Fri 4 Oct: SL - Preliminary Final: Wigan Warriors v Salford Red Devils KO 7.45pm (TV)

[Oxford]

25 minutes ago, 7723 said:

but can see why fans would be put off.

Yes, it must be so hard to be the reigning champions and finish second in the table at season's end, so no wonder.

[JohnM]

2 hours ago, redsi42 said:

I totally agree.

it was well demonstrated last night both teams have a very high count of glory hunters.  Can we do anything about it?

and no I don’t think anyone is taken in.

My point being, there is nothing wrong with glory hunters. They bring money into the game. Some may be returning fans, some new, some for just one game. Thay all buy tickets. 

[Oxford]

Even greater miracle than London media noticing the MEN has remembered that SRD exist !

Proof there is a God for you doubters out there.

"Sensational Salford Red Devils smash Wigan to make history and reach first Super League Grand Final"

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/salford-wigan-super-league-final-17035941

[JohnM]

3 hours ago, redsi42 said:

Your right we can’t keep ignoring the drop at some of our big clubs.  The attendance last night from Wigan fans was embarrassing.  They should be forced to come but don’t just make them buy tickets at the start of the season they should have to send a letter in explaining why they can’t attend and if it isn’t a good enough reason I don’t know maybe stocks.

on a slightly more serious note why didn’t the good people of Wigan find last nights game appealing?  Was it just about saving money for the final tickets? Did they not fancy their chances and don’t like to watch a loosing team? Or just bored of rugby?

There is no need for you to be embarrassed. It's OK. Honestly.

[I0RL]

1 hour ago, 7723 said:

£25 for a ticket to play Salford two weeks after playing them probably had something to do with it. That combined with how we played against Saints, not many people expected a win. I was there, unfortunately, but can see why fans would be put off.

All clubs aim all season to play in these big games so it beats me why fans stay away. Season ticket holders at Wigan get to see the team all season at a discount price then there was a £5 discount off play off games and still people stay away. So I don't agree with the view that it is about money. There are other reasons why people are staying away. For some reason the play off games over recent years have not attracted big crowds. Maybe the super 8's has had an effect which has changed people's habits? 

Great effort by the Salford fans last night! Hopefully even more will turn up for the GF. They will be boosted by all the neutrals.

[Pyjamarama]

1 hour ago, Oxford said:

Yes, it must be so hard to be the reigning champions and finish second in the table at season's end, so no wonder.

I completely understand the reasons for your comment. But the issue seems to be what do Wigan (or any club for that matter) do about the missing fans? Berating them on here may work, but I wouldn't hold my breath. My guess is that, although they'll have some interest in RL, they aren't as wrapped up in the game as the people who post on/read this site, & probably don't give a monkeys about the criticism anyway. It's a bit like Tesco slagging off ex-customers who now shop at Aldi.  

[I0RL]

If Salford can pull off a win in the GF it will have been a great year for the smaller clubs with Warrington also winning the CC. It will also add to the number of clubs that have been crowned Champions since 1955!

 RL banter

[Rupert Prince]

2 hours ago, Dave T said:

So Wigan probably get 10k home fans for regular games minimum. They got half that last night.

Wire probably get 9k home fans minimum and they got half that in their playoff. 

We can ignore it, or double those crowds very easily.

Fair points.  

Fans are not willing to pay for a spectacle. The thought of losing?  Boredom?

I think Wigan it was a fear of losing because it has been too many victories.

There should be more teams facing up to the prospect of losing.  It should not be a problem. There should be more teams who have an opportunity and taken it, like Salford.

And there should be fewer games in the league which makes so many games more common place and less of an event.

But too many are not willing to get out the front door and open their pocket.

[Jill Halfpenny fan]

How do the Salford lot on here reckon they will go with ticket sales?

 

[redsi42]

Plenty of glory hunters in the area we’ll do ok. 

[Oxford]

3 hours ago, Pyjamarama said:

I completely understand the reasons for your comment. But the issue seems to be what do Wigan (or any club for that matter) do about the missing fans? Berating them on here may work, but I wouldn't hold my breath. My guess is that, although they'll have some interest in RL, they aren't as wrapped up in the game as the people who post on/read this site, & probably don't give a monkeys about the criticism anyway. It's a bit like Tesco slagging off ex-customers who now shop at Aldi.  

Look the berating was to put their upset into perspective and to get them to get real about what happened. The real problem is the level of expectation can be a very negative element even among those fortunate to have experienced very recent success.

Getting bums on seats based on success has been a TGG disease for far too long.

[Red Willow]

1 hour ago, Jill Halfpenny fan said:

How do the Salford lot on here reckon they will go with ticket sales?

 

They will sell out of the 8,000 tickets. Look at the attendance at the last game at The Willows.

How many of those will become regulars next season is harder to judge

[Davo5]

8 minutes ago, Red Willow said:

They will sell out of the 8,000 tickets. Look at the attendance at the last game at The Willows.

How many of those will become regulars next season is harder to judge

Got a couple here by the look of that photo

[Damien]

2 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

Got a couple here by the look of that photo

It showed that on BBC Breakfast this morning. The emotion was fantastic to see. It would be great if Salford could make that kid a mascot for a game next season.

[Hammerless Nail]

8 hours ago, Chronicler of Chiswick said:

Well done Salford, and hopefully a shot in the arm for the game in general - another Saints - Wigan game wouldn't have exactly got the pulses racing outside the two towns. Incidentally this is Salford's first appearance in a Championship play-off final since 1939, when they beat Cas 8 - 6 at Maine Road.

They also played in the 1914 Championship final. Just as now, Salford are a club that divides opinion, but in those days their appearances in the final actually led to all out war.

3 hours ago, I0RL said:

If Salford can pull off a win in the GF it will have been a great year for the smaller clubs with Warrington also winning the CC. It will also add to the number of clubs that have been crowned Champions since 1955!

 RL banter

Salford are already on there (1974 and 1976). Can't imagine what kind of club hasn't won it since 1955. Jeez, what must that be like?

[MADREDNIGE]

4 hours ago, I0RL said:

If Salford can pull off a win in the GF it will have been a great year for the smaller clubs with Warrington also winning the CC. It will also add to the number of clubs that have been crowned Champions since 1955!

 RL banter

Warrington a small club? 

[Futtocks]

39 minutes ago, Damien said:

It showed that on BBC Breakfast this morning. The emotion was fantastic to see. It would be great if Salford could make that kid a mascot for a game next season.

I think I read that both of those kids were sent free GF tickets by Super League, after this footage went viral.

[Damien]

Just now, Futtocks said:

I think I read that both of those kids were sent free GF tickets by Super League, after this footage went viral.

Great stuff.

[Tonka]

7 hours ago, my missus said:

9.800 and summat.

I believe you spell it Sammut but anyway you can’t count him 

[The Future is League]

I'm delighted that the Red Devils have reached the Grand Final, but with them there its going to be a bit of a job to get a large crowd to it.

[johnh1]

2 hours ago, The Future is League said:

I'm delighted that the Red Devils have reached the Grand Final, but with them there its going to be a bit of a job to get a large crowd to it.

So we may as well just have Saints v Wigan every year. The atmosphere with the Salford fans next week will be magnificent.

[The Future is League]

6 hours ago, johnh1 said:

So we may as well just have Saints v Wigan every year. The atmosphere with the Salford fans next week will be magnificent.

The Red devils really need to improve their match day marketing by about 1,000%

[EagleEyePie]

I've avoided the forums for the last couple of days as the reaction among a number of Wigan fans was somewhat inevitable (just check the 2 main Wigan RL forums for the meltdown). I hope Salford fans enjoy the Grand Final and that moments like Friday night come around with more frequency. Salford regularly have the loudest support when they come to the DW and some of the most passionate fans who have stuck by the club in difficult circumstances.

Maybe it's just looking at things through a different perspective after recent months. I've been around a lot of people who have recently been made redundant, the football team I support nearly went out of existence, one nearby team pretty much has. I really don't have the energy to be shouting about which players are 'stealing a living', why the coach must be sacked immediately, why losing a semi-final is somehow a personal insult to them.

Friday was a great sporting moment for an underdog, and for a team whose fans have waited a long time for something like this.

I feel like Wigan were inevitably going to struggle to reach the Grand Final given the team that was being fielded. Our young trio of Smithies, Partington and Byrne have come under so much pressure this season and they've performed beyond expectations but the playoffs is where experience often comes to the fore. Young forwards have breakthrough years but often they fade around August onwards. That was the case with players like Bateman, Farrell, Sutton, Joel Tomkins, Mossop etc whenever they broke into the first team. Our young trio somehow managed to keep going but ultimately Salford had Mossop and Dudson, two seasoned pros in the best form of their career and who have been in situations like this before and learned from them. Expecting Partington and Byrne to be leading the pack to victory is just unrealistic.

Ideally they'd have got more help from the experienced players but it wasn't to be. Flower and O'Loughlin I can understand. They were rushed back from injury earlier than expected just so they could get games under their belt to hopefully be fully fit for the final if they got there. Flower in particular played injured at the start of the season when we were down to the bare bones. Clubb unfortunately just didn't have it in him. Navarrete has some experience but was well out of form. As for Greenwood, it's sad that someone who started the season so well (he was outstanding away at Salford earlier in the year) has faded so much after several injuries. Still, concussion protocols are important and while having so many absences probably ruined his season I wouldn't have complained had he sat out all the remaining games this year. Then there's Bullock who was playing well but suffered a season ending injury.

Had we been a bit more fortunate with the players mentioned above we'd have been able to put up more of a fight against Saints and Salford. I've heard some Wigan fans saying we should never be losing to a team like Salford but that's just arrogance. That Salford side had a lot of quality and it wasn't a case of Wigan losing that game by playing poorly, Salford won it by dominating in every facet. 

So well done Salford.

I'm already looking forward to next season and hope all the players who have played this year can spend some quality time with their friends and family.

[Red Willow]

Well the queue is long at the stadium from the reception across to the road. Salford will have no issue selling their allocation

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, Red Willow said:

Well the queue is long at the stadium from the reception across to the road. Salford will have no issue selling their allocation

Yup, not sure why people are so concerned. Didnt you get 10k for the last game at the Willows a short while back? 

There will be support around the city and then when you add in their friends and family, it really shouldn't be an issue.