What are the reasons for keeping the Easter Weekend?

[Maximus Decimus]

Every year just before Easter we have the same arguments about whether the Easter Weekend as it currently is should be scrapped. It usually gets quickly forgotten before the same happens the year after. 

 

We're just about coming to the end of the affected period when the argument will probably be forgotten again until next year. For me this is when we need to have the discussion, in the cold light of day. Is it actually worth it? I'm actually at the point where I can't even see what the supposed plus points are. 

 

There are obvious downsides: modern players struggle to play 2 days in 4 games and this even goes into the 3rd game with some players playing 3 games in 8 days. This obviously affects the quality of the games and there is an issue over player welfare, I've always found the Monday game especially to be a very downbeat affair. This inevitably then favours the sides with bigger squads and more money when injuries occur; do we really want to be benefiting the big clubs? 

 

I could accept this once a year if there were benefits but I'm struggling to see why we actually do this in the first place. The first game is usually a big derby that is well attended and highly anticipated. The second more often than not is a regular run of the mill game with no meaningful boost to attendances. Hull FC won their big derby but got less than 10k for the undefeated Warrington at home. Wigan got a pretty poor 11k for their home game against Hull KR. Is this what we squeeze 3 rounds into a week and a half for?

 

IMO it is inevitable that the weekend will be switched to something more like the NRL do with big derbies spread over the weekend. The sooner this is done the better. 

[deluded pom?]

Keep it. It gets me two days off work.

[stevereed100]

Make it Easter Tuesday night and the following Sunday for all 12 teams. Benefit we the fans get a home game over Easter and the players at worst play 3 games in 10 days. Why did 6 teams play last night and 4 today?

[Maximus Decimus]

Make it Easter Tuesday night and the following Sunday for all 12 teams. Benefit we the fans get a home game over Easter and the players at worst play 3 games in 10 days. Why did 6 teams play last night and 4 today?

I don't think we need a home game at Easter. A big derby game is more than enough.

[Odsal Outlaw]

I think it's great, big derbies, good crowds, everyone gets a home game and plenty of RL on TV when lots of people are off work.

If professional players can't play a max of 3 games in 8 days once a year then they should get a different job. It's the same for all teams and painful to see the same minority moaning about it every year (usually Aussies).

[Maximus Decimus]

I think it's great, big derbies, good crowds, everyone gets a home game and plenty of RL on TV when lots of people are off work.

If professional players can't play a max of 3 games in 8 days once a year then they should get a different job. It's the same for all teams and painful to see the same minority moaning about it every year (usually Aussies).

The Thursday/Friday games have big derbies in front of big crowds but do the Monday games? Widnes have played Huddersfield, Hull etc in recent years in front of very average crowds.

The nature of the sport means that there is not enough recovery time to play 2 games in 4 days never mind 3 in 8. Nothing to do with it being their job, more the actual sport.

[Davo5]

The Monday games are usually poor quality,time to scrap the 2game Easter programe

[Maximus Decimus]

The Monday games are usually poor quality,time to scrap the 2game Easter programe

Poor quality and not particularly well attended. Like I said, I can't see the up sides compared to just having the Good Friday derbies.

I see plenty of downsides.

[Futtocks]

The Monday games are usually poor quality,time to scrap the 2game Easter programe

So select all the derbies (plus Catalans v who's left over), spread a single round of matches across all 4 days of the holiday weekend and maybe Sky might televise the lot (or most of them)? Could work.

 

With the increasing concern over the damage that professional sportspeople do to themselves, especially in collision sports, it might happen.

[Blind side johnny]

Make it Easter Tuesday night and the following Sunday for all 12 teams. Benefit we the fans get a home game over Easter and the players at worst play 3 games in 10 days. Why did 6 teams play last night and 4 today?

 

 

Sorry to break this to you but there are more than 12 teams, and always have been.

[Davo5]

So select all the derbies (plus Catalans v who's left over), spread a single round of matches across all 4 days of the holiday weekend and maybe Sky might televise the lot (or most of them)? Could work.

 

With the increasing concern over the damage that professional sportspeople do to themselves, especially in collision sports, it might happen.

Don't be silly,that makes perfect sense,something that is rarely acted on in our sport in this country.

[Maximus Decimus]

So select all the derbies (plus Catalans v who's left over), spread a single round of matches across all 4 days of the holiday weekend and maybe Sky might televise the lot (or most of them)? Could work.

With the increasing concern over the damage that professional sportspeople do to themselves, especially in collision sports, it might happen.

This makes perfect sense to all concerned. The game is too intense to play games too short together. If you listen to the coaches they just say that they spend the time between in recovery mode.

[Futtocks]

And we can binge-watch RL all through the Bank Holiday without that inconvenient gap on Saturday and Sunday.  

[Scubby]

The problem is we have given ourselves 30 regular weeks of SL plus challenge cup, plus WCS, plus play-offs. This means we have to cram it all in unless we want to be starting in January.

[Maximus Decimus]

The problem is we have given ourselves 30 regular weeks of SL plus challenge cup, plus WCS, plus play-offs. This means we have to cram it all in unless we want to be starting in January.

Tbf the WCS probably won't last much longer.

[yipyee]

Its Rugbys biggest weekend!

It pulls the biggest attendances of the season

Its a money spinner with all the sponsors turning out with freebies it also helps attract investment (as sponsors know their market they are targeting is maximised over easter).

Armchair fans make an effort to attend...

the games get big viewing figures...

And above all ...... its tradition!

[MancRL]

Poor quality and not particularly well attended. Like I said, I can't see the up sides compared to just having the Good Friday derbies.

I see plenty of downsides.

 

Quality not quantity. You're  spot on.

[yipyee]

Would more people attend the derbys (away crowd) if there wasnt a home game 3 days later?

[Scubby]

The thing is we could make a massive event out of it by spreading the games (one round) across the whole weekend. All six fixtures could be televised.

[Maximus Decimus]

Its Rugbys biggest weekend!

It pulls the biggest attendances of the season

Its a money spinner with all the sponsors turning out with freebies it also helps attract investment (as sponsors know their market they are targeting is maximised over easter).

Armchair fans make an effort to attend...

the games get big viewing figures...

And above all ...... its tradition!

 

Once again, this is a myth rather than the reality. The only one of these that stands up is the tradition argument.

 

The Good Friday games tick all your boxes, the Monday games do not.

 

The Friday games involved 3 derby sellouts, a near capacity game at Hull KR and 2 of the lower attended sides. The 4 derby games were the clubs main derbies for the year.

 

The Monday games involved 2 lesser derbies, and normal regular games. None of the crowds were significantly higher than usual if higher at all. The Wigan, Huddersfield and Hull crowds were arguably worse than expected. The Widnes one might appear to be bigger but IMO it had nothing to do with it being Easter and more to do with the start that we've had. 

 

I'm totally on board with having the big games at Easter but don't think the Monday games add anything especially when you consider all the downsides and the fact that 2 rounds are worse quality purely to play these games on Monday. 

[Blind side johnny]

And we can binge-watch RL all through the Bank Holiday without that inconvenient gap on Saturday and Sunday.

 

Only if you subscribe to Sky.

[Odsal Outlaw]

So do you increase the length of the season by a week? That would also impact the fatigue factor that people site for doing away with Easter games as the off season would be even shorter.

Do you lose the fixture all together? Try getting the clubs to sign off losing 1/13 of their gate receipts.

I think Easter week is great and we've actually had three rounds of close games as well.

[Futtocks]

Only if you subscribe to Sky.

Okay, you can have the commentary on the radio if you don't have Sky Sports.

[Maximus Decimus]

So do you increase the length of the season by a week? That would also impact the fatigue factor that people site for doing away with Easter games as the off season would be even shorter.

Do you lose the fixture all together? Try getting the clubs to sign off losing 1/13 of their gate receipts.

I think Easter week is great and we've actually had three rounds of close games as well.

 

The quality of games on the Monday is never particularly good and it wasn't this year. The players look visibly knackered every year. You end up with situations like this week where Widnes clearly sent out a weakened squad after already anticipating a big defeat.

 

Finding the space won't be difficult in the long run. It's only an issue while we have the Super 8s and they won't last much longer nor will the WCS. 

[Sports Prophet]

Do you lose the fixture all together? Try getting the clubs to sign off losing 1/13 of their gate receipts.

and therein lies the problem. The season is far too long in the first place. Club owners are not ambitious enough to consider reducing the season when evidence suggests that crowds are increased when fixtures are events, not fillers.

 

If the RFL want every game to count, then a 22 week Super League season is a must, followed by finals. Fewer fixtures equal exclusivity. Exclusivity creates demand.

 

Two games in four days are not conducive with a contact sport with such high impact.