The Grand Final as a spectator event

[RigbyLuger]

Take away the match, and what is there to attract to waiverer over buying a ticket?

Outside the ground: Does Alex Simmons have photos of someone at the RFL/SL to keep getting work? Same old, same old. He's not a name to anyone outside a subset of RL followers, and, amazingly still, the presence of "Wagga" who he used in blackface on his show seems out of step with the TackleIt campaign, but I've said that before, and don't think anyone in charge appears to be bothered!

Pre-match entertainment: Could have been anyone in the corner, paying for a bloke who used to be on a niche BBC station seems a waste of money. Added nothing.

Half-time: Nowt! Bar an interview with the Woman of Steel, but why we're all the award winners paraded, along with those from the men's awards?

[Mr Frisky]

46 minutes ago, RigbyLuger said:

Take away the match, and what is there to attract to waiverer over buying a ticket?

Outside the ground: Does Alex Simmons have photos of someone at the RFL/SL to keep getting work? Same old, same old. He's not a name to anyone outside a subset of RL followers, and, amazingly still, the presence of "Wagga" who he used in blackface on his show seems out of step with the TackleIt campaign, but I've said that before, and don't think anyone in charge appears to be bothered!

Pre-match entertainment: Could have been anyone in the corner, paying for a bloke who used to be on a niche BBC station seems a waste of money. Added nothing.

Half-time: Nowt! Bar an interview with the Woman of Steel, but why we're all the award winners paraded, along with those from the men's awards?

I just go to a RL game to watch a game of RL - if you need to be entertained before the match and at half time maybe stay at home an watch the Krankies Christmas special.

[Jughead]

As an experience, it was rubbish and I’m being kind to say it was rubbish. 

I didn’t see anything around the ground to suggest that there was a fanzone anywhere, though I’d have had low expectations for it. Having now seen it was Alex Simmons, I’m quite glad I missed the free headache courtesy of him incoherently shouting into a microphone. If Wayne Godwin was there too, I can only sympathise with anyone who did bother. 

I didn’t see the Radio Six DJ. I’d never heard of him and I can go to a pub to hear music played on some decks. By all accounts he wasn’t offering anything different and I was in the ground well over an hour before kick-off.

No live band/act. That’s absolutely criminal. Shocking, in fact. We’ve gone from The Kaiser Chiefs, Scouting For Girls and The Charlatans to nobody. I know Manchester United didn’t like the stages on the pitch but in a ground that hasn’t been filled for a final in however many years, a scaffold staged area, maybe even one each end of the ground, like they do for Sky is not exactly hard. 

Half time they brought out the Women of Steel and it felt a bit lost. People were getting refreshments or going to the toilet, it wasn’t really that engaging and she didn’t really get the audience and credit she deserved. 

As a whole, it was a poor matchday experience.

[Amber Avenger]

I'm pretty sure the last time or two we've had a band (Blossoms I think?) it's been on the scaffold so that's not an excuse 

Plenty of folk just go to the rugby and that's fine but the neutrals I go with have always loved the bands and have been a bit miffed they seem to have been dumped. Get the right band and it does add to the atmosphere and sense of occasion.

[Ragingbull]

Absolut shambles of an event. No hype no razzmatazz. It just felt like a wet fart for start to finish

[JohnM]

48 minutes ago, Jughead said:

As an experience, it was rubbish and I’m being kind to say it was rubbish. 

I didn’t see anything around the ground to suggest that there was a fanzone anywhere, though I’d have had low expectations for it. Having now seen it was Alex Simmons, I’m quite glad I missed the free headache courtesy of him incoherently shouting into a microphone. If Wayne Godwin was there too, I can only sympathise with anyone who did bother. 

I didn’t see the Radio Six DJ. I’d never heard of him and I can go to a pub to hear music played on some decks. By all accounts he wasn’t offering anything different and I was in the ground well over an hour before kick-off.

No live band/act. That’s absolutely criminal. Shocking, in fact. We’ve gone from The Kaiser Chiefs, Scouting For Girls and The Charlatans to nobody. I know Manchester United didn’t like the stages on the pitch but in a ground that hasn’t been filled for a final in however many years, a scaffold staged area, maybe even one each end of the ground, like they do for Sky is not exactly hard. 

Half time they brought out the Women of Steel and it felt a bit lost. People were getting refreshments or going to the toilet, it wasn’t really that engaging and she didn’t really get the audience and credit she deserved. 

As a whole, it was a poor matchday experience.

I see what you mean. A really poor experience   All I saw was the pathetic sight of  two  of the country's best rugby teams giving their absolute  all in front of 60, 000 screaming fans in the stadium and who knows how many on Sky or listening on the radio. 

[Ragingbull]

1 hour ago, Jughead said:

As an experience, it was rubbish and I’m being kind to say it was rubbish. 

I didn’t see anything around the ground to suggest that there was a fanzone anywhere, though I’d have had low expectations for it. Having now seen it was Alex Simmons, I’m quite glad I missed the free headache courtesy of him incoherently shouting into a microphone. If Wayne Godwin was there too, I can only sympathise with anyone who did bother. 

I didn’t see the Radio Six DJ. I’d never heard of him and I can go to a pub to hear music played on some decks. By all accounts he wasn’t offering anything different and I was in the ground well over an hour before kick-off.

No live band/act. That’s absolutely criminal. Shocking, in fact. We’ve gone from The Kaiser Chiefs, Scouting For Girls and The Charlatans to nobody. I know Manchester United didn’t like the stages on the pitch but in a ground that hasn’t been filled for a final in however many years, a scaffold staged area, maybe even one each end of the ground, like they do for Sky is not exactly hard. 

Half time they brought out the Women of Steel and it felt a bit lost. People were getting refreshments or going to the toilet, it wasn’t really that engaging and she didn’t really get the audience and credit she deserved. 

As a whole, it was a poor matchday experience.

Absolute spot on.  For anyone wondering what an event or spectacle should look like id urge you to keep an eye on the Ozzie press and tbeir social media this week and tune in next sunday morning.

[Phil W]

1 hour ago, Mr Frisky said:

I just go to a RL game to watch a game of RL - if you need to be entertained before the match and at half time maybe stay at home an watch the Krankies Christmas special.

Is the point at the moment not to try and attract a new audience. To do this an event needs to be created that people enjoy and want to go back to the next season.

I'm taking my wife and a couple of friends to the World Cup opener and I know it'll be a good game but for them that wouldn't make a difference. What I can tell them is there'll be a fan zone on the Quayside and with it being a city centre stadium Newcastle itself will be bouncing and we've been told to be in seats half an hour before for pre-match entertainment. 

The big games need to be not just big games but big events. IMG will have ideas around this no doubt.

 

[Gomersall]

47 minutes ago, JohnM said:

I see what you mean. A really poor experience   All I saw was the pathetic sight of  two  of the country's best rugby teams giving their absolute  all in front of 60, 000 screaming fans in the stadium and who knows how many on Sky or listening on the radio. 

There’s a clue in the title of the thread John. Hint, it’s the last word.

[daz39]

In future we should get St Helens to appeal, we may go from a random local band to Bon Jovi in the space of 2 days!

[JohnM]

16 minutes ago, Gomersall said:

There’s a clue in the title of the thread John. Hint, it’s the last word.

Indeed it is. Hence my post. Event my ######. If you want to waste money on a ###### second rate excuse for music, or even a top class rock band, then go to one of their concerts, unsullied by the actual game. Who in their right minds would go to the climax game of the whole club season and moan because there were no screechy out-of-tune pimply kids pretending to be musical? 

You see, the GAME is the thing, unless you don't like RL of course.

Edited September 25, 2022 by JohnM

[Gomersall]

15 minutes ago, JohnM said:

Indeed it is. Hence my post. Event my ######. If you want to waste money on a ###### second rate excuse for music, or even a top class rock band, then go to one of their concerts, unsullied by the actual game. Who in their right minds would go to the climax game of the whole club season and moan because there were no screechy out-of-tune pimply kids pretending to be musical? 

You see, the GAME is the thing, unless you don't like RL of course.

Whatever John

[Damien]

1 hour ago, Phil W said:

Is the point at the moment not to try and attract a new audience. To do this an event needs to be created that people enjoy and want to go back to the next season.

I'm taking my wife and a couple of friends to the World Cup opener and I know it'll be a good game but for them that wouldn't make a difference. What I can tell them is there'll be a fan zone on the Quayside and with it being a city centre stadium Newcastle itself will be bouncing and we've been told to be in seats half an hour before for pre-match entertainment. 

The big games need to be not just big games but big events. IMG will have ideas around this no doubt.

Of course it is the point. Entertainment is absolutely par for the course these days and non or floating RL fans get this from other sporting events. The experience at a big RL game is absolutely being compared to other events. That said even RL fans expect this stuff now too.

RL used to lead the way with this stuff in this country. Now it is way behind. There is no excuse not to do better.

[fighting irish]

1 hour ago, JohnM said:

Indeed it is. Hence my post. Event my ######. If you want to waste money on a ###### second rate excuse for music, or even a top class rock band, then go to one of their concerts, unsullied by the actual game. Who in their right minds would go to the climax game of the whole club season and moan because there were no screechy out-of-tune pimply kids pretending to be musical? 

You see, the GAME is the thing, unless you don't like RL of course.

You ain't really Buster Scruggs by any chance, are ya'? 

[Jughead]

3 hours ago, JohnM said:

I see what you mean. A really poor experience   All I saw was the pathetic sight of  two  of the country's best rugby teams giving their absolute  all in front of 60, 000 screaming fans in the stadium and who knows how many on Sky or listening on the radio. 

The game itself is a part of the matchday experience, yes. The game, unquestionably, is a great spectacle as always. The rest of the experience is woeful, at best. 

[Just Browny]

Entertainment shouldn't just be an add on to the game, the whole experience should be an enhancement of the game, to give you the feeling that you are part of a special event. People are entitled to be interested only in seeing the players run on with their names read out over them PA, but I despair if people think that is how you get new folk hooked on RL.

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Just Browny said:

Entertainment shouldn't just be an add on to the game, the whole experience should be an enhancement of the game, to give you the feeling that you are part of a special event. People are entitled to be interested only in seeing the players run on with their names read out over them PA, but I despair if people think that is how you get new folk hooked on RL.

"Oh no, we might have some people in the ground who don't know why 1895 is important and don't have a firm opinion on the six again rule but they thought this looked like being a fun evening. This is a disaster."

[Futtocks]

It's almost as if there wasn't a pre-existing "Grand Final Entertainment" thread.

[headtackle]

I go for the game and not the entertainment 

For me the sex pistols pretty vacant, Jerusalem and a Saints win was just the job

James sit down afterwards brought back good memories 

a serious point though is get the trophy presented quicker.  Loads of faffing and most Leeds fans gone before they got their medals.  
 

also make the stage face the end of the team that has won not the prawn sandwich brigade.  

[Anita Bath]

21 minutes ago, headtackle said:

I go for the game and not the entertainment 

For me the sex pistols pretty vacant, Jerusalem and a Saints win was just the job

James sit down afterwards brought back good memories 

a serious point though is get the trophy presented quicker.  Loads of faffing and most Leeds fans gone before they got their medals.  
 

also make the stage face the end of the team that has won not the prawn sandwich brigade.  

I have stopped waiting around for  the presentations. Used to be final whistle, handshakes, medals and cup. Now we turn the ground into a construction site for half an hour. Why do we need a stage building?
 

 

[redsi42]

Why wouldn’t you add all the extras to make it an absolute spectacle.  For gods sake it’s the game of the season.  If we can’t make it an occasion non fans look at and think I wouldn’t mind being their next time that looked incredible then we should give up now.  

[The Legend]

Wouldn't you much rather watch the best players playing against the best players in rep games? 

A full house watching that game with pride, belonging and history on the line in a war of the roses series would be a far greater spectacle. 

The state of origin has absolutely nothing close to the history of The War of the roses. So why is it kicking our back sides when it shouldn't be? 

Edited September 26, 2022 by The Legend

[clogdance]

If Status Quo would have been the half time entertainment, I would have attended the game.  

[The Legend]

10 minutes ago, clogdance said:

If Status Quo would have been the half time entertainment, I would have attended the game.  

Whatever you want

[Anita Bath]

One thing we never get in rugby league is status quo. They change things for the sake of changing them.