As a long time follower of our sport I enjoyed a very good English & NZ defense & a tight game, but you are right that the casual viewer today would be underwhelmed to say the least. this would not be such a big problem if this was one of six or seven international games this year but it is 3 games in two years it tests the faithfull let alone new fans. We need to rebuild a tradition of international games but unless the Aussies loose thier love afair with their club & origin games we are stuffed.

Maybe there's not as much atmosphere because people are genuinely nervous about the outcome of the game, and more interested in seeing how it unfolds?



Games against the Aussies in recent years, even at home, we've gone into as massive underdogs so any bit of good play on the field has been cheered to the rafters. Now, in particular against the Kiwis, it's almost like Man City or Chelsea fans. There's an expectation that England will do well, and a nervousness about things when they don't start well as they haven't in both games so far.

Sorry but that is way wide of the mark, the vast majority of people attending from the Southern regions will have being before AND a decent % actually played the game to one level or another.

The simple fact is that the game was devoid of attacking rugby and was a turgid affair, the fans had nothing much to shout about no matter which part of the country you were from.

The lack of an atmosphere was completely down the dire game that was on the pitch. When England did something good and everyone started clapping and shouting, then it sounded good. But that might of been around 5 minutes out of the 80, appalling game to watch live. Something has to change next week or they will get beaten again.

I think it really was a missed opportunity. Plenty of non RL support there today. Cotton Traders, Tweed jackets, Eng RU shirts, Club RU shirts and we could only show them that. But they were there! Good job otherwise it would have looked a very poor attendance.

We need to stoke up the rivalry in the press, like boxing does. Build up some player rivalries on social media and the newspapers. Get the fans really wanting us to rip the Kiwis apart, then at the end shake hands and say well done to the winner.

Lets be honest if the OZZIE'S we hear has well we would then have also have been cheering the Kiwis when they played the Ozzie's has some one says we like the Kiwis to much its all

and

when we meet

Something I did notice yesterday was a lot of Kiwi fans, maybe it might have been an idea to sell a section of the stadium to Kiwi fans to generate more of an atmosphere?

On the ticket site there was indication of a block seats for NZ fans but you can't make them sit there.

Totally agree with you.

Makes you wonder if the series was being kept alive for next week





Couldn't' believe that we took the 2 points early on, instead of testing the Kiwis.

Macnamara must have been watching too much Union.

Apathy, lots of international rugby league apathy.

fy what you mean by thathe fans, the players, the coach, the tv pundits...something else?