I’ll be going when we’re back at the DW. I want to take my lad to his first game now he’s just about old enough, but I won’t be going for the entertainment value. Just to ensure his loyalties are in the right place.

I still think the first game back will, and should, be packed to the rafters (as restrictions allow) and the first game back post restrictions should be also, further on from that and we’ll drop to the old crowd levels, if not less. You only have to look at social media to see that the fans disgruntlement isn’t limited to this forum.

I don’t think crowds will get back to pre pandemic levels for a long time sadly. I think people will have got out of the habit and when you add in the fact that a fair amount of people will still be pretty cautious about going in to areas packed with people.

The rugby on offer needs to be good to tempt as many people back as quickly as possible. What we’re dishing up at the moment won’t get any casual fans off the sofa or out of the pub. I loved being back at the game yesterday but the rugby on offer did it’s best to dampen the enthusiasm.

I really don’t see a grand rush to the turnstiles for the return to the DW,going to the match is a habit and once it’s broken it’s a hard one to get back in my humble opinion and let’s be fair pre pandemic they where hardly ever hanging the house full signs out even for the good Friday game

Funnily enough, I know quite a few people who's interest in Wigan & RL has grown over the pandemic. That's simply because it's been easier than ever to view every game on TV.

I'm also pretty confident that these people won't be rushing to the DW. They were casual fans that might have previously looked out for results and watched a few games on Sky, but they won't ever turn into "live" fans. They were however disappointed when the games switched back to different venues & on the our league app. All that will now happen is those fans will be lost to the club again.

Times have been changing for a while with crowds decreasing, whilst alternative choices becoming more abundant. The pandemic might be the final nail in the coffin and one that forces change (whether it is wanted by clubs or not).

To be fair I accept both valid points from NK and hengirl and I’ve just seen our first games back at home and when;

18/06 - KR
30/06 - Wire (On a Wednesday??!!)

So in summary; you’re both probably right.

Not sure why we’re having to wait till 18th June for a home game when others have had two already? I presume it’s our request as maybe work is getting done on the pitch. The only other thing I can’t think of is that the club want the chance of having bigger crowds comes then but that would be a dangerous tactic, given the easing of restrictions could always be put back.

People can talk about 7 from 7 all they want... but we are 0 from 1 in must win games this season.

Lam is 0 from 5 in the search for a trophy.

We’ll get found out soon enough.

I imagine that the delayed return for home games is down to the pitch having it's yearly maintenance

I remember, what, about a year ago on this forum someone reckoned we'd be so pleased to watch live sport that there'd be 15000 at the DW when crowds were allowed back. I thought that was crazy talk then, and I still do.

I do not have a down on Shorrocks. I think that he is a good young player who will make his future in the game. I see him a bit like Greg Burke though. He is a solid defending, ball playing forward who could add something different to an attack. Unfortunately he is being used as one of our clone middles or as a speculative centre.
For years now we have been in the position of throwing too many youngsters in at the same time because our senior players have not been up to the job.

I wouldn't get on Shorrocks' back; he's made a good contribution to the squad generally, and obviously will give it a shot wherever Lam asks him to play. But certainly no harm in giving him a rest if Tommy is fit, or even to give KPP a bit more game-time.

I must admit at the start of all this I did feel like we’d see a little boom when people could go back but then I didn’t think we’d be in this position as a country 14 months later. All the talk at the start was as though we’d just get a magic date where Covid disappeared and we all went crazy on a big weekend bender and just got back to normal. It became clear after a couple of months that it wouldn’t be the case and as we see now and will likely continue to see, things will be relaxed and tightened back up and we’ll be living with some form of restrictions or preventative measures for a long while to come. There will never be that magic date of things becoming totally normal and that means now it will be a tough ask to even get back to pre covid crowds, let alone see a surge in people desperate to get to games.