WE'RE REALLY BACK

[Hela Wigmen]

2 minutes ago, Cumbrian Fanatic said:

Just got an email from the RFL, Challenge cup final is on 17th Oct with Wembley provisionally booked while they wait to find out if fans can attend. This is one year when I'd definitely had the final in the north

Got the same email. England Football are due to play three games at Wembley in early October and the first is definitely behind closed doors. 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

18 minutes ago, Cumbrian Fanatic said:

Just got an email from the RFL, Challenge cup final is on 17th Oct with Wembley provisionally booked while they wait to find out if fans can attend. This is one year when I'd definitely had the final in the north

Just checked my email, got one as well which links to this article. Says there's a double header on BBC for the sixth round at John Smiths and gives the dates for other rounds but no venues confirmed as yet. Also says cup final venue yet to be confirmed. This would all suggest the lower league teams are taking part then. 

https://www.rugby-league.com/article/56908/coral-challenge-cup-2020?utm_campaign=95729_RFL_20200717_EML_CCFUpdate&utm_medium=EML&utm_source=CRM&dm_i=5PCB,21V5,7CTHW,7S3I,1

Edit. Just noticed further down article it says lower league clubs have got until the end of the month to confirm whether they are taking part. I'm guessing if they don't then their opponents will just get a walkover. 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

If we can't have a crowd in for the final then there really is no need to have it at Wembley with how much more it will cost to open Wembley as opposed to one of the club grounds and there's no point in making teams travel further than they have to.

An empty 90,000 capacity ground would seem really strange. Be interesting to see what the football is like. 

[Man of Kent]

12 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

If we can't have a crowd in for the final then there really is no need to have it at Wembley with how much more it will cost to open Wembley as opposed to one of the club grounds and there's no point in making teams travel further than they have to.

An empty 90,000 capacity ground would seem really strange. Be interesting to see what the football is like. 

If it is at Wembley let’s hope they use fake crowd noise. I saw the football play-off finals at an empty Wembley and the ‘industrial’ language echoing off the empty seats was highly audible!

[RS]

As a reminder the draw was as below

Leeds Rhinos versus Hull Kingston Rovers. 

Newcastle Thunder versus Toronto Wolfpack

Salford Red Devils versus St Helens

Sheffield Eagles versus Hull FC 

Wakefield Trinity versus Featherstone Rovers 

Widnes Vikings versus Catalans Dragons

Wigan Warriors versus Warrington Wolves 

York City Knights versus Castleford Tigers

[wiganermike]

The article about the revised schedule for the cup on the RFL website states a few times that the venue for the final is unconfirmed so I assume it will be decided based on whether or not a crowd can attend and how large said crowd could be. The uncertain nature of the venue IMO makes it more likely to be somewhere up north as that will be an easier sell at short notice (which seems inevitable) and which clubs are out of the cup when the decision is made could have a bearing on where is chosen. I also doubt that a crowd sufficient in size to warrant using Wembley would be permitted.

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

5 minutes ago, wiganermike said:

The article about the revised schedule for the cup on the RFL website states a few times that the venue for the final is unconfirmed so I assume it will be decided based on whether or not a crowd can attend and how large said crowd could be. The uncertain nature of the venue IMO makes it more likely to be somewhere up north as that will be an easier sell at short notice (which seems inevitable) and which clubs are out of the cup when the decision is made could have a bearing on where is chosen. I also doubt that a crowd sufficient in size to warrant using Wembley would be permitted.

My thoughts exactly,.

[Harry Stottle]

22 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

Looks like a tough end of the season but thank god we'll be getting some rugby back

Now lets make it a truly meaningful competition on the 23rd and it will be truly great, with the battle for the top 5 and hopefully emulate the considerable interest across all Rugby League area's that jeopardy created last season, without it we are going to see many games that don't matter, or just see the same clubs time and time again to create any interest.

I do apologise if this has been discussed further into the thread but it was in the opening paragraphs that grabbed my attention, and I do consider it very relevant, if for nothing else but being a Sky subscriber I want to be entertained, and obviously I still want P&R.

[HawkMan]

31 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

If we can't have a crowd in for the final then there really is no need to have it at Wembley with how much more it will cost to open Wembley as opposed to one of the club grounds and there's no point in making teams travel further than they have to.

An empty 90,000 capacity ground would seem really strange. Be interesting to see what the football is like. 

Football has already played two play off finals at Wembley. They were no stranger than other games at empty stadiums. I suppose it's about honouring the ideal of players rewarded by playing at the national stadium. 

[Tommygilf]

Just now, Harry Stottle said:

Now lets make it a truly meaningful competition on the 23rd and it will be truly great, with the battle for the top 5 and hopefully emulate the considerable interest across all Rugby League area's that jeopardy created last season, without it we are going to see many games that don't matter, or just see the same clubs time and time again to create any interest.

I do apologise if this has been discussed further into the thread but it was in the opening paragraphs that grabbed my attention, and I do consider it very relevant, if for nothing else but being a Sky subscriber I want to be entertained, and obviously I still want P&R.

Apparently its a simple top 4 play offs now Harry but yeah we'll see what comes about on the 23rd.

[The Hallucinating Goose]

1 minute ago, HawkMan said:

Football has already played two play off finals at Wembley. They were no stranger than other games at empty stadiums. I suppose it's about honouring the ideal of players rewarded by playing at the national stadium. 

Fair enough, I didn't watch those games, I agree players would like to play at the national stadium. 

[HawkMan]

4 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

Fair enough, I didn't watch those games, I agree players would like to play at the national stadium. 

Might be cost problem for RL, I don't know of the EFL has to pay to have their matches there,  after all FA own Wembley.

[Man of Kent]

I’m willing to bet a behind closed doors Cup final would be played at Huddersfield in keeping with the 125th anniversary.

[The Hallucinating Goose]

9 minutes ago, HawkMan said:

Might be cost problem for RL, I don't know of the EFL has to pay to have their matches there,  after all FA own Wembley.

Yeah it's the cost problem that I was thinking of when I said no point in having it at Wembley behind closed doors. 

[wiganermike]

2 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

I’m willing to bet a behind closed doors Cup final would be played at Huddersfield in keeping with the 125th anniversary.

That would be among the front runners IMO at present whether behind closed doors or with a small crowd permitted as it is a modern stadium that gives a good image on TV and also Huddersfield are already out of the cup so no risk of a finalist playing at home.

[Man of Kent]

"From October, we intend to bring back audiences in stadia and to allow conferences and other business events to recommence – again, these changes must be done in a Covid Secure way, subject to the successful outcome of pilots."  https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-statement-on-coronavirus-17-july-2020?utm_source=588bede5-cadd-427a-9b71-2d43d7c9e271&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate

[Hela Wigmen]

Wembley is going to take some battering over October with England v Wales (8th), England v Belgium (11th) and England v Denmark (14th) already on and then a possible cup final a few days later. 

[silverback]

30 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

I’m willing to bet a behind closed doors Cup final would be played at Huddersfield in keeping with the 125th anniversary.

Hope so,you can sit up top a banking and have a good view if its closed doors.

[EastLondonMike]

Does anyone on here know how many other sports will be back and operating at the same time? Just wondering if this is also a great opportunity to get some increased printed media presence. Hope the SL marketing team are preparing some creative ways to engage with the press (beyond the usual RL guys). Stats packs maybe, lockdown stories around certain players, weekly player diaries etc

Plenty of content to be created and fed to media once we're back. Another opportunity that can hopefully be grasped.

[gingerjon]

2 minutes ago, EastLondonMike said:

Does anyone on here know how many other sports will be back and operating at the same time? Just wondering if this is also a great opportunity to get some increased printed media presence. Hope the SL marketing team are preparing some creative ways to engage with the press (beyond the usual RL guys). Stats packs maybe, lockdown stories around certain players, weekly player diaries etc

Plenty of content to be created and fed to media once we're back. Another opportunity that can hopefully be grasped.

As far as I can tell, in August there will be the final few games of football's Champions League and Europa League; Formula 1; international cricket and some county cricket. Not sure about any others.

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

48 minutes ago, EastLondonMike said:

Does anyone on here know how many other sports will be back and operating at the same time? Just wondering if this is also a great opportunity to get some increased printed media presence. Hope the SL marketing team are preparing some creative ways to engage with the press (beyond the usual RL guys). Stats packs maybe, lockdown stories around certain players, weekly player diaries etc

Plenty of content to be created and fed to media once we're back. Another opportunity that can hopefully be grasped.

I've always thought we should we should do this anyway. If journalists aren't going to seek out anything to write about our game then collect, collate and provide it to them, spoon feeding if necessary to get the column inches. A media type ringing around all the clubs at least once a week then feeding to sports editors both national and regional. May not get many, or any takers but we've got to try something to up the profile.

[EastLondonMike]

10 minutes ago, Cumbrian Fanatic said:

I've always thought we should we should do this anyway. If journalists aren't going to seek out anything to write about our game then collect, collate and provide it to them, spoon feeding if necessary to get the column inches. A media type ringing around all the clubs at least once a week then feeding to sports editors both national and regional. May not get many, or any takers but we've got to try something to up the profile.

Absolutely. i know the RFL did have their media manager of a few years back writing plenty of articles and then fed to the media, some of which were used in various publications such as the old 'Sport' freebie given out on the London tube and in Manchester.

seem to recall a few years back when the NFL games in London started becoming regular that all journo's attending the game were given up to date stats throughout the game (at the end of every quarter) to help with their articles. Always thought that was a very sensible way to approach such things. And great content for the journo's.

Going into games also, you'd like to think milestones and achievements around certain clubs, players or even the fixture itself would be communicated to the press beforehand. Maybe they are? i don't know. Content is king afterall.

[Rupert Prince]

7 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

Got the same email. England Football are due to play three games at Wembley in early October and the first is definitely behind closed doors. 

Don't worry, everybody will still  be bending their knee backwards.

[Rupert Prince]

7 hours ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

If we can't have a crowd in for the final then there really is no need to have it at Wembley with how much more it will cost to open Wembley as opposed to one of the club grounds and there's no point in making teams travel further than they have to.

An empty 90,000 capacity ground would seem really strange. Be interesting to see what the football is like. 

No crowd, no fans taking themselves down to London.  A totally pointless exercise. 

Even a crowd would mean, quite correctly I think, that fans would have masks on public transport (trains and coaches) and cars strictly would only be limted to their bubble family.   Alcohol?  The whole point is to get this thing free of us by Christmas... why encourage thousands to travel, where any infection can be sent back?  And if an empty flashy stadium.... ?  Well that is plain stupid.

And whilst I am on about it... we are now having too many matches in a short time to limit an artificial time scale.  We should limit this season to 22 - extend it if needs be - and 22 next season as well and start next  season later. A decent pre-season.  Get prepared for the World Cup.  Even if it does not work at least try (try for gawds sake) an "origin"-type game(s).

[DoubleD]

2 hours ago, Rupert Prince said:

No crowd, no fans taking themselves down to London.  A totally pointless exercise. 

Even a crowd would mean, quite correctly I think, that fans would have masks on public transport (trains and coaches) and cars strictly would only be limted to their bubble family.   Alcohol?  The whole point is to get this thing free of us by Christmas... why encourage thousands to travel, where any infection can be sent back?  And if an empty flashy stadium.... ?  Well that is plain stupid.

And whilst I am on about it... we are now having too many matches in a short time to limit an artificial time scale.  We should limit this season to 22 - extend it if needs be - and 22 next season as well and start next  season later. A decent pre-season.  Get prepared for the World Cup.  Even if it does not work at least try (try for gawds sake) an "origin"-type game(s).

Glad you have such a positive view on it