule.

France aren't going to make the quarters

Why was Doncaster given 3 games?

Main line train station

Hmm, but then Leigh got 3 too..

I don't know if they originally had 3, or if they got more when stadia were lost in the planning stage. But central funding was based on most games being in the north, so a combination of that and stadium owners asking for games.

Looks like they're trying to get the Halliwell jones sold out for Sunday, the south terrace is available to select in the £25 category now (not updated the seating plan though)..it was crazy originally that it cost more to stand then to sit

Samoa v Tonga should sell out at any price, that atmosphere is going to be amazing, just to watch the pre match challenges laid down will be worth the entrance fee alone.