Re: The Man Speaks! : Tue Nov 30, 2021 7:54 am  

wire-quin wrote:

We've had poor side for the past few years but fitness has at times won us games. That edge that we had has just disappeared.

This season's side is considerably weaker still.

Re: The Man Speaks! : Tue Nov 30, 2021 7:57 am  

Mash Tun wrote:

The 5000 target is very tough if not almost impossible but in the medium term we don’t know about a reorganisation and what it will look like. Playing bottom end SL/top end Champ type clubs in a SL2 will surely result in higher crowds than Sheffield and Whitehaven. Not 5000 but decent.

As for 2022, I expect a significant boost to crowds due to the Plough Lane factor, ie superior location & facilities that Ealing simply cannot match. A winning/competitive side will help keep them but there’s no way on earth that squad is going up when Leigh & Featherstone are signing NRL players.

That said, I’m not sure the squad is as uncompetitive as it’s being made out to be. Yes it’s part-time but this is a part-time comp in the main. Besides, this year’s squad was full-time and it finished seventh. FT is not a guarantee of success and PT is not a guarantee of failure.

While some of the players we have signed may be promising not many have much in the way of Championship experience.
The coach is also untried at this level.

Re: The Man Speaks! : Tue Nov 30, 2021 9:17 am  

RfE wrote:

The coach is also untried at this level.

At least he's done well at a lower level.....oh hold on !!

Re: The Man Speaks! : Tue Nov 30, 2021 9:22 am  

Mash Tun wrote:

The 5000 target is very tough if not almost impossible but in the medium term we don’t know about a reorganisation and what it will look like. Playing bottom end SL/top end Champ type clubs in a SL2 will surely result in higher crowds than Sheffield and Whitehaven. Not 5000 but decent.

As for 2022, I expect a significant boost to crowds due to the Plough Lane factor, ie superior location & facilities that Ealing simply cannot match. A winning/competitive side will help keep them but there’s no way on earth that squad is going up when Leigh & Featherstone are signing NRL players.

I'm sorry but I honestly do not see how this obsession Dons fans have with PL will magically make thousands of broncos fans return. Looking as PL yes its better than Ealing and Barnet, but is it superior to the Stoop, I think not, and its much smaller than when we played at the Valley.

You might get up to 2000 for the widnes game (as widnes might bring 1K, and the Novelty factor for the Dons fans as its the first game),but that would be a one-off attendance, and I suspect you will be back around 1K for the Haven game. What brings in fans is a winning successful team, challenging top half of the table in the playoffs, aiming for SuperLeague in three years. I also expect more widnes fans than home fans in that first game.

Re: The Man Speaks! : Tue Nov 30, 2021 11:19 am  

crashmon wrote:

I'm sorry but I honestly do not see how this obsession Dons fans have with PL will magically make thousands of broncos fans return. Looking as PL yes its better than Ealing and Barnet, but is it superior to the Stoop, I think not, and its much smaller than when we played at the Valley.

You might get up to 2000 for the widnes game (as widnes might bring 1K, and the Novelty factor for the Dons fans as its the first game),but that would be a one-off attendance, and I suspect you will be back around 1K for the Haven game. What brings in fans is a winning successful team, challenging top half of the table in the playoffs, aiming for SuperLeague in three years. I also expect more widnes fans than home fans in that first game.

Nobody has said PL will magically do anything. It will take time and effort - as David Hughes himself notes.

Re: The Man Speaks! : Tue Nov 30, 2021 11:37 am  

crashmon wrote:

I

You might get up to 2000 for the widnes game (as widnes might bring 1K.

IF Widnes, and that is a very BIF IF 1,000, it will be a First for Widnes for a long, long, long time!!!!

Re: The Man Speaks! : Tue Nov 30, 2021 11:45 am  

Mash Tun wrote:

Nobody has said PL will magically do anything. It will take time and effort - as David Hughes himself notes.

And do you think, based on the previous, Broncos will do what is needed or what it takes to get the fans in?? Will we see a well planned and thought out marketing strategy?? Or is it Hughes email...."please bring a mate".

You'll forgive me for having zero faith in the club getting this right

Re: The Man Speaks! : Tue Nov 30, 2021 11:59 am  

crashmon wrote:

I'm sorry but I honestly do not see how this obsession Dons fans have with PL will magically make thousands of broncos fans return. Looking as PL yes its better than Ealing and Barnet, but is it superior to the Stoop, I think not, and its much smaller than when we played at the Valley.

You might get up to 2000 for the widnes game (as widnes might bring 1K, and the Novelty factor for the Dons fans as its the first game),but that would be a one-off attendance, and I suspect you will be back around 1K for the Haven game. What brings in fans is a winning successful team, challenging top half of the table in the playoffs, aiming for SuperLeague in three years. I also expect more widnes fans than home fans in that first game.

Widnes won’t bring 100. They’re another club on the downward spiral.

Re: The Man Speaks! : Tue Nov 30, 2021 12:38 pm  

RfE wrote:

This season's side is considerably weaker still.

I share the majority’s legitimate concerns about the volume of L1 players we have brought in and, in particular, the volume from bottom end L1. In an ideal(ish) world Id have liked to see more experienced Championship players or top end L1 but we are where we are. Playing Devil’s advocate, a positive is that they are Coleman’s choices not any previous managers. They will know this and hopefully play for him and he can build the team and culture he wants.

The 1st three home games are important because in previous seasons they would have been (most likely) wins. We will see fairly quickly what the direction of travel is. I’m looking forward to those games. Fev Rovers less so! I think I’m washing my hair on that say.

Re: The Man Speaks! : Tue Nov 30, 2021 1:13 pm  

BigTime wrote:

I share the majority’s legitimate concerns about the volume of L1 players we have brought in and, in particular, the volume from bottom end L1. In an ideal(ish) world Id have liked to see more experienced Championship players or top end L1 but we are where we are. Playing Devil’s advocate, a positive is that they are Coleman’s choices not any previous managers. They will know this and hopefully play for him and he can build the team and culture he wants.

The 1st three home games are important because in previous seasons they would have been (most likely) wins. We will see fairly quickly what the direction of travel is. I’m looking forward to those games. Fev Rovers less so! I think I’m washing my hair on that say.

I'd be inclined to say that the first three home games are more important this season than for a number of years.
If we struggle in those games then I fear a lot of our home games later in the season will end up like the one at home to Toulouse in 2021.