Originally Posted by
JBT
And that is half the problem with the game as a whole, just accepting mediocrity. Accepting that there just aren't big games anymore, and only having the derby games as "big" games. Sport should be about developing, changing, improving, challenging yourself (as a person and as a team) to compete with the best, and that is something SL just doesn't do. Half of the "big teams" of old have fallen away (Cas, Widnes, Bradford). They don't develop any superstars and just rely on 2nd or 3rd rate overseas players to come in - where is the next Sculthorpe, Farrell, Sinfield, Burrow, Long, Cunningham, Wellens, Radlinski? How many times was the debate of who should start at fullback for England, who should be the hooker, who is the best half back pairing? No debate now really is there - the England and GB teams pretty much pick themselves because there is no one coming through to make what we have now any better.
IMO the game has become stagnant, boring and predictable for the most part - games you pretty much know who will win before kick off. You know who will be in the playoff's at the end of the season and who in the relegation fight. As much as I enjoy Saints winning the GF every year, I've pretty much switched off from SL now as a whole, as gone are the days of having pretty much a big game every week that you could look forward to as a neutral - Leeds v Bradford, Bradford v Wigan, Wigan v Hull, the Hull derby, Warrington v Widnes etc. Switching my TV on now to see Salford v Cas or HKR v Huddersfield with 3000 people in the ground isn't exactly what I'd call a great watch.
So yes, it might sound the same for the majority if some atmosphere is artificially pumped into the stadium, but I'm sure if clubs put their minds to it they could develop their own sounds - things to prompt fans into the usual old school chants etc. or even some new ones, to get the atmosphere where it should be to make the neutral or casual viewer tune in or stick with watching it.