2024 attendance thread

[going for the corner]

12 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

Bold prediction time to the nearest 1,000.

Panthers v Broncos: 18,500

Warriors v Raiders: 18,000

Rorters v Bunnies: 38,500

Doggies v Titans: 13,500

Drags v Cows: 14,000

Tiggers v Sharkies: 17,000

Eels v Seagles: 24,500

Knights v Storm: 21,500

 

 

 

 

Just a little out with the panthers prediction 20k.

the warriors are playing in Christchurch which I believe is a 17k sellout.

I think the roosters v souths game will be around 31k.

dogs v titans 15k

dragons v cowboys 10k

tigers v sharks 13k

eels v manly 26k

knights v storm 23.5k

[Tommygilf]

Any suggestions for Challenge cup attendances?

[daz39]

9 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Any suggestions for Challenge cup attendances?

Can't see many home fans turning out at Huddersfield, £20 to watch 2 dire sides and only one stand open suggests they aren't expecting many.

2,800 is my guess.

[weighman]

1463 at Doncaster.

[Eddie]

1 hour ago, Tommygilf said:

Any suggestions for Challenge cup attendances?

Hull KR v Salford N/A

Leeds v Saints 8,000

Wigan v Sheffield 5,000

Huddersfield v Hull 2,500 

Leigh v Fev 3,500

Batley v Cas N/A

Wire v London 5,000

Halifax v Catalans 1,500

[meast]

17 hours ago, Eddie said:

Hull KR v Salford **SOLD OUT**  

 

 

 

Edited March 22 by meast

[Archie Gordon]

24 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Hull KR v Salford N/A

Leeds v Saints 8,000

Wigan v Sheffield 5,000

Huddersfield v Hull 2,500 

Leigh v Fev 3,500

Batley v Cas N/A

Wire v London 5,000

Halifax v Catalans 1,500

Yep. The CC is pretty low-key and that seems to be the way the RFL likes it.

[Sports Prophet]

2 hours ago, Archie Gordon said:

Yep. The CC is pretty low-key and that seems to be the way the RFL likes it.

Does the IMG remit extend to the CC?

[Tommygilf]

10 hours ago, Archie Gordon said:

Yep. The CC is pretty low-key and that seems to be the way the RFL likes it.

I think that is a very silly comment.

The RFL have been trying for years to do something about the decline in the Challenge Cup. Maybe its prestige is just in line with other knock out sporting cup competitions? 

Or, and I think this is the major point, it exists outside and indeed contrary to the main customer engagement we have built up and established over decades now by not being included on Season tickets. Leeds vs Saints will be a good like for like comparison to show this.

[Archie Gordon]

1 hour ago, Tommygilf said:

...

The RFL have been trying for years to do something about the decline in the Challenge Cup.

...

Precisely my point. They've been mitigating against decline - entry bonds for Cats, double/triple-header semis/finals, not putting all seats on sale, etc.

But absolutely zero focus on growth.

[Archie Gordon]

9 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

Does the IMG remit extend to the CC?

I believe so, yes. 

[HawkMan]

2 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

 Maybe its prestige is just in line with other knock out sporting cup competitions? 

 

What other sporting knock out competitions?

FA Cup Q Finals were all packed, Champions league knock out round likewise. T20 cricket and latter rounds seems popular. Rugby Union cups struggle, certainly, but CC problem is the lack of glamour ties, David against Goliath. SL teams should enter earlier.....simples.

Edited March 22 by HawkMan

[JonNgog]

Excellent sellout crowd for the Warriors in Christchurch today: https://x.com/mikeburgess99/status/1771070655095791696?s=46&t=8wIlQ43b9SxaQrrsf4MLtA

[Just Browny]

1 hour ago, Archie Gordon said:

Precisely my point. They've been mitigating against decline - entry bonds for Cats, double/triple-header semis/finals, not putting all seats on sale, etc.

But absolutely zero focus on growth.

They still get such basic things wrong, like having two weeks between rounds, meaning the gap between the draw and the fixtures is as little as 10 days for the current round. Completely ruins any chance of decent attendances, never mind the increased travel costs for clubs who have to travel long distance. I believe the travel for Catalans this weekend is costing them 42,000€.

[Tommygilf]

2 hours ago, HawkMan said:

What other sporting knock out competitions?

FA Cup Q Finals were all packed, Champions league knock out round likewise. T20 cricket and latter rounds seems popular. Rugby Union cups struggle, certainly, but CC problem is the lack of glamour ties, David against Goliath. SL teams should enter earlier.....simples.

The FA cup, prior to Covid and indeed arguably beyond, has spent 20 odd years trying to claim relevance.

Football's immense popularity and scarcity of affordable tickets (which the FA cup and notably the League Cup which you omitted) provide is the only reason the attendances are good. 

The challenge cups woes really aren't solved by seeing Leeds Rhinos C team smash a league 1 or NCL side by a 3 figure margin.

Edited March 22 by Tommygilf

[HawkMan]

10 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

The FA cup, prior to Covid and indeed arguably beyond, has spent 20 odd years trying to claim relevance.

Football's immense popularity and scarcity of affordable tickets (which the FA cup and notably the League Cup which you omitted) provide is the only reason the attendances are good. 

The challenge cups woes really aren't solved by seeing Leeds Rhinos C team smash a league 1 or NCL side by a 3 figure margin.

Oh okay , I thought 70,000 at OT proved fans thought Man Utd  v Liverpool in the FA Cup was popular,  obviously not , proves  nothing. No one cared, shame about Coventry's great win at a packed Wolves , fans only there because of cheaper tickets. ITV and BBC probably desperately regret they're wasting valuable air time showing stuff that no one cares about.

Hey, here's a thought,  Manchester teams at Wembley for the semis,  what an embarrassing situation,  bet ya the stadium will be half empty for both games.

Edited March 22 by HawkMan

[Damien]

5 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

I think that is a very silly comment.

The RFL have been trying for years to do something about the decline in the Challenge Cup. Maybe its prestige is just in line with other knock out sporting cup competitions? 

Or, and I think this is the major point, it exists outside and indeed contrary to the main customer engagement we have built up and established over decades now by not being included on Season tickets. Leeds vs Saints will be a good like for like comparison to show this.

Other competitions that have declined have done so because they were superseded by something else that was seen as bigger and better e.g FA Cup for the Champions League, RU domestic Cup for European Cup etc. I don't think that is the case with the Challenge Cup. We have only one other major final, which in itself s a stark reduction from 30 odd years ago when the Challenge Cup was far bigger than now, and even that doesn't compete in terms of timing.

[Tommygilf]

50 minutes ago, Damien said:

Other competitions that have declined have done so because they were superseded by something else that was seen as bigger and better e.g FA Cup for the Champions League, RU domestic Cup for European Cup etc. I don't think that is the case with the Challenge Cup. We have only one other major final, which in itself s a stark reduction from 30 odd years ago when the Challenge Cup was far bigger than now, and even that doesn't compete in terms of timing.

The cup has been superceded by the league?

[Tommygilf]

1 hour ago, HawkMan said:

Oh okay , I thought 70,000 at OT proved fans thought Man Utd  v Liverpool in the FA Cup was popular,  obviously not , proves  nothing. No one cared, shame about Coventry's great win at a packed Wolves , fans only there because of cheaper tickets. ITV and BBC probably desperately regret they're wasting valuable air time showing stuff that no one cares about.

Hey, here's a thought,  Manchester teams at Wembley for the semis,  what an embarrassing situation,  bet ya the stadium will be half empty for both games.

Well done on ignoring the first bit of the post mate, chapeau!

[Eddie]

6 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

I think that is a very silly comment.

The RFL have been trying for years to do something about the decline in the Challenge Cup. Maybe its prestige is just in line with other knock out sporting cup competitions? 

Or, and I think this is the major point, it exists outside and indeed contrary to the main customer engagement we have built up and established over decades now by not being included on Season tickets. Leeds vs Saints will be a good like for like comparison to show this.

What have the RFL been doing to arrest the decline of the Challenge Cup? Serious question btw. 

[HawkMan]

23 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Well done on ignoring the first bit of the post mate, chapeau!

I ignored nothing. Your words  attendances are good because of cheaper tickets. So if the price was the same as league games no one would bother going. It's a wonderfully comforting technique, if something might disprove an assertion you have just disqualify it. FA cup attendances prove nowt,  in an argument about why fans attend knock-out sports games, football fans are disqualified from the debate. 

You're conflating  popularity and importance. For top European chasing teams, FA cup is low priority,but its better to win it than win nothing as Ten Hag at Man Utd is probably hoping is the case for the sake of his job, for fans it certainly isn’t unimportant.

Edited March 22 by HawkMan

[Dave T]

13 minutes ago, Eddie said:

What have the RFL been doing to arrest the decline of the Challenge Cup? Serious question btw. 

I think that's a good question. Because on the surface they may appear to have done bits and bobs, but I don't think they have done anything of any substance. 

[Tommygilf]

26 minutes ago, Eddie said:

What have the RFL been doing to arrest the decline of the Challenge Cup? Serious question btw. 

They've tried different dates, different scheduling, bringing in other broadcasters (Sky had a few matches), heck they even tried a new venue at Spurs, they've tried SL teams in at different stages, they've introduced the 1895 Cup and Womens Challenge Cup.

They are also reportedly considering a new format of the whole competition.

[Tommygilf]

26 minutes ago, HawkMan said:

I ignored nothing. Your words  attendances are good because of cheaper tickets. So if the price was the same as league games no one would bother going. It's a wonderfully comforting technique, if something might disprove an assertion you have just disqualify it. FA cup attendances prove nowt,  in an argument about why fans attend knock-out sports games, football fans are disqualified from the debate. 

You're conflating  popularity and importance. For top European chasing teams, FA cup is low priority,but its better to win it than win nothing as Ten Hag at Man Utd is probably hoping is the case for the sake of his job, for fans it certainly isn’t unimportant.

Again, ignored the point made well done.

[Tommygilf]

15 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I think that's a good question. Because on the surface they may appear to have done bits and bobs, but I don't think they have done anything of any substance. 

A lot of it does feel superficial in retrospect, but perhaps that is because most of it doesn't feel like it has worked at all.