Championship Shield Fixtures

[andyram]

First round of the shield will now be released on Thursday, with the rest of the rounds released on Monday 31st July.

Strange about the delay all of a sudden.

[graham fisher]

Wonder why? Wonder if Bulls situation as anything to do with it?

[Wilsden Ram]

More likely that there are problems with the clubs who don't have exclusive use of their grounds (50% of the 8) and have to seek permission for certain dates especially Bank Holiday Monday.

[andyram]

6 minutes ago, Wilsden Ram said:

More likely that there are problems with the clubs who don't have exclusive use of their grounds (50% of the 8) and have to seek permission for certain dates especially Bank Holiday Monday.

That would make sense, especially with Oldham, Rochdale playing on soccer grounds,was hoping we would be entertaining the Bulls on Bank Holiday Monday.

[Blind side johnny]

10 hours ago, Wilsden Ram said:

More likely that there are problems with the clubs who don't have exclusive use of their grounds (50% of the 8) and have to seek permission for certain dates especially Bank Holiday Monday.

No, there must be a conspiracy and intrigue behind it; logic and commonsense is just boring.

[coolie]

It must be really difficult to organise these fixtures around other factors if you break down the grounds

1.toulouse a field in a foreign country which will cost twice as much to travel to because of the school holidays.. And 3 times more to stay over because of the said holidays

2. Oldham playing on celtics football ground friendlies for the up coming season will all have to be taken into consideration. 

3. Rochdale same boat as Oldham

4. Swinton playing at sale Rugby yawnion will give them problems arranging fixtures

5. Batley their ground so no problems with them 

6. Dewsbury own ground no problems 

7. Bradford bulls currently playing at a big hole in the ground which they don't exactly own,currently on full housing benefit thanks to its generous landlord.

8. Sheffield eagles currently playing on the biggest traveller's site in Wakefield,with their hosts playing in the super 8's so that will be down to sky to dictate where,when any of the gypsy eagles games will be played

So 50% of the club's involved have to rely on what others are doing to work out their fixtures 

Headache for anyone that. 

[YOUNG UN]

Just to put this in perspective imo. It once again shows the inability of the RFL to meet deadlines. This is a professional sport and as such when a statement is made ie. "Fixtures for the Championship shield will be released on Wednesday 26 July", then that is the day they should be released. Had the RFL put out a statement at regular season end "Super 8's & Qualifier fixtures will be released on Tuesday 25 July and Championship Fixtures one week later", that would have been far more professional.

Other than the Halifax/Toulouse question re 4th place and Dewsbury/Rochdale re 8th, the RFL could have calculated fixtures to cover theses scenarios and adopted which ever when the final whistles blew. The RFL have been aware all season that Rochdale, Swinton, Oldham and Sheffield play on shared grounds and that Toulouse is in France. School holidays should not interfere with a fixture list and once again we all know when UK holidays start and we all know the play offs have always been scheduled for this period.

We are not talking rocket science here. It literally involves the affairs of 8 clubs.

Oldham RLFC, Stalybridge Celtic, Swinton, Sale RU, Rochdale, Rochdale AFC, Sheffield & Wakefield Wildcats.

I can just imagine after the final whistles went on Sunday the scene in Red Hall. " How the hell did Halifax qualify ahead of Toulouse? and how did Dewsbury manage to get 4 home games? Plus "I don't know whether any of you guy's have realised but we've got 4 teams playing on shared grounds. We should maybe have had a look at this earlier".

[Blind side johnny]

50 minutes ago, YOUNG UN said:

Just to put this in perspective imo. It once again shows the inability of the RFL to meet deadlines. This is a professional sport and as such when a statement is made ie. "Fixtures for the Championship shield will be released on Wednesday 26 July", then that is the day they should be released. Had the RFL put out a statement at regular season end "Super 8's & Qualifier fixtures will be released on Tuesday 25 July and Championship Fixtures one week later", that would have been far more professional.

Other than the Halifax/Toulouse question re 4th place and Dewsbury/Rochdale re 8th, the RFL could have calculated fixtures to cover theses scenarios and adopted which ever when the final whistles blew. The RFL have been aware all season that Rochdale, Swinton, Oldham and Sheffield play on shared grounds and that Toulouse is in France. School holidays should not interfere with a fixture list and once again we all know when UK holidays start and we all know the play offs have always been scheduled for this period.

We are not talking rocket science here. It literally involves the affairs of 8 clubs.

Oldham RLFC, Stalybridge Celtic, Swinton, Sale RU, Rochdale, Rochdale AFC, Sheffield & Wakefield Wildcats.

I can just imagine after the final whistles went on Sunday the scene in Red Hall. " How the hell did Halifax qualify ahead of Toulouse? and how did Dewsbury manage to get 4 home games? Plus "I don't know whether any of you guy's have realised but we've got 4 teams playing on shared grounds. We should maybe have had a look at this earlier".

Like you, I love criticising how others do their jobs. Also like you (I guess) this never happened to me when I was working for a living; of that I am grateful.

Do you know in detail the complexities of these tenants in negotiating with their landlords? (This isn't done by the RFL, as I'm sure you know.) Does everyone at Red Hall work every Sunday night? (I didn't, did you?) Do Sky have any influence upon the timing of the fixtures? (He who pays the piper, and all that.) Finally, what substantive difference does it make if the fixture are finalised a day late?

[redditchbulldog]

2 hours ago, Blind side johnny said:

Like you, I love criticising how others do their jobs. Also like you (I guess) this never happened to me when I was working for a living; of that I am grateful.

Do you know in detail the complexities of these tenants in negotiating with their landlords? (This isn't done by the RFL, as I'm sure you know.) Does everyone at Red Hall work every Sunday night? (I didn't, did you?) Do Sky have any influence upon the timing of the fixtures? (He who pays the piper, and all that.) Finally, what substantive difference does it make if the fixture are finalised a day late?

it could make a substantive difference for the fans if your club is away to Toulouse 1 st game , one days difference could be whether you get flights for 75 there and 60 back if booked yesterday and today same flights are 96 there and 80 back so 40 quid difference in just 24 hrs, so could be difference whether your ave joe could afford to go that match or not ... and will be same for the clubs if they have to stump up fares for players and staff

[Blind side johnny]

1 minute ago, redditchbulldog said:

it could make a substantive difference for the fans if your club is away to Toulouse 1 st game , one days difference could be whether you get flights for 75 there and 60 back if booked yesterday and today same flights are 96 there and 80 back so 40 quid difference in just 24 hrs, so could be difference whether your ave joe could afford to go that match or not ... and will be same for the clubs if they have to stump up fares for players and staff

So when Batley play Toulouse away, how many fans will be going?

[YOUNG UN]

Wow. You must know me personally. I don't just love criticising I make my living globally doing it with some of the planet's leading organisations. 

The one thing most of them have in common is looking for complexities before they arise and planning accordingly. It's the very reason they survive and become leading players in their particular sphere.

Whether it's SKY, The RFL, Tenants etc is irrelevant it is an issue which would have been foreseen and avoided with sound planning.

It is only minor, I agree, but it once again adds to the back catalogue of poor decision making by the people in charge of our sport and once again portrays RL in a poor light.

[redditchbulldog]

15 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

So when Batley play Toulouse away, how many fans will be going?

Who knows all depends when the game is as in will it be whenl in school hols or not ,whether any cheap flights about as some have done 2 trips this season already , i for one want to go again but all depends on prices  but knowing Batleys luck will be a week on saturday the 1st game ,

[andyram]

Any news on the first round of fixtures, very quiet on twitter from all the clubs.As it been delayed again?

[Blind side johnny]

Just now, andyram said:

Any news on the first round of fixtures, very quiet on twitter from all the clubs.As it been delayed again?

They just said the 27th but didn't commit to a time. The negotiations must be going down to the wire.

[EQUALIZER]

21 hours ago, Blind side johnny said:

So when Batley play Toulouse away, how many fans will be going?

jet 2 have reserved the last two rows

[Devon Ram]

4 hours ago, Blind side johnny said:

They just said the 27th but didn't commit to a time. The negotiations must be going down to the wire.

Any news or what's the hold up!!!!

[BODDINGTON LION]

All will be revealed on Monday giving some fans no time at all to make travel arrangements, RFL-- ######-up in a brewery comes to mind!

[RogerT]

Don't worry about how many Batley fans will go I advised them not to go and save their brass for a possible future trip to Toronto.

[Blind side johnny]

25 minutes ago, RogerT said:

Don't worry about how many Batley fans will go I advised them not to go and save their brass for a possible future trip to Toronto.

Yet you can't even make it as far as Dewsbury Roger!

 

 

[RogerT]

Correct my car and my feet always turn around at Batley Carr, the only way I get into Dewsbury is blindfolded.

[andyram]

[coolie]

2 minutes ago, andyram said:

Well done rfl lol

All 4 games within a 18 mile radius.. No games in Lancashire /greater Manchester 

Bradford got toulouse lol

Hope we play them the week after... To send them down lol

[Crown Flatter]

1 hour ago, coolie said:

Well done rfl lol

All 4 games within a 18 mile radius.. No games in Lancashire /greater Manchester 

Bradford got toulouse lol

Hope we play them the week after... To send them down lol

A wry smile from me when I read those fixtures, oh! and a little shake of the head too..

[coolie]

The fixtures list could be like a game of suduko. 

First round at home

Dewsbury 

Bradford 

Sheffield 

Batley

So going on the second round will be all away for these teams,and all the teams that was away in round 1 will be at home in round 2

I predict we've Oldham away in round 2

In that case if we beat Rochdale in round 1 and Oldham on round 2, and Oldham lose to Sheffield as expected...we're 1 point away from safety

[Blind side johnny]

17 hours ago, coolie said:

Well done rfl lol

All 4 games within a 18 mile radius.. No games in Lancashire /greater Manchester 

Bradford got toulouse lol

Hope we play them the week after... To send them down lol

If they lose one game then they are down, unless something unexpected happens that is.