Saints have put the sold out signs up: www.saintsrlfc.com/news/page/4706

Saints have put the sold out signs up: www.saintsrlfc.com/news/page/4706

With plenty of time to spare. Did not even get to the last payday.



Now may the usual suspects start moaning about how Saints, should have taken it to a bigger ground (paid rent to someone else and let someone else take money on food and drink) and not made money at Saints own ground as Saints could have got another couple of thousand which would never have covered the extra costs and loss of income.









You know, every silver lining has a cloud, its the RL fans way.

Well done Saints, hope we follow suit.

Saints will make a pretty penny on this game.



Here's hoping this expanded format becomes an annual thing.

Saints do right to hold it at their home ground. Pack it out and get a great atmosphere and really put the sh|ts up the Aussies from the start. It worked for Leeds in 2012.



Keeps all the money in RL too.

William will be busy scouring the internet collecting evidence of free ticket giveaways as we speak.

I'd hate to defend Mr Eve but congratulating ourselves for this is hardly makes it difficult for him

Has he even posted? It's one thing to argue with him, but if he was to respond no doubt any post he makes would be regarded as him stirring.



In the end if you poke the nest expect something to come out and respond.

Of course Saints should hold it at their own ground! Is anyone even suggesting different? I hope we see good attendances at all three games.

Yes, I suggest that the main game of the WCC be held at Wembley on a Sunday afternoon. That way we could possibly attract 50,000, with half of the fans from London and the south of England.



We could still hold the other games at M62 grounds for the parochial locals. The real rugby league fans would travel to Wembley for the big one, given the chance to return home at 4-5 pm on Sunday after a celebratory drink.

I wouldn't be averse to holding it at a big venue, but only if some set agreement can be reached with the Aussies. If it can be agreed that it'll alternate between here and Australia and get the dates set well in advance then we could market it.

Without that agreement though I don't think it'd work.



I think Wembley would be a tad too big though. I'd be tempted to think about the Olympic Stadium.

2 years to market the event. 54k stadium. Get travel deals in place for the SL clubs' fans.

If Leeds could get 38k at Elland Road with 4 months marketing I don't see why we can't get a decent crowd once every 2 years in that there London.



But, as usual with RL, it needs the sports' calendar to be organised. I honestly think the biggest step forward RL has taken in the last 30 years is to have a set World Cup cycle, we just need to get our other big events set now.

I forgot to add that the WCC in a limited or preferably extended (3-4 match) contest should be held two weeks after the weekend coordinated GFs of the NRL and SL. That will give the traveling teams time for a Mad Monday, Recovery Tuesday, Fitness Test Wednesday, and fly out on a Thursday.



You can still hold an international contest between nations starting the weekend after the WCC and you are still in October.



If it is the top 4 of each competition facing off (GF winners, GF losers, penultimate losers 1, penultimate losers 2), then you play it on a Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday afternoon or night, with the Big Game on Sunday afternoon.



I would like to see the BBC get the Saturday and Sunday games, without exclusivity (i.e. Sky gets duplicate rights for their own live telecasts).



However you could not market it properly two years in advance because nobody will know who all the teams are until the end of the two GFs. What will be required is a deal with airlines and hotels to keep blocs of seats and rooms at reduced (i.e. Advance purchase equivalent) prices for some of the traveling GF contestants fans.