England v Tonga series

[Phil W]

1 minute ago, Tommygilf said:

If there wasn't a test in Leeds next week, this would be a bigger crowd and a match in an appropriate London venue would have sold out.

This is on the RFL's organisational capacity, or lack of, not on fans.

Fully agree. Think most can agree the choice of Leeds and Huddersfield is bad planning. 

[DoubleD]

6 minutes ago, eal said:

Looking at this crowd, it is hard to argue that international rugby league is what the fans want the most. Perhaps English RL fans are more like their Australian counterparts than we realise?

In general club fans aren’t, I agree 

[Tommygilf]

4 minutes ago, eal said:

People in the heartlands are only capable of attending one test match per year?

The "heartlands" is a delusion.

[Tommygilf]

3 minutes ago, Phil W said:

Fully agree. Think most can agree the choice of Leeds and Huddersfield is bad planning. 

Call me biased but I'd have gone with Leeds because it always returns good international crowds, especially for more risky tours like this. Add in a London test too.

[GeordieSaint]

5 minutes ago, eal said:

People in the heartlands are only capable of attending one test match per year?

3 international games. On top of an entire league season. Challenge Cup games. Magic weekend. We do ask too much of a relatively small fan base.

[OriginalMrC]

42 minutes ago, eal said:

Looking at this crowd, it is hard to argue that international rugby league is what the fans want the most. Perhaps English RL fans are more like their Australian counterparts than we realise?

There's little appetite for international RL in heartlands areas yet the RFL continues to put multiple games there. One London test would have outsold these first two tests combined easily. 

[Mark S]

43 minutes ago, GeordieSaint said:

3 international games. On top of an entire league season. Challenge Cup games. Magic weekend. We do ask too much of a relatively small fan base.

The advantage union has if that the people who attend a game a Twickenham are not necessarily fans of the club game. The RFL need to looks at selling internationals to a wider audience. However, to do that there needs to be a well planned, consistent calendar of games. It also requires building the England team as a brand.

Edited October 28, 2023 by Mark S

[St Reatham]

Was the cost of hiring a stadium in London the reason why there isn’t a game there?

[bobbruce]

1 hour ago, Chrispmartha said:

When were the league fixtures announced and when was the tongan tour announced?

Are you expecting the RFL to time travel?

He still wouldn’t be happy. 

[Tommygilf]

3 minutes ago, St Reatham said:

Was the cost of hiring a stadium in London the reason why there isn’t a game there?

I really really doubt that was the reason for Huddersfield or Leeds or St Helens over Brentford for example.

[DoubleD]

1 minute ago, Tommygilf said:

I really really doubt that was the reason for Huddersfield or Leeds or St Helens over Brentford for example.

How do you know Brentford was willing to host a game?

Also a game at Brentford screams small time as much as a game at Huddersfield 

[Tommygilf]

1 minute ago, DoubleD said:

How do you know Brentford was willing to host a game?

Also a game at Brentford screams small time as much as a game at Huddersfield 

Brentford have lost London Irish as a tenant - and they are even away from home this afternoon!

It may not sound massive, but as a test in London it sells out 110%. Unlike every other ground in this series.

[HawkMan]

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Edited October 28, 2023 by HawkMan

[Damien]

5 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

How do you know Brentford was willing to host a game?

Also a game at Brentford screams small time as much as a game at Huddersfield 

But would sell to 17,000 different people and would still be more appealing for many as a weekend away etc.

[GeordieSaint]

23 minutes ago, Mark S said:

The advantage union has if that the people who attend a game a Twickenham are not necessarily fans of the club game. The RFL need to looks at selling internationals to a wider audience. However, to do that there needs to be a well planned, consistent calendar of games. It also requires building the England team as a brand.

I completely agree. Hard when you play in St Helens and Huddersfield though. At least Leeds is a city…

Edited October 28, 2023 by GeordieSaint

[Damien]

1 hour ago, eal said:

Looking at this crowd, it is hard to argue that international rugby league is what the fans want the most. Perhaps English RL fans are more like their Australian counterparts than we realise?

This is a really simplistic take and completely ignores why people haven't attended. I hope the RFL don't think similarly, and I wouldn't put it past them to, when every failure of this test series has been down to their own incompetence.

[Chris22]

I don't think it is hindsight to say that playing matches in both Huddersfield and Leeds was unwise, especially within 7 days of each other. 

I can't say I'm surprised by attendances between 11,000 and 13,000. Leeds tends to get stronger international crowds, so probably 15,000 next week.

If we play Samoa next year, I think we could be confident of getting crowds at least equal to these in places such as London or Coventry. And we would have the benefit of playing in front of a different crowd. I know it's not quite as simple as sticking a pin in a map and saying let's play there but hopefully more time to plan this time and we can show growth in 2024, against an opponent of comparable repute.

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, Tommygilf said:

If there wasn't a test in Leeds next week, this would be a bigger crowd and a match in an appropriate London venue would have sold out.

This is on the RFL's organisational capacity, or lack of, not on fans.

It should never be out on fans. Nobody has to go anywhere. It's always on those organising events. 

[Dave T]

All a bit lacklustre wasn't it. 

It all felt rather like last year's RLWC. 

I worry that the RFL have damaged international RL events in this country a fair bit. 

[Damien]

4 minutes ago, Dave T said:

All a bit lacklustre wasn't it. 

It all felt rather like last year's RLWC. 

I worry that the RFL have damaged international RL events in this country a fair bit. 

It really needs a fresh approach and to get out of the rut it has created for itself. It needs to be bold and confident in its ability as a governing body to sell the sport. The way it keeps doing the same and expecting different results is just madness.

[DoubleD]

1 hour ago, Tommygilf said:

Brentford have lost London Irish as a tenant - and they are even away from home this afternoon!

It may not sound massive, but as a test in London it sells out 110%. Unlike every other ground in this series.

Brentford were happy to lose London Irish, they don’t need a tenant now they are in the premiership.

It is highly unlikely a game there would’ve sold out even if they did agree anything 

Edited October 28, 2023 by DoubleD

[Chrispmartha]

9 minutes ago, Damien said:

It really needs a fresh approach and to get out of the rut it has created for itself. It needs to be bold and confident in its ability as a governing body to sell the sport. The way it keeps doing the same and expecting different results is just madness.

I suppose whats a bit disappointing in the venues and marketing is that this is a ground breaking test series, saying that if you read the match thread theres so much negativity about the actual game its not surprising traditional rl fans dont go.

Should be at least one game at a venue where theres not as many of these miserable fans

[RugbyLeagueGeek]

9 minutes ago, Dave T said:

All a bit lacklustre wasn't it. 

It all felt rather like last year's RLWC. 

I worry that the RFL have damaged international RL events in this country a fair bit. 

Couldn't agree more. It doesn't look overly attractive for prospective touring teams. Nor prospective attendees. I keep having people telling me how awesome the NFL events are in London (regardless of the game), and there's more and more choice for potential spectators these days. I took a load of workmates to England playing the Kiwis at Hull a few years back, and it was almost embarrassing - game was decent enough but the 'event' was non-existent and the atmosphere was like a morgue. The only England game I've been to in recent years where they bothered to make any sort of effort was the opener at St James' Park last year.

[Mark S]

The RFL need to get England players and coaches on celebrity TV shows and pod casts. That would help spread the word. 

Edited October 28, 2023 by Mark S

[RugbyLeagueGeek]

14 minutes ago, Damien said:

It really needs a fresh approach and to get out of the rut it has created for itself. It needs to be bold and confident in its ability as a governing body to sell the sport. The way it keeps doing the same and expecting different results is just madness.

This is why I get a bit depressed about the state of the game. The RFL isn't bold and confident, and they've engaged some external people who allegedly are bold and confident in IMG, but many of their recommendations have been rejected. Wasn't doing the same thing and expecting different results somebody's definition of insanity? The game desperately needs dynamic new leadership that's going to challenge the status quo and kick the game on to another level, but we've seen with Nige, Ralph and now Tone that we're just getting more of the same small-time thinking.