Summer Bash date confirmed

[tms]

he Summer Bash will return to the rugby league calendar next year and  the two-day event will take place on the weekend of July 30/31

[georgeb1]

8 minutes ago, POR said:

he Summer Bash will return to the rugby league calendar next year and  the two-day event will take place on the weekend of July 30/31

Would be more than happy if we play you again at Blackpool , could be a great game

[tms]

18 minutes ago, georgeb1 said:

Would be more than happy if we play you again at Blackpool , could be a great game

Sorry G but the glamour tie will be Knights v Thunder

[J Phil Loxton]

46 minutes ago, georgeb1 said:

Would be more than happy if we play you again at Blackpool , could be a great game

I think they'll pair us with someone that could beat us like Leigh

[spanishknight]

6 minutes ago, J Phil Loxton said:

I think they'll pair us with someone that could beat us like Leigh

Or Halifax again.

[RobLambert]

Oh we'll be playing Leigh don't worry about that.....

[George1992]

My guess is Fev v Bradford with Leigh playing Widnes and Halifax facing Sheffield. 

[marklaspalmas]

Is Blackpool confirmed?

I thought they might change the venue.

[Monkeymagic22]

8 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

Is Blackpool confirmed?

I thought they might change the venue.

Blackpool works great. Can't see any reason to change It, in my opinion.

[spanishknight]

45 minutes ago, George1992 said:

My guess is Fev v Bradford with Leigh playing Widnes and Halifax facing Sheffield. 

Think London may play Sheffield, Leigh v Widnes, Bulls v Fax, Barrow v Thunder and Fev v Knights.

[The Phantom Horseman]

8 minutes ago, spanishknight said:

Think London may play Sheffield, Leigh v Widnes, Bulls v Fax, Barrow v Thunder and Fev v Knights.

If they're going by geographical location then that would make sense, you could see Widnes, who finished in the bottom half of the table last season,  feeling aggrieved if they were paired with full-time Leigh, who were in SL last season.

Who Leigh are paired with will have the major impact on the remaining fixtures. As mentioned, if geographical proximity is the main factor it will be Widnes; if full time v full time is what is wanted it will be Newcastle (can't see that though); otherwise we are the obvious candidates.

 

[tms]

As a rule they first look at  local derby's then geographical location finally competitive games because in their eyes they will attract bumper crowds

so first it will be west yorks derby  B v P heavy woolen D v R 

geographical location the north yorks pair K v T 

Finally in their eyes competitive games  L v F  B v LB  W v S

For me the only thing that could change is if they think L v W is a local derby and F v S is  a yorks derby

[J Phil Loxton]

1 hour ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

If they're going by geographical location then that would make sense, you could see Widnes, who finished in the bottom half of the table last season,  feeling aggrieved if they were paired with full-time Leigh, who were in SL last season.

Who Leigh are paired with will have the major impact on the remaining fixtures. As mentioned, if geographical proximity is the main factor it will be Widnes; if full time v full time is what is wanted it will be Newcastle (can't see that though); otherwise we are the obvious candidates.

 

The only advantage of a London v Sheffield game would be for London to pick up the Sheffield fans in their taxi on its way up the motorway.....SORRY Just a little light hearted joke

[The Phantom Horseman]

18 minutes ago, J Phil Loxton said:

The only advantage of a London v Sheffield game would be for London to pick up the Sheffield fans in their taxi on its way up the motorway.....SORRY Just a little light hearted joke

With Toronto and Toulouse both gone the actual scheduling should be a bit easier in terms of not wanting an empty stadium, us, Leigh and Bradford should bring plenty of fans with solid contributions from Widnes, Fax and a few others.

[J Phil Loxton]

25 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

With Toronto and Toulouse both gone the actual scheduling should be a bit easier in terms of not wanting an empty stadium, us, Leigh and Bradford should bring plenty of fans with solid contributions from Widnes, Fax and a few others.

I agree. If they open up with a tie of let's say Sheffield and London they should immediately follow it up with two well supported teams cos there is a habit of those fans starting to come in during half time of that previous game. I can understand it not being an open draw although it would be fairer. I just wonder if the fans of Batley and Dewsbury are fed up with that particular scheduling or would they prefer to play someone else? Over to Coolie.

[marklaspalmas]

Can we assume that in a 14 team Championship we will be playing 26 league games?

Or is that too much to ask?

[The Grinder]

22 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

Can we assume that in a 14 team Championship we will be playing 26 league games?

Or is that too much to ask?

Yes too much - you need an uneven set of games to justify the play-offs 

 

Personally I would go with the league placings from the year before (this would give Leigh v Fev, Fax v Batley, Bulls v Whitehaven, etc.)

However assuming we go with local derbies/matches that produce the biggest crowds, then I think you have to start with Cumbria, where there are three teams to deal with needing a fourth with the logical choices being Widnes or Newcastle, so something like the following may work if looking at geography:

Whitehaven v Workington, Barrow v Newcastle, York v Fev, Batley v Dewsbury, Fax v Bulls, Sheffield v London and Leigh v Widnes. 

However if you want two big games / big crowds to end each day then this would possibly give:

Leigh v Fev, Widnes v Bulls, Whitehaven v Workington, Barrow v Newcastle, Batley v Dewsbury, Sheffield v London and Fax v York .

[tms]

30 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

Can we assume that in a 14 team Championship we will be playing 26 league games?

Or is that too much to ask?

we start 10 weeks earlier than last year M so would hope the RFL can get their heads around all these extra free weeks and somehow  manage to squeeze in last years  lost four games 

[Ovenden Grunt]

1 hour ago, marklaspalmas said:

Can we assume that in a 14 team Championship we will be playing 26 league games?

Or is that too much to ask?

I'm sure I've read that it will be 26 league games plus the bash fixture unfortunately. The comments on here about who would play who at Blackpool say everything about why the extra fixture should be done away with. 

[The Grinder]

6 minutes ago, Ovenden Grunt said:

I'm sure I've read that it will be 26 league games plus the bash fixture unfortunately. The comments on here about who would play who at Blackpool say everything about why the extra fixture should be done away with. 

But how can you justify a play-off system without an uneven fixture list? 

As you know I'd prefer home/away fixture, top team auto up and a play-off game(s) for a 2nd promotion spot. However it is not where we are. The SL only want to allow one team up, the RFL want play-offs to extend the season for clubs (for example last season bar Fev & Toulouse plus the clubs fighting against relegation if it had been 1 up without play-offs most teams would have nothing to play for by July).

[Blind side johnny]

1 hour ago, The Grinder said:

Yes too much - you need an uneven set of games to justify the play-offs 

 

Personally I would go with the league placings from the year before (this would give Leigh v Fev, Fax v Batley, Bulls v Whitehaven, etc.)

However assuming we go with local derbies/matches that produce the biggest crowds, then I think you have to start with Cumbria, where there are three teams to deal with needing a fourth with the logical choices being Widnes or Newcastle, so something like the following may work if looking at geography:

Whitehaven v Workington, Barrow v Newcastle, York v Fev, Batley v Dewsbury, Fax v Bulls, Sheffield v London and Leigh v Widnes. 

However if you want two big games / big crowds to end each day then this would possibly give:

Leigh v Fev, Widnes v Bulls, Whitehaven v Workington, Barrow v Newcastle, Batley v Dewsbury, Sheffield v London and Fax v York .

Given that the games are played at a neutral venue, very rarely attract anyone other than the committed supporters of every team and are all televised, how does playing local derbies generate "the biggest crowd"?

[tms]

4 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

Given that the games are played at a neutral venue, very rarely attract anyone other than the committed supporters of every team and are all televised, how does playing local derbies generate "the biggest crowd"?

But you've got to understand B local derbies generate "the biggest crowd is the myopic view of the wonderful RFL

[Robin Evans]

7 hours ago, marklaspalmas said:

Is Blackpool confirmed?

I thought they might change the venue.

I'd hoped that they might change the venue..... 

There are those who love Blackpool.  I'm not one of them..... 

[Maureen T-k]

1 hour ago, Robin Evans said:

I'd hoped that they might change the venue..... 

There are those who love Blackpool.  I'm not one of them..... 

Just go for day Robin, that’s what I’ll be doing. 

[RobLambert]

5 hours ago, Maureen T-k said:

Just go for day Robin, that’s what I’ll be doing. 

 

14 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

you could see Widnes, who finished in the bottom half of the table last season,  feeling aggrieved if they were paired with full-time Leigh

 

We'll be playing Leigh.  Could be important again this year.  (I cant see us being so far clear in 2nd spot again)