What's the big deal? Everyone knows when it is being played and where. Its at the DW. If they had started to sell tickets now then people would've moaned its an unecessary expense in the lead up to Christmas. Sell them in Feb when people have been paid again in January and recovered from Christmas.

You can still look forward to a game without an actual ticket. I think everyone that wants to go will be able to get a ticket and I would be surprised if it was a complete sell out. Will be 20k plus but I don't think it will sell out.

This, I've personally got an almost 7 week pay month coming up with getting paid early in December, had a quick check and we had 21k on when we played Cronulla, I doubt there'll be any issues with getting a ticket if you want one.

Last two WCC games have both been 21k attendances, anything over this is a bonus. Let's hope the club (and the sport) market the hell out of the game weeks in advance. I think a lot of Wigan fans will be keen to see such a strong team (new signings especially) in their first home game for such a competitive match.

Don't bother selling tickets for a prestige game announced in November until three weeks before it's played? Why?

By that logic I agree with you when you say "I would be surprised if it was a complete sell-out". It's certainly a very rugby league view of it, based in the parochial view that everyone lives an hour from the stadium, doesn't need to make any plans and the aim isn't to sell out as soon as possible.

I just don't get how having a physical ticket massively changes things? ST holders are guaranteed a seat ( I presume) so why would that change people's plans? Doesn't really matter when the ticket is bought does it.

You can still make provisional plans without having a physical ticket. As I said before anyone who wants a ticket will be able to get one. IMO.

It does matter. I can guarantee that Wigan would have sold 4-8 tickets to me by now. If it rolls into Feb the people I was going with may have changed their minds / have other plans / better offers. They aren't die hard RL fans from the M62 corridor but their money is worth the same.

Of course season ticket holders will get tickets but again thats a very RL view on how a prestige event like the WCC should be approached / marketed. You seem to think the important thing is that anyone who wants a ticket gets one as if it not selling out is some sort of bonus for people. I'm making the complete opposite point that you should be determined to sell it out early and starting selling tickets in Feb as you suggest would be a great way not to achieve that.

I'm in the camp as someone who'd have bought a ticket by now.

That being said and playing devil's advocate - if season ticket holders do get preference, then surely the club needed to give it more than 2 weeks after the renewal deadline before they went on general sale?

But people know about the game and have done so for weeks. They know the date and venue. Its not like the game will only be confirmed in February. People will know now whether they want to go or not. How will people have changed their minds purely because they haven't got a physical ticket?

I am going but I knew I would be going regardless of when the tickets go on sale. So it matters not a jot to me when I actually have the ticket in my hand. If someone is offered another option on the same night why can't they decline it in the knowledge that they will be going to the game (or would be incredibly unfortunate not to be able to by a ticket)

There's families choosing between food on the table or Xmas presents for their kids unfortunately and yet you expect everyone to snap up tickets and pay for them now in the most expensive month of the year. Not so bad as a single adult but a family of 4 is a different matter.

The Mary Earps GK shirt sold out in under 5 minutes on Monday, two weeks before Christmas. By your reckoning Nike should've started to sell them in April to ensure they would be sold out.

If the DW sells out it won't be anything to do with when the tickets are released.

It can't hurt to have the tickets on sale as early as possible and I think its perfectly justified to question why it takes so long now we know the game is on.

I agree here. As a business, the saying goes "better in our bank than yours".