IN a season of far more positives than negatives, one massive downer has to be the size of the crowds at the Galpharm.

Despite this being the Giants' best season in Super League, the home attendances have shown a worrying decline.

The average this year is 4,362, which is 360 down (or 8%) on 2003.

That puts Huddersfield down in 10th spot in the Super League IX attendance table.

Clearly, this has implications over their spending power. The more cash through the turnstiles, the more money can be spent on strengthening the squad.

No doubt it's something that has been discussed at length by members of the Giants' board, and it will be interesting to see what steps will be taken next season to try to reverse the trend.

It had been hoped the decision at the back end of the season to switch the kick-off times from 5.30 back to 3.00 would have a positive effect.

Unfortunately, that's not been the case, with just 3,231 turning up for the Castleford game and then 3,083 for the final home fixture of the season against Salford a week ago.

Before those matches, many believed Giants crowds were suffering because of the later kick-off times.

The evidence appears to prove otherwise.

And that suggests other factors may be to blame, with admission prices top of the hit list.

Although Giants season tickets offer excellent value for money and there are discounts for buying advanced match tickets, on-the-day admission remains high.

That's something which needs to be addressed.

But there's also a need for the Giants to embark on an aggressive pre-season marketing campaign, getting the message across that Super League action down at the Galpharm simply shouldn't be missed.

Promoting new signings Michae De Vere (an Australian Test centre), Brad Drew and returning hero Chris Thorman will clearly be a key marketing tool.

And it's already clear the club are already working flat-out to come up with a winning formula.

But loyal Giants fans also have an important role to play in trying to promote the club and attract more people down to the stadium.

Word of mouth is one of the most effective ways of selling a product, including a Super League club.

Telling everyone exactly how much the Giants have to offer can't do any harm, can it?

Average attendances: Leeds 16,027; Bradford 13,500; Wigan 12,649; Hull 11,458; Warrington 9,889; St Helens 9,507; Castleford 7,033; Widnes 6,199; Wakefield 4,804; Huddersfield 4,362; Salford 3,994; London 3,458.