Padge

Capacity at Old Trafford varies based on various factors, it has also changed over years and has sometimes been reduced during building works. The addition of a screen and stage in the seating area reduces capacity. The first GF had 43,533 at Old Trafford in 1998 Capacity approximately 58,000 in 1996, approximately 68,000 in 2000, and increased to approximately 76,000 in 2006. Current capacity, without limiting factors, at Old Trafford is 75,454. 2003/4/5 were at close to stadium actual capacity as was 2006, though the first 3 at around 65.5k and the 2006 one at 72.5k. From 2006 to last year there has been 8 attendances over 70k that's 47% of finals. Edit to add: If you look at the 2006 to 2019(pre-covid) the percentage of games over 70k runs at 61.5%. the four games since 2019 includes covid final, and 2 involving Catalan.

London is a none starter for a game at short notice. Anfield is ######.

Which means nothing, I never compared the two's success or failure rate, and it has become a nice distraction from the fact that Leeds are not performing and behind the front face of SL it seems to be worse. Leeds supporters can defend what is happening at the club as much as they want, but the reality is they have serious problems. Wigan had a couple of seasons when the wheels fell off, that was rectified quickly, Leeds seem to be denying they have a problem.

Edit hitch

I was replying as you edited. Hence the posts got crossed. Both replies still stand, hardly a baren period for Wigan for either of your chosen dates. I admire the defence of your club, but if you think all is well good luck, reality shows otherwise.

Since you edited your dates I will reply with an update. Super League 1998 and finalists 2000, 2001, 2003, 2014, 2015, Challenge Cup Winners 2002 and runners up 2004, 2017. I think a lot of clubs would be envious of that record, it hardly smacks of a failing club. And why weren't you honest about changing the date? Seen your update once you realised you had been caught out.

Wigan won the Challenge Cup in 2011 and 2013, league leaders shield 2010, 2012, World Club Challenge 2017 and SL Champions 2010, 2013, 2016, 2018. Hardly a baren period.

You said " a generation" which is 20-30 years, neither Wigan nor Saints have had 20-30 year 'blips'. Wigan had a 10 year blip from early 70s to early 80s and Saints have never been blipping that long. My point is that there is something fundamentally wrong with the Leeds systems/approach to player recruitment. When a team, and it was stated that Leeds said it, have spent the most ever on player recruitment and play record numbers of academy players yet turn out this seasons performances indicates there is something seriously wrong at the club.

You miss the point, but never mind. Let's try again. When Wigan or Saints bring a player into the first team they invariably slot in, their systems have them all being coached to the same tune and gently broken in to the first team. The point being made about Leeds was that they don't, they don't because they aren't good enough or the conveyer has stalled and they don't roll in seamlessly.

It was brought up in post match analysis. Leeds don't seem to have got the bringing through of academy players on track.

Wrong way around, you were saying the league is littered with their academy players, players not ready yet, a conveyer belt churns out a steady stream, no gaps, that is the whole point. So the conveyer has a fault, it produces gaps. A good conveyer is seamless. Either the Leeds conveyer has holes in were the product keeps falling through or there isn't enough input to keep a steady flow.

So why the sudden "record" spending splurge? Smith has had two years to stop losing the best academy players if they have so many great youngsters, why hasn't it happened?

No

But the whole idea of a conveyor belt is you keep feeding it. Clubs like Wigan and Saints churn out so many players they have to let them go and that feeds other clubs, losing players to the Aussies is shrugged off as the next one fall off the conveyor belt. It seems that Leeds had a lucky run back in the day but don't understand how to keep the process moving by providing opportunities to quantities of players.

They were all chanting OM