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Clubs to discuss ditching Easter period


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Championship and League 1 clubs could drop the bust Easter period, RFL chief executive Ralph Rimmer has confirmed. Many believe the quickfire fixtures put too much strain on part-time players, with the demands of two games in four games being added to by full-time jobs. A number of players have spoken out on the Easter period and Rimmer admitted it…

The post Clubs to discuss ditching Easter period appeared first on Total Rugby League.

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I think Easter as a Festival of Rugby is a great tradition. It could be made even better if the games were spread over all four days of the holiday, no club plays more than once, full cooperation between Championship & L1 with Superleague, to offer double or even triple header bills of entertainment. Could be a big draw on the gates, provide huge opportunities for the TV audience, give more exposure to Champ's & L1's teams, as well as safeguarding player welfare. ?

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What's wrong with these guys? There was a time when  clubs played around 40 games in a season, the majority in Winter. Quite often due to cancelations they would play three games in a week, often in trying conditions.

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6 hours ago, frank said:

What's wrong with these guys? There was a time when  clubs played around 40 games in a season, the majority in Winter. Quite often due to cancelations they would play three games in a week, often in trying conditions.

And still be back down t’pit the following day.

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I think the Easter Monday games offer little. The main selling point is supposedly revenue but as we have seen time and time again many crowds are actually poor or at best are no better than a regular game. It's a flawed argument.

Allied to this Easter Monday games are poor, many players are often missing and two games close together increase the likelihood of further injuries. Just get rid.

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League One don’t play Easter Monday, so that’s fine.

The Championship should ditch the Easter Monday game and potentially look at making that weekend their biggest weekend of the season. Whether that’s building their Summer Bash around it (I know it’s not classed as summer, but neither is May) and doing something a bit different to generate some interest, I don’t know but one game is enough. 

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With the speed and physicality of the games these days it would be unfair to compare with the past. 

Easter Monday consistently brings below-average ticket sales and particularly non-attending season ticket holders, while there is the knock on effect of teams struggling for numbers and quality in the following weeks. As above, tonight’s game is a prime example of that. 

Although it does once again open the question of how to fit so many games in to a certain length of season, I think it’s time for just retaining Good Friday games. 

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29 minutes ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

League One don’t play Easter Monday, so that’s fine.

The Championship should ditch the Easter Monday game and potentially look at making that weekend their biggest weekend of the season. Whether that’s building their Summer Bash around it (I know it’s not classed as summer, but neither is May) and doing something a bit different to generate some interest, I don’t know but one game is enough. 

Could always play it on the Saturday and Sunday and call it the Easter Bash?

Thursday - Wakefield v Cas

Friday - 1pm Hull FC vs Hull KR, 3pm Wigan vs Saints, 8pm Leeds vs Huddersfield

Saturday & Sunday - Championship Easter Bash

Monday - 3pm Warrington vs Salford, 5pm Catalans vs London

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tbh I have always enjoyed Easter and the big derby games it used to bring

I do think now that times have changed and perhaps we should now treat it as a normal weekend with just one fixture. 

In recent years we seem to get some great derby games on Good Friday but the follow up fixtures on Easter Monday now seem to feature squad players and one sided scores

I think we need to protect Good Friday games as they are the big crowds but maybe just extend the season by a week would be the answer

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2 minutes ago, headtackle said:

tbh I have always enjoyed Easter and the big derby games it used to bring

I do think now that times have changed and perhaps we should now treat it as a normal weekend with just one fixture. 

In recent years we seem to get some great derby games on Good Friday but the follow up fixtures on Easter Monday now seem to feature squad players and one sided scores

I think we need to protect Good Friday games as they are the big crowds but maybe just extend the season by a week would be the answer

Or have 14 teams and get rid of the loop fixtures and Easter Monday and reduce the season by a week.

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16 minutes ago, headtackle said:

maybe just extend the season by a week would be the answer

If it gets extended any further it'll be two years long!

2 warning points:kolobok_dirol:  Non-Political

 

 

 

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I believe 3 games in 8 days is too much for all players given the physicality of the game nowadays. However, it begs the question what they are going to do with the 1895 cup, I was under the impression that some of those games are going to be played midweek. So 3 games in 8 days will become a fairly regular occurrence for teams that progress through a few rounds.

 

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17 minutes ago, DOGFATHER said:

I believe 3 games in 8 days is too much for all players given the physicality of the game nowadays. However, it begs the question what they are going to do with the 1895 cup, I was under the impression that some of those games are going to be played midweek. So 3 games in 8 days will become a fairly regular occurrence for teams that progress through a few rounds.

 

Second round is listed as 2-5 June so essentially any ties that involve a Championship side still in the Challenge Cup will have to be played midweek. 

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2 hours ago, Wellsy4HullFC said:

Could always play it on the Saturday and Sunday and call it the Easter Bash?

Thursday - Wakefield v Cas

Friday - 1pm Hull FC vs Hull KR, 3pm Wigan vs Saints, 8pm Leeds vs Huddersfield

Saturday & Sunday - Championship Easter Bash

Monday - 3pm Warrington vs Salford, 5pm Catalans vs London

Behave yourself, that’s far too sensible for Rugby League. 

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It’s once a year, it’s not new, people whinging need to get over it .... and the players do get paid for it! And if part time they will maybe even get paid twice in four days!

I’m convinced RL will turn into touch n pass eventually if we keep trying to sanitise the sport.

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9 minutes ago, Odsal Outlaw said:

It’s once a year, it’s not new, people whinging need to get over it .... and the players do get paid for it! And if part time they will maybe even get paid twice in four days!

I’m convinced RL will turn into touch n pass eventually if we keep trying to sanitise the sport.

What's it to do with sanitising the sport? Games are poor, teams are poor due to fatigue, teams are missing players due to injuries and players are more likely to get injured by playing 2 games in 4 days. To top it all crowds are poor. What are the plus points?

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20 hours ago, frank said:

What's wrong with these guys? There was a time when  clubs played around 40 games in a season, the majority in Winter. Quite often due to cancelations they would play three games in a week, often in trying conditions.

Yes ...  And back in the old millennium the forwards barely moved 5 yards at a time and the off side line was only 3 yards.

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Needs to be one game for each team over the weekend, maximise all the possible TV slots and don’t miss out on having games on the following Thursday and Friday slots.

Thursday - Leeds v Huddersfield

Friday - Hull Derby, Wigan v Saints 

Saturday - Wakey v cas, Bradford v York

Sunday - Warrington v Salford, Toronto v Toulouse

Monday - Catalans v London, Leigh v Widnes

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Those harking back to the old days seem to forget that the game is a different beast in the current era... The average RL player is now heavier and faster, the distance between the players at the ptb and set pieces leads to much higher energy impacts, and shot clocks and rule changes/interpretations have increased the amount of time the ball is in play (these deliberately with the aim of increasing player fatigue - see argument for the last round of rule changes). We also now know a lot more about the effects that playing has, both long and short term, on a players body. And we know that recovery time is essential to reduce these effects.

The Easter list fixture is arcane and, pretty much, goes against maintaining an elite sporting event. Change it to a single round played over four days just like all the others.

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6 hours ago, Damien said:

What's it to do with sanitising the sport? Games are poor, teams are poor due to fatigue, teams are missing players due to injuries and players are more likely to get injured by playing 2 games in 4 days. To top it all crowds are poor. What are the plus points?

Yes. A few people seem to be saying they would prefer to watch a ###### game to prove some kind of point about how hard the players are, rather than have a sensible discussion about whether the Easter period really works.

I have basically been on the same arc as headtackle, although I would like to see the season reduced by at least a couple of games.

I can confirm 30+ less sales for Scotland vs Italy at Workington, after this afternoons test purchase for the Tonga match, £7.50 is extremely reasonable, however a £2.50 'delivery' fee for a walk in purchase is beyond taking the mickey, good luck with that, it's cheaper on the telly.

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If the Challenge Cup Final is to move to an earlier t8me of the year then why not have just 1 round of games across Easter then the reverse fixtures are played on August Bank Holiday weekend.

Then the following year have the fixtures reversed so each team plays at home during Easter every second year.

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11 hours ago, Damien said:

What's it to do with sanitising the sport? Games are poor, teams are poor due to fatigue, teams are missing players due to injuries and players are more likely to get injured by playing 2 games in 4 days. To top it all crowds are poor. What are the plus points?

Sanitising the sport ... don’t make them play too often, don’t allow them to hit each other too hard and defo not with the shoulder, don’t allow a bit of (fair) biff - and we wonder why we start to get play acting creeping in.

Anyway, if the clubs didn’t want it they wouldn’t do it, they do. They need the income. 

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