The future of this year’s Challenge Cup will be discussed on Monday evening with a redraw among the possibilities.
The Championship and League 1 seasons were declared null and void last week, which has brought the involvement of the five remaining non-Super League clubs into question.
Newcastle, Sheffield, Featherstone, Widnes and York were all in the last sixteen, while Toronto Wolfpack’s withdrawal from the competition has added a further problem for the competition to contend with.
The Wolfpack were due to take on League 1 Newcastle, but Thunder’s potential withdrawal could mean that a bye would be included into the quarter-final stage.
Technically, Castleford, Catalans or Hull FC could reach the semi-final of the competition without playing a single game, should their last 16 opponents concede before drawing the bye in the last eight.
The matter is due to be discussed on Monday evening with a number of options on the table.
“We released a paper with different options highlighted. There’s a potential for a re-draw and other options,” said RFL chief executive Ralph Rimmer.
“Every table I have sat at from day one I’ve said there are no perfect solutions here and the same can be said here.
“We’ve got to have a helicopter view of what we’re facing and accept the fact there are not perfect solutions.”
