Re: Catalans Home : Fri Feb 23, 2024 10:50 pm  

Well London did get people through the door. Huge credit there. I think announced at just over 5,000. Probably not quite that many but certainly comfortably over 4,000. Hospitality level was very well populated and packed in at the South Stand End. Hard to find space in By the Horns (not a huge space in fairness). A couple of weeks ago AFC Wimbledon Women had a crowd of 1,410. I was worried for London in comparison.

However they got the numbers in, it is a great achievement from where things have been. The only closed area was most (not all) of he lower Main Stand, so around 3,000 unavailable seats.

What a shame IMG decided that London as an area wasn't part of their strategy. They've made sure that there is no Southern presence in their future Super League.

Re: Catalans Home : Fri Feb 23, 2024 11:27 pm  

It was certainly a decent crowd though I agree probably not quite as big as claimed. IMG and the RFL might think the rating system is having the desired effect as for the first time in a long time (perhaps in Hughes sole tenure) an effort had clearly been made to get people through the gate. Good to see the better range of food outlets which seemed to be doing decent business.

The key now is to sustain that effort and improve the product on the pitch. Let's not forget that the most ranking points are awarded for performance.

Re: Catalans Home : Fri Feb 23, 2024 11:46 pm  

The positives - bumper crowd. Club clearly targeted RU and Rl clubs and various other organisations and got a good number of people in of varying ages. This seems to me to be a sensible approach. Fan zone was good- lots of food options. Atmosphere in ground decent although pretty cold and for obvious reasons energy maybe not as good as some less attended matches.
The team never stopped trying all through the game and worked very hard in defence.
The bad - nilled at home. Score flattered us. We could have played another 80 minutes and not scored. They were, literally in a different league to us. Very quick, fullback dealt with everything. Some very, very big players who we struggled to hold back. They ate up the ground. We barely made 20 metres before kicking. Abdull looks like he’s eaten a horse and then started on the cart but his kicking is absolutely lethal.
We’re clearly in a very tricky situation and there’s no need to write the season off just yet but I do fear our squad to the surprise of no one may not be up to the task and is too small. I just don’t think we are as creative as last year which bodes ill for drawing crowds in. Storey and Williams didn’t seem to play long minutes- did they pick up knocks? Kershaw is a very willing runner. Lots of hard work from Parata, Lovell amongst others but not a game for players to shine. I did not enjoy that game at all. Really not sure where we are this season.

Re: Catalans Home : Fri Feb 23, 2024 11:48 pm  

Will that many return to watch another mismatch- next time against Wigan? Which the pessimist in me feels could be even worse.
Maybe the numbers will be made up by Wigan fans?

Re: Catalans Home : Fri Feb 23, 2024 11:54 pm  

BigTime wrote:

I did not enjoy that game at all. Really not sure where we are this season.

This is the problem. It was 20 mins before there was anything to get the crowd going (I think it was a big hit from Sid that forced a knock on).

Despite the obvious (at least to the initiated) effort from our team it was dull because it was so one sided. Where was Waine ? He might have generated a bit of excitement.

Re: Catalans Home : Fri Feb 23, 2024 11:56 pm  

BigTime wrote:

The positives - bumper crowd. Club clearly targeted RU and Rl clubs and various other organisations and got a good number of people in of varying ages. This seems to me to be a sensible approach. Fan zone was good- lots of food options. Atmosphere in ground decent although pretty cold and for obvious reasons energy maybe not as good as some less attended matches.
The team never stopped trying all through the game and worked very hard in defence.
The bad - nilled at home. Score flattered us. We could have played another 80 minutes and not scored. They were, literally in a different league to us. Very quick, fullback dealt with everything. Some very, very big players who we struggled to hold back. They ate up the ground. We barely made 20 metres before kicking. Abdull looks like he’s eaten a horse and then started on the cart but his kicking is absolutely lethal.
We’re clearly in a very tricky situation and there’s no need to write the season off just yet but I do fear our squad to the surprise of no one may not be up to the task and is too small. I just don’t think we are as creative as last year which bodes ill for drawing crowds in. Storey and Williams didn’t seem to play long minutes- did they pick up knocks? Kershaw is a very willing runner. Lots of hard work from Parata, Lovell amongst others but not a game for players to shine. I did not enjoy that game at all. Really not sure where we are this season.

Good that we had a good turnout- hopefully some will return despite tonight’s loss.
Last season we were very much a mid table Championship side until we got some quality players in, namely Norman and Whare.
I’m not writing off the season yet ( and I recall from last season that our worst performances came in wet conditions) but without another quality player or two then pastings at home could become the norm. Admittedly we are missing a few key players but even so we are miles behind the top SL teams, unsurprisingly.
We’re going to have to hope we can get better results against the mid and lower table opposition I reckon.
Small matter of Wigan next home game……

Re: Catalans Home : Sat Feb 24, 2024 12:02 am  

jbuzza wrote:

This is the problem. It was 20 mins before there was anything to get the crowd going (I think it was a big hit from Sid that forced a knock on).

Despite the obvious (at least to the initiated) effort from our team it was dull because it was so one sided. Where was Waine ? He might have generated a bit of excitement.

Waine was handing out those clapper things in fan zone. Eccles in the online programme said he’s taken a knock and they are waiting to hear how bad it is. Walker seems close to returning.

Re: Catalans Home : Sat Feb 24, 2024 12:05 am  

BigTime wrote:

Waine was handing out those clapper things in fan zone.

It's a pity those TRY signs never got used

Re: Catalans Home : Sat Feb 24, 2024 12:06 am  

RfE wrote:

Good that we had a good turnout- hopefully some will return despite tonight’s loss.
Last season we were very much a mid table Championship side until we got some quality players in, namely Norman and Whare.
I’m not writing off the season yet ( and I recall from last season that our worst performances came in wet conditions) but without another quality player or two then pastings at home could become the norm. Admittedly we are missing a few key players but even so we are miles behind the top SL teams, unsurprisingly.
We’re going to have to hope we can get better results against the mid and lower table opposition I reckon.
Small matter of Wigan next home game……

Can’t argue with that. Feels just like 2022 season get big crowd in, team not up to it. Obviously Catalans are very good and our team is very much better than the team we put out at start of 2022 against Widnes and Whitehaven but, yet again, the concern is we have missed our one chance to impress and grow crowds. As an aside considering how difficult we have found to recruit FT in the Super League, gawd knows how we will get a squad together for next year. Anyway that’s a problem for a later date.

Re: Catalans Home : Sat Feb 24, 2024 12:09 am  

jbuzza wrote:

It's a pity those TRY signs never got used

Yup not even close. Loads handed out- never heard a one. Wonder if Boafo might be an option to create some mayhem. He has genuine pace, is elusive and is prepared to put in a defensive effort. Other than that it’s difficult to see how we change things up until Walker, Bienek in particular get fit.