Dave T

I think that's spot on. Existing RL tv fans can get their fix as they always have. This really needed to be tapping into new audiences (or even those 'extra' fans that watch cup games and don't have Sky). As you say, the effort is lacking.

It is a shame - because for all this fanfare of the new deal, the BBC coverage actually does appear to have gone backwards. We will probably only have a couple of cup games on BBC One, a couple more on Two and a few SL games on Two, Three and RB. Overall, that isn't progress on last year. It's a shame, because I think the full coverage on Sky has been excellent.

I think BBC are doing a terrible job tbh. As you say, most have no idea the games are on. They are doing the bare minimum. I think Sky knew what they were doing, they have absolutely positioned them selves as the place to be for SL, and most fans probably don't even think of checking other places. And the BBC do zero to try and pull in other viewers.

On a more personal level, I was devastated when John Woods left us for Rochdale. I was young and it was harder to follow the game, but when the news came up on Granada Reports I was gutted. As a young lad I loved watching him play and he was my favourite player in his couple of years at Wire.

Well if you aren't fully committed, I'm not sure what you're doing here....

This just doesn't look like it's working for the sport. Obviously the more important number is the combined Sky, BBC and SL+ number for the games, but 55k is just not great. For years I've been shot down by some people for suggesting that we need to be getting coverage on the main channels and I've been told that main channels don't make a difference and if people want to watch, they will. The evidence has always been that this is not the case, and figures like this just aren't good enough. The BBC coverage being tucked away, or being substandard just isn't really doing anything. Hopefully this year is a test bed, but maybe we need to follow the numbers and stop talking about how youth watch TV and getting next to no viewers.

Putting aside any issues around whether clubs want RL played during the season (loads of football clubs allow it when we try), the numbers of moving to a lower capacity ground may not be as challenging as some think. This is fag packet stuff as we don't know the exact numbers, but let's say the average income per ticker is £40, to move from an average of 70k to one of 56k would mean we'd have to replace c£560k of income, which is a tenner a ticket. Considering you'd have a little more scarcity, you'd have a better stadium, and more likely more sellouts leading to a better perception of the event, we should be confident of adding a tenner to the ticket. It's pretty standard to be at Old Trafford and have loads of corporate boxes empty, so I doubt there'd be an issue there. As much as I like the actual bowl for the game at Old Trafford, I do think we put up with too many negatives now - poor area, below average facilities, small pitch, poor technology etc. I don't think these things are worth continuing to put up with for history and atmosphere. I think it, and our Grand Final is looking dated now.

Personally I just don't see the club making any effort whatsoever. I think the events at Warrington are perfectly pleasant in a nice ground. But I'm not sure that washes any more. Certainly not when every game is on TV.

I'm not convinced the bar is set so high that it'll pull up the drawbridge tbh. We'll always have the odd basket case of a club that struggles that is there to be replaced.

Indeed - I'm not sure people know really what they are complaining about.

That's rubbish isn't it?

They are a completely different thing. They would never be deemed intentional knock ons.

So far

Aye, I think it's perfectly valid to think it shouldn't be illegal, but it absolutely happens. I'm surprised that is even being debated!

Could tell he was special even when playing for us as a kid. A step above. But he was a miserable git.