Missed the last part. I won’t write off London winning. This is rugby league afterall and form fluctuates. I’d be dissapointed though but we seem to give teams more respect than we did previous years and I hope we give London the respect as it will be a long night if not.

If London make it through this year then I can see them building on that as their approach certainly seems like that of Wakefield’s in that you get the best value for your budget and no more.

It is going to be a tough season for the broncos this year, our aim has to be twofold! Survive the season in SL without too many embarrassing score lines, and build the fan base back up.
Sadly if we end up the wrong end of a few hidings then getting the supporters through the gate is not easy.
If we can manage it, then there might be some further investment to build on the brand.
Like you though I prefer to see a club build year on year like your lot with sensible spending.

Hmmm......up to what exactly? Last season in SL we averaged 1,294, last season at the Stoop we averaged 2,808....we "jettisoned" some 500 fans when we left TW2 and then a further 1,000 after the abject 2013 season where we won just 5 games.
Season ticket sales being up 25% means we may have sold 560 instead of 450......we had about a 50% walk up v ST attendance last year, so that would have us getting about a 2014 size attendance, which in my eyes is a massive failure.
3,000.......if we can't attract 3,000 on average then we really are just peeing in the wind (again)......and yes, it's easier to sell a winning side, but we really do need to see more than a van driving around Ealing in terms of marketing.......I have no doubt that St Dave of Swinton will feel all warm and fuzzy with the corporate lounge full, but given he's on first name terms with 85% of those in corp-hospo, it points to very few NEW fans attending and it's NEW fans that the club needs (as well as a few returning regulars)

I'll settle for 11th with a 2,808 average, but my head says 1,500 and 12th

Are you suggesting that 're building the fan base is not a good thing? Odd approach?
Any improvement in numbers is better than no improvement

Jesus wept......as apologist go, you really are up there! Hughes took control of a SL club with close to 5k average attendances.....I'll thank him when he get's us back there.....until then, 120 extra ST sales is for the Skolars to applaud!

I find myself agreeing with CMG here. Ive been quite underwhelmed with the "Promotion" so far. Please Please prove me wrong but I think this season is going to be quite a mare. Lack of improvement in the squad, Im not talking about spending loads on journey men aussies, but I expected a bit more strength in the squad. There is great work going on at London but a total mare of a season will do us no favours.

Why am I an apologist? I stated what the aims should be this year. Firstly staying in SL which is what this thread is about. On the back of that get more fans through the gate. Pretty simple.
As for raising the profile of the club, pretty sure we had some good coverage in the national press! That's a bit more than a van round Ealing.
Not sure why it has to turn into digging at DH thread

From where I stand a majority of threads on here turn into a digging at DH thread. It's about time someone changed the record

Couldn't àgree more.
Thread is about where we might be in 12 months, not where we were 5 years ago.
So will we finish better than 12th? Get a good start with first few games get some league points early on anything can happen. Key is keeping the squad fit, and making Ealing a difficult place for teams to come too

utter apologistic(sic) tripe, but indicative of the attitude that surrounds the club and 100% of the reason why Hughes continues to ignore the harsh reality that unless he markets the club, it will continue to cost him an arm and a leg.\

As for changing the record? You may think a 1,200 home attendance average is acceptable, but you'd be in the minority and I will continue to say as much until Hughes sells the club or moves on and we get an owner who can grasp the harsh realities of professional sports club ownership.


I didn't bring up building the fan base up...that was you in your normal "cloud cuckoo land" style....you then reckon that a couple of articles in the press pre-Christmas is a major development and will attract fans to the wedding venue in February....

Applauding someone for delivering us back to SL after their own brain farts got us relegated, but with 4,000 fewer fans than when they took control is apologism (sic) at the highest level