WN83

Not sure I've seen a side as far off mentally as Catalans are currently and that just sums it up.

Yeah, a win against the Aussies will be priceless. The last test could be very interesting, if it is a decider. I can see tickets going on resale sites for fortunes, which will be a very rare event in Rugby League. The amount it would take to tempt me to part with a (very small) chance of seeing us win the Ashes would be obscene.

All seem like really sound ideas, the same with the one above about a community section. I'm not sure what the situation is with group tickets at Wigan but the work they've done in connecting with the community clubs has been really impressive and I think has accounted for a good percentage of the increase in attendances we've seen in recent times. The amount of kids and parents/volunteers you see walking around the ground in community clubs gear has increased massively.

Yeah, just looked again and it's the comparable block in each of the corners that is like that. It looks an error, rather than them making them cheaper at some point but who knows.

Individuals who might only be willing to part with £20 in comparison to £30 might be in short supply but I think it could help families. If somebody wanted to take their partner and 3 kids or whatever, then they could afford/be preprepared to pay £100 but not be able to afford £150. There are enough tickets available to cover that sort of scenario IMO.

Yeah, there are plenty of reasons for optimism IMO. They need to sort things like that out in regards the seating map. I noticed a block that were keyed as though 90% would be Green (£45) and 10% Blue (£30) but when you click in it, they're all £30 tickets. It's block 117 when I've just checked.

Yeah, it's all easy to say in hindsight and I think we'll be ok. The talk last week was none of the marketing budget had been spent and I think that is now changing and hopefully we will see things really ramp up in the coming weeks and months and it'll be that last month or so before the game which will be really crucial. I think we get a minimum 50k and if I had to guess, I reckon we'll end up around 60k but 70k is not impossible.

They look to be selling well but it's difficult to say 'the best' because in comparison to most other brackets, there are very few to sell. Looking at the price brackets, the cheapest ones and the most expensive seem to have sold well and the 3 brackets in the middle (from £45 to £80) not so much but those 3 middle brackets cover the bulk of the tickets. I definitely think a few more blocks on that bottom tier should've been put in the £30 bracket to start with and there may be an argument to say a couple of blocks could've been offered as some sort of premium hospitality ticket (maybe go down the Jim Ratcliffe route of offering somebody a pie with their seat and call it hospitality). It's why I'm ok with them opening up them tickets in the upper tier now, rather than waiting until the lower bowl is sold out. It feels like there is a market there for people who are going based on cost.

I don't think there are any real worries about the Wembley crowd at this stage, in fact, I still think we can be encouraged. At worst, I think we'll get 50,000 in there, which would leave us at around 120,000 over the series. An average of 40,000 a game, for an international rugby league series in this country, is not to be sniffed at. The FOMO around this game won't start until a few weeks before. I'm sure plenty of people thinking of attending will get to the point of buying tickets because they don't want to miss being at the first Ashes test in 20+ years. There's just no real rush yet.

Sounds like he's down there now, ready for being knighted tomorrow. It's fantastic to see him and the game get some recognition, even if it has taken far far too long. Kevin Sinfield surely comes next.

My main gripe with the ticketing for Wembley at the beginning was that there weren't enough £30 tickets on sale, with just a small block in each corner being in that bracket. Obviously it would be the case because there were so few of them but those areas have pretty much sold out, so I'm not surprised the £30 tickets up the top look to be going ok as well. The £20 tickets are in seats with a pretty ordinary view IMO, so I don't have an issue if they're considered to be discounted or there has been a change of strategy. Those tickets may give some people and in particular some families chance to get to the game and that'll do for me.

You'd like to think it would be different for a first Ashes test in 20 years though (if it isn't being done still). Getting as many kids as possible, who play the game, to that first test should be a goal of the RFL. As pointed out already, these occasions can build memories that last forever.

I enjoyed the game. It was a close, tense encounter and while Wire probably should've won the game, you have to give full credit to HKR for hanging in, to get them a chance to pinch it at the end. A defeat for KR yesterday could've been mentally pretty damaging but winning in that manner could be the complete opposite and with that fear of failure now gone, they should relax more in future knock out games and it could be the start of a run of success.

That is something I think we should've been doing for years and there's no time like the present to start it. The RFL should get some competition to it IMO and put incentives in place for clubs who sell the most tickets/fill the most coaches etc.

Given the chance, even people not happy with it probably wouldn't move. Any seat on that bottom tier is better than those new £20 tickets IMO, so I don't see a problem. I sat up there for a Tyson Fury fight and it was like watching a couple of ants scrapping.

I think the most convincing thing for people would be that IMO it's our best chance of a win. Catching them a bit cold and with maybe them underestimating us a bit, is probably our best chance. Now when you think how rare wins against them have been, missing it would be a real regret.

When you look at the £30 areas on the bottom tiers, they're in really short supply compared to tickets in the brackets above. I never had an issue with pricing, other than I thought there should've been more of those blocks on sale at £30. I don't really have an issue with them now opening up cheaper tickets up the top of the third tier. I've sat up there twice and it's too far away from the pitch but if families can get in and see an Ashes match for £20, then fair enough.

I saw some comments a couple of days ago that they'd yet to spend any of the marketing budget for Wembley but things we're starting to be put in place, with Junior Nsemba doing photo shoots, in his England kit, on the pitch at Wembley when the HKR side (IIRC) were having a walk about on Friday. Seems a bit late, when the cup final was on the following day but from the comments above, it sounds like there was plenty of advertising around the ground.

Lets just all stand still then and go precisely....nowhere! Only in rugby league could investment be seen as negative.

If a club investing in academy pathways and totally renovating a stadium/training facility for their woman's team kills off the league, then shame on all the other clubs.

He didn't like how white her trainers were! They seemed like best mates having a laugh with each other to me.

Saw quotes this morning with him saying they've hammered it home that they will never aim to play like a men's team and to just enjoy themselves. With the pace they have, it seems a great strategy.

Doubt the women themselves would agree. A chance to play at Wembley is massive for them. Good start for Wigan in terms of the game.

At least it's unlikely he'll have to learn who Tommy Makinson is.

Trout is having a good season. I also like the fact both played in that England academy side that beat the Aussies and mentally that doesn't hurt when it comes to having some belief that it's possible. If it was one or the other, I'd go Walters (I suppose I would) but there could be places for both. Looking at both statistically this season, Walters has run over 100 metes in a game 6 times, including a couple that have gone above 130 metres (157 metres being a season high), whereas Trout hasn't gone above 80 metres in a game yet. Both are absolute workhorses in defence as well but Walters missed tackle stats are unbelievable really, with him missing 7 from 332, against Trouts 36 from 422. It's not a direct comparison I suppose, with both flipping positions in recent months from where you probably would've expected them to play at the start of the season. If we want just one guy who can cover both prop and second row, I think it should be Walters but I'd be pretty happy with either/both. Trout has every chance to push his nose in front why Walters is out.