I am interested to hear why we are getting such poor attendance at matches, so if you would like to express your views, vote away

I'd say it's probably because it's not included in the season ticket, even though the playoffs are part of 'the season'.

I think fans feel like they're being ripped off.

1. Last nights game essentially didn't mean that much. I mean obviously it did since we've all whined like bitches about losing but we were always going to have another playoff game.

2. The prospect of having to shell out for tickets 4 weeks in a row. Obviously people will choose to skip last nights game and next weekends game as they're expecting a win and saving for us hopefully being in the other big two games. This applies especially to people who have season tickets and don't usally pay game by game.

Round one of the play-offs doesn't mean anything. It's no more important than an early round Challenge Cup game.

If you're a 1-4 team and you lose, it doesn't matter at all as you don't go out of the competition and the job of "win three games to lift the trophy" still stands.

If you're a 5-8 team and you lose, it doesn't matter at all as you will think "well we weren't going to win it anyway".

If you're a 1-4 team and you win, you'll more than likely play the team you played in Round 1 again. Hence why Wigan got 7000 on Friday, for example.

People don't have a lot of money.

People have only just come back from their Summer holidays.

And so on...

There's nothing to play for in Week 1 as far as a fan is concerned for teams in 1st to 4th. We might end up paying 4 lots of £20ish in a month (if we manage to get that far). For some people, especially ones with a family, that's a large amount of money.

Playoffs need a re-jig, and although I think it should be top 5/6, the season for the vast majority of teams is over with roughly 10 weeks to go. For example, Wakey's this year.

This top eight format hasn't helped us as a club the last two years. Historically the GF has been 1v2 more often than not, because in the top six format either first or second HAD to get there in the 1v2, winner straight to Old Trafford match, and the loser of that match was at home the following week with their second chance. Basically finishing top two guaranteed you two chances to make it with at least one chance at home.

We've been unfortunate that we've reached positions 1 and 2 with that no longer the case.

Personally though I don't know exactly what the perfect format is, but I would prefer one where every game is a knock out with no second chances, and season tickets should include one play off home game if your team has one with all clubs agreeing that at the start of the season.

Yed, SEB, Mr Fantastic, could someone kindly 'sticky' this please ?

Strictly dancing and Thex Factor on telly, didn't see many females as I normally do last night.
Not that I notice females ( just in case the wife's watching)

Is the question why we didn't go or why we think other people didn't go? The question presumes that games are badly attended, but in comparison to what?

Thinking about it I'd like this format (top six):

Week 1:

3v6
4v5

Week 2:

1 V Lowest ranked team left
2 V Remaining team

Week two winners to Old Trafford.

No repeat fixtures, no losers carrying on, no team plays more than two games - and only one at home - before the final which should improve attendances.

Fewer teams and matches mean Sky might not like it though.

Maybe in comparison to the equivalent league fixture? Thus last night was about 4000 down.

It does perplex me why people turn out all season then miss the crucial fixtures. Maybe supporters just don't buy into the whole play-off process?

In comparison to regular season games. Last night was one of our lowest Super League crowds of the season for our biggest game so far. Fewer away fans (I know Hull are well supported but they won't bring as many as Saints, and Huddersfield will bring a lot less) combined with it being an unwanted extra fixture after the deflating feeling last night means next week will probably be less again despite what's at stake.

Dont they spend most of the match Texting one another even though they are stood next to each other??or they spend most of their time pretending they are drunk!!!or they spend most of their time looking at Trents packet!!!

You raise a very good point, and one that puzzles me also. A match against one of our biggest rivals would surely seem attractive ? The regular games are only a lead up to the playoffs, and yet we got 15,000 for the Saints home game.

Last night wasn't crucial, that's the thing. We haven't gone out and we still have to win three games to lift the trophy so we're no worse off than we were before yesterday's game.

From now on it's knock-out so games now become crucial.

Agreed in principle however I bet next weeks attendance is also low.

If they want to include top 8, but reward teams finishing higher up the table, why not:

Week 1:
5 v 8
6 v 7

Week 2:
Winners of week 1 away to 3 & 4

Week 3:
Winners of week 2 away to 1 & 2

Winners go to Final .....

All games are knockout; no second chances, but the higher you finish, the longer rest/home advantage.

......or is that too simple for RFL

Oh, and I went last night (and will probably give next weeks farce a miss before the return with Saints) and felt like Wire were just trying out moves at 90% without finishing them off, probably to avoid injury before the knockout rounds - and as usual, that backfired - just ask Carvell & Waterhouse!..... Wire's performance was only one step up from what Catalan did at Wigan on Friday, where they looked like a kid who'd been dragged to a family party when they'd rather be back home with their mates!

I don't think you can put them into a season ticket but you should deffo get discount with a season ticket for playoff games.

But is it a direct comparison with a standard league fixture where season ticket holders get counted whether they turn up or not and away fans are boosted by kids getting in on the away voucher? It was an all pay game, like the cup.

Are the prices correct or should they be cheaper than a normal league game? The purpose of the play-offs is to make money for Super League clubs which is why it was increased to eight (the clubs voted it in, not the RFL), they all share in the gate receipts of the play offs and grand final. The prize money for winning the grand final is 300k, where as its 100k for the challenge cup.

I think the RFL should do a similar poll but to a wider audience BUT only get the views of those that don't attend non SL games. I'm not trying to make out that those who attend all of the games are better supporters of the game than those who pick their matches, but if we want the real answers then we have to make sure that any poll is not diluted with opinions rather than understanding REAL reasons.

Maybe league fans need to face a harsh truth that "the greatest game" that they complain is so unfairly ignored by the media, is not actually this super unmissable product they claim it is. There is only a relatively small market for league and even amongst the league community it is not valued that highly, its not just playoffs its internationals too, what other sports do they struggle to sell tickets for world cup semi finals? RL is a small niche sport.

The World Cup Final won't sell out unless England get there. If they don't there will be thousands of empty seats in a ground 70,000 people turned up at to watch Japan u23s V Egypt u23s in football recently.

That says it all about the size of the RL support base.

Sometimes people need to be realistic about what can be expected.

its not a harsh truth at all for most fans. you've hardly been controversial. I think we all know the only time we get anything remotely close to national coverage is challenge cup final day.

It is however a harsh truth for the RFL who are completely oblivious to the need to hype up our game and raise its profile.

Football has just had more column inches more internet talk and more radio talk over a non happening handshake than our playoff series will ever hope to recieve. they simply dont grasp the way big business works.

Rugby union has just had two broadcaster arguing over substanial TV rights.
and our governing body thought free advertising on a few trucks was a great deal.

The sport itself is not small time its a brutal sport that a lot of non players cant understand.It's hugely entertaining, but the fans in general i'm afraid do have a small time attitude. Hence the constant finger pointing at welsh london and French sides, and the preference for teams a twenty minute drive away.

The RFL needs to bite the bullet and pay a top notch London advertising agency some serious money to launch our sport to another level. Similar to football and the premier league. And We as fans need to lose the apathy we often have to our own sport. It's our last hope.

You can advertise Rugby League as much as you like, but you will never ever get the game to be much bigger or popular than it is now - Outside of the heartlands, people simply aren't interested.

I watched last night's game in a pub near Chester, and a friend of mine, who is mainly a football fan but also follows other sports with interest, quite seriously asked 'What's the point in Rugby League?'.

We discussed this question for a good while, but it was obvious that however much I tried, he simply viewed RL as a poor substitute to Union, and was convinced that RL is a small time sport, followed by, and played by, not very bright people.

Yes, its a very narrow minded point of view, but unfortunately i think its a view that a good many people share - Changing that sort of thinking would be a huge task and I don't think we have the money, or I'm sad to say, the product to actually change that.

As it's now do or die I expect a bigger crowd next week.
VERY disappointed about the attendance last night.
Loads of spare seats.