Scubby

Yet in Union (and at a lot of concerts) the sales are always the other way around with cheap seats left. We really are a working class game and people are tight with spending money. That doesn't mean we aren't committed - it is just how it is. It is not going to change in the next few weeks. Only new markets and new customers will break that in the long run. If you hold so many games in stadiums where people go every week (and home fans use season tickets) it is only going to amplify the problem.

My guess is that I will be sat on the halfway line having paid £55 for my ticket 7-10 days out from the game. Wrong but very possible. This has been a mess

Yes just seen the article now after a bit of research. If they could get a five figure crowd that would be awesome.

That game is down to be played at Redcliffe. If it is then that is a real missed opportunity to showcase the women at Suncorp.

So the first ever try scorer at the new stadium being a woman will be quite significant.

Have they said they are not honouring full time contracts or just not resigning full time players on one year deals next year? It is highly plausible that they will be essentially a part time club with a small number of full time players. This has historically happened at a few championship clubs.

I am an admirer of those in the Championship who figured it out and benefitted not bitter about it. Good on them - it was a really smart move. Newcastle have shown the organic route is very long and painful.

Maybe they are being told the route to SL is no longer going to be through promotion and relegation? If that is they case, why would you be signing players on full time contracts who would only be good enough for the Championship. It seems pretty obvious that the model for promotion in 2022 was just sign 17 overseas players on one year deals and go for it. After this year it is certain the loophole will be closed. Could you imagine the vitriol they would have got on here if it had been Thunder that did this in 2022?

The rugby and colour will generate a huge buzz and will sell lots of tickets. Rugby League fans in the UK are always late to the party. However, when you create that buzz the price point has to be attractive enough to get that casual fine over the line to buy a ticket. As some have mentioned, it is 2022 it should be the easiest experience ever. But it is not, clunky and disjointed from reality in terms of pricing.

Dutton is at the RFL for a reason. He is small time and his track record of the 2016 4N wasn't great (Australia v Scotland with 5k at Hull KR FFS). The problem is that any setback has the organisation running into retreat mode. Fans like me can smell it a mile off and will wait it out and pick up bargain tickets. It's their job to make my choice for me by making it compelling to buy early. I used to do that many years ago, they broke my habit by stinging me too many times.

What about the 2016 4 Nations when you couldn't even buy half way upper tier at the Olympic Stadium for the Australia game? I even phoned the RFL and argued the toss as the only tickets available at the time were behind the posts. I was told they will only open them if the demand is there. They had got 43k at the same stadium the previous November FFS. It just baffles me.

I'm waiting and waiting and waiting and will get better seats than all of you

It'll start okay, then it's all downhill from there.

At least he's scaled it back from a 36 team SL to 16 - I call that progress

Amone from the Dragons will be half back over Hingango. He is playing well at the moment and scored a hat trick against the Raiders last week.

18th man: Lyne

The are great kits

I'm holding off even further. Hoping to pay on the day or sneak under the fence

They are telling him left, right and centre they don't want to play for Australia - To'o, Papalli and Paulo just in recent weeks. Luai is certain to commit to Samoa too.

Great crowd Phil. Why are performances so erratic? I know it was Leigh but Thunder appear to be either highly competitive or a complete basket case?

All these defections will have spooked him for sure. He could well go rogue trying to pick 'Aussie' characters instead of the best options.

He'd probably have to pay his own way and wash his own kit. Wales RL is not in great shape to foot the bit for Frizell.

And like an extended family gathering, if you make it tougher to attend half that family won't turn up. Then we blame the family members who are busy for not rallying around the family. There was a very long thread on here that I started a few months ago. It was about creating Wembley as a whole day event for a wider market, themed with an extended half time show and parade of stars etc. Lots of other ideas were put forward but the conclusion was that the rugby then becomes an important part of the event - but just a part. There would be something for everyone reaching out to a new market. Our answer to that challenge is wall to wall ######## matches for 8+ hours appealing to the well that cannot currently fill Wembley or Spurs. It's bloody exasperating!! I'm sure DJ Alex Simmonds can put on a mammoth 9-hour set to cover the whole day. We deserve exactly what we get!

It's early days, why stop at 4pm? We could get at least 2 more games in by next August. My view is that if you get beyond 4.00-4.30pm for a kick off you become a night fixture. If that time is good enough for the FA Cup then it should be okay for the Challenge Cup. The stuff about RL fans is laughable sometimes. They seem to be more prone to school holidays than other sports, more prone to travel problems than other sports, more prone to alcohol than other sports, more prone to every ####### excuse in the book than other sports! Why don't we just admit we are a victim of going to the same well again and again and again rather than trying to expand our market.

A 4.30pm kick off that dips into the 6-7pm territory for the latter stages is the perfect slot. Still in daylight and gets probably double or more the ratings of previous challenge cups. The women's before also gives blanket BBC1 coverage from 2pm to 7pm. It is a bit later than normal but still acceptable for travel. As you said, if we had good negotiators! I honestly think the game doesn't give a #### about ratings a lot of the time because it cannot sell sponsorship to anyone other than Fred Done. Vicious circle.