WHEN Mr Hammam breezed into Cardiff City five years ago, one of his stated aims was to take on rugby.

 The days of the Bluebirds switching games to avoid a clash with Wales rugby internationals had gone, he trumpeted.

 If anyone was forced to move the date and time of their match in the future, it should be the WRU as Cardiff City would become the most followed sports team in Wales.

 That was the theory, although, of course, it was never going to happen in reality. In fact, forget Mike Ruddock's men in red - this weekend Hammam's high-flying Bluebirds don't even know if they will get a bigger gate than their city rugby neighbours, Cardiff Blues.

 And when you consider the Bluebirds are eyeing the golden goose of the Premiership - yes, Man United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and co really are that close - it's staggering that this is a subject even open to debate.

 I can't think of another city where rugby is also big - including Newcastle, Leicester and Bristol - where the football team's gate would be eclipsed.

 What has happened to the Ninian Park crowds? How on earth can a team doing so well possibly draw an attendance lower than their rugby counterparts this weekend?

 Look, as Head of Sport on the Western Mail, I comprehend the Jonah Lomu factor as much as anyone. Our rugby correspondents will vouch for that. 'If you thought Paul wanted Gavin Henson stories, just imagine what he will be like with Lomu,' one told the other from the moment news broke of his audacious capture by the Blues.

 I willingly admit I've urged them to write about Lomu, Lomu, Lomu. And then to write about him again.

 You only have to note the anticipated Arms Park crowd on Saturday - an expected 12,500 sell-out - to understand the Lomu factor.

 Because, the Lomu signing apart, the Blues haven't exactly set the world on fire this season.

 They are doing okay in by far the weakest Heineken Cup group, but they are out of the Powergen Cup and languish third from bottom in the Celtic League.

 The Blues have had hammerings this term against Wasps, Perpignan and Leinster amongst others. They have lost seven of 12 competitive games.

 Meanwhile, a mile down the road, the Bluebirds are having an astonishingly good season.

 Halfway through the Championship campaign, they are in fifth place. And this was supposed to be a team who would be lucky not to get relegated!

 Another of Hammam's stated aims on arrival in Cardiff was that he would bring Premiership football to Wales.

 He said it would take 20 years. Five seasons into the 20, we're probably a lot closer to it than even Cardiff's outrageously optimistic chairman dared dream.

 Yet still the Ninian Park gates remain paltry at best.

 Even though these days Cardiff play the likes of Leeds, Southampton and Wolves, rather than Lincoln, Shrewsbury and Wycombe, the average Ninian attendance falls well short of Hammam's budgeted break-even figure of 13,000.

 And that was a figure set probably with consolidation, at best, in mind for this season, rather than for a team who would soar into one of the play-off spots.

 The Bluebirds may be up near the top of the table, but a glance at the Championship attendance figures shows them trailing down in 20th place out of 24.

 From 11 home League games this season, they so far have a total attendance of 121,621, at an average of 11,056 per match.

 Norwich, at the top of the attendance list, have had 276,588 fans flock through the Carrow Road turnstiles at an average of 25,144. For what it's worth, Norwich are in the bottom half of the Championship table, well below the City high-fliers.

 Saturday's clash with Derby is the last League game before Christmas - traditionally a time for low gates, with people going shopping to spend their money on presents instead.

 Who knows what the Ninian attendance will be on Saturday?

 But if it's less than the Blues draw - and the thousands of floating fans do look like opting for the Arms Park rather than Ninian Park - it will be seen as a right kick in the proverbials by Hammam.

 Dave Jones and his team couldn't have done any more to bring the crowds flocking back.

 The season is halfway old. If, in the next half, Ninian is turned into the intimidating Cardiff fortress of old by bigger crowds, then maybe, just maybe, the Bluebirds can remain in the play-off places.

 Their away form is certainly good enough.

 And if the Bluebirds can reach the play-offs, well it becomes a two-game lottery in the shoot-out to go up into the Premiership.

 As for Saturday's, attendance wise, I suspect Lomu and the Blues will shade the day.

 Everything considered, that's daft.