Challenge Cup Semi-Final Draw

[Old Frightful]

21 minutes ago, FearTheVee said:

People moan about the same old finalists then moan when it’s not the same old finalists.

Good luck to the fans of Huddersfield - exciting times.

Completely agree.

[idrewthehaggis]

TBH the draw really has added some sparkle to the occasion.

How can you whinge.

Wigan v Saints. Two exciting quality side in a classic old school derby winner takes all.

And the real spice of KR and Huddersfield. Each striving to join the top table.

A lot at stake here kids.

Pretty certain the largest and loudest contingent will come from east Hull that day.

My observation (and may be wrong but..) is that some supporters from the Big Clubs are enduring "Success Fatigue."

It happened with LFC in the 90's, MUFC in the noughties, where winning is expected and anaemic and only losing provokes the blood. Now it occurs in our sport. Lucky them. Very lucky them I say.

I went to that 2015 final. It was not great. I was at that Million Pound Game and I danced all night that evening. Great for us, not Reevers. So KR fans have no love loss for us SRD. But hey the game would be a happier place if the winning was shared out some times. Go lads.

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

http://Challenge Cup: BBC to show men's semis and women's final at Elland Road on 7 May - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/61066671

All games to be shown on the BBC 

11:30 Women's Final on BBC2

14:30 Saints v Wigan BBC 1 

17:00 Huddersfield v Hull KR BBC2 

[voteronniegibbs]

.

[Scubby]

56 minutes ago, Cumbrian Fanatic said:

http://Challenge Cup: BBC to show men's semis and women's final at Elland Road on 7 May - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/61066671

All games to be shown on the BBC 

11:30 Women's Final on BBC2

14:30 Saints v Wigan BBC 1 

17:00 Huddersfield v Hull KR BBC2 

Why didn't they nudge the women's final to 12pm so they could finish in front of more of a crowd? That would give it a 1.45-2pm finish and plenty would be in the ground.

[johnh1]

13 minutes ago, Scubby said:

Why didn't they nudge the women's final to 12pm so they could finish in front of more of a crowd? That would give it a 1.45-2pm finish and plenty would be in the ground.

Golden point extra time then the cup ceremony then the lap of honour. Still need time for the warm ups.

[Scubby]

32 minutes ago, johnh1 said:

Golden point extra time then the cup ceremony then the lap of honour. Still need time for the warm ups.

Yep I understand just a shame. 

[meast]

4 hours ago, Scubby said:

The concern is that the RFL can't sell 30-40,000 tickets to neutral for RL's 2nd biggest showpiece of the year - not whether the finalists can do their job for them.

It wasn't that long ago finalists were given a 10,000 ticket allocation and the rest were sold to neutrals. The RFL has ###### about with the cup to such an extent and now seems to be managing its decline by keeping its fingers crossed that well supported clubs will get to the final and do their job for them.

The last final Huddersfield were in drew an attendance of 76,560. The Giants will probably take the same number of fans to Spurs as they did that day in 2009.

Possibly more, potentially, Huddersfield Town could be in the championship play off final at Wembley the next day, so could be lots of Huddersfudlians in London that weekend!

[Scubby]

Just now, meast said:

Possibly more, potentially, Huddersfield Town could be in the championship play off final at Wembley the next day, so could be lots of Huddersfudlians in London that weekend!

Yes I said this in another thread. I'm sure the club's would get together to cross promote if that was the case

[meast]

You'd think so!

But the new/old Town chairman doesn't seem to have much time for the Giants or Ken.

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

1 hour ago, Scubby said:

Why didn't they nudge the women's final to 12pm so they could finish in front of more of a crowd? That would give it a 1.45-2pm finish and plenty would be in the ground.

RE-reading it, it may be a 12:00 kick off as it now says build up underway from 11:30 

[Moove]

32 minutes ago, Cumbrian Fanatic said:

RE-reading it, it may be a 12:00 kick off as it now says build up underway from 11:30 

It is 12 noon kick off for the ladies final

[HKR AWAY DAYS]

18 hours ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

Catalans were made to pay £500k bond in case they reached the Final and didn’t sell enough tickets, if Catalans are required to do that so should any other club without a good enough following 

The governing body should have been taken to task for the very mention of that stupid idea. We shouldn't be using their stupid idea to impact clubs. 

[UBranger]

Both good semi finals. I think the Final should be in the North though. They could market it as a green final.

[Dave T]

21 hours ago, Scubby said:

This is poor form.

Honestly, Hull KR and Huddersfield deserve their shot on merit. Lots of very loyal supporters on both sides.

SKS has become nothing more than a troll now. 

[Dave T]

8 hours ago, Scubby said:

 

It wasn't that long ago finalists were given a 10,000 ticket allocation and the rest were sold to neutrals. The RFL has ###### about with the cup to such an extent and now seems to be managing its decline by keeping its fingers crossed that well supported clubs will get to the final and do their job for them

With respect, I suggest that is bs. 

Are you seriously suggesting that only a quarter of fans at Wembley finals used to be fans of the finalists? 

It's never been the case, and no other sport does that either. 

[Jughead]

Two good games. Saints or Wigan don’t need much of an introduction but both coaches of Hull KR and Huddersfield could have quite the story should they get through. 

[Scubby]

5 minutes ago, Dave T said:

With respect, I suggest that is bs. 

Are you seriously suggesting that only a quarter of fans at Wembley finals used to be fans of the finalists? 

It's never been the case, and no other sport does that either. 

Nope but fans used to get allocations and some bought direct in neutral areas. I am talking early SL here. I was there in 1999 it was about 5-6k from capacity and those spaces were in London end.

Now you can have half the stadium if you want. I am generalizing but it was common in the 1990s and even early 2000s. 2002 Wigan didn't sell their allocation for Murrayfield and that is where the two gaps were.

[Dave T]

1 minute ago, Scubby said:

Nope but fans used to get allocations and some bought direct in neutral areas. I am talking early SL here. I was there in 1999 it was about 5-6k from capacity and those spaces were in London end.

Now you can have half the stadium if you want. I am generalizing but it was common in the 1990s and even early 2000s. 2002 Wigan didn't sell their allocation for Murrayfield and that is where the two gaps were.

I would argue that the huge variations we see are from the finalists. 

Those first couple of finals from 2009 that Wire made the final, we took huge crowds, probably 25k, maybe more. I reckon Hudds took 15k. That would leave around 35k neutrals. 

When we played Saints I think we sold probably 10k and Saints 15k to 20k. Again, neutrals making up 30k plus. 

When I went on 1990 to see Wire v Wigan, I expect we took 20k and Wigan probably more. This would leave 30k plus neutrals. 

I believe the number of neutrals is around that 30k mark, maybe up to 40k for a real classic. But clubs who go regularly see their numbers dwindle as they stop being must-see events. 

Had Wire and Saints turned out in great numbers, we would have had 75k plus, but they didn't. 

Even events like the FA Cup Final probably have fewer neutral tickets (and they don't always sellout). In 2019 City had a 32k allocation. 

None of the above absolves the RFL at all. I think pricing and format has weakened it, and Wembley is horrible, but we shouldbt aim for somethibg that has never really been the case. 

[Scubby]

4 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I would argue that the huge variations we see are from the finalists. 

Those first couple of finals from 2009 that Wire made the final, we took huge crowds, probably 25k, maybe more. I reckon Hudds took 15k. That would leave around 35k neutrals. 

When we played Saints I think we sold probably 10k and Saints 15k to 20k. Again, neutrals making up 30k plus. 

When I went on 1990 to see Wire v Wigan, I expect we took 20k and Wigan probably more. This would leave 30k plus neutrals. 

I believe the number of neutrals is around that 30k mark, maybe up to 40k for a real classic. But clubs who go regularly see their numbers dwindle as they stop being must-see events. 

Had Wire and Saints turned out in great numbers, we would have had 75k plus, but they didn't. 

Even events like the FA Cup Final probably have fewer neutral tickets (and they don't always sellout). In 2019 City had a 32k allocation. 

None of the above absolves the RFL at all. I think pricing and format has weakened it, and Wembley is horrible, but we shouldbt aim for somethibg that has never really been the case. 

I said in my post that the problems is not fan allocations but the 30-40k neutrals which were attracted are now down to something like 15k at best. That means you are basically pleading with the finalists to take 20k each to get anywhere near a respectable crowd.

[GUBRATS]

16 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I would argue that the huge variations we see are from the finalists. 

Those first couple of finals from 2009 that Wire made the final, we took huge crowds, probably 25k, maybe more. I reckon Hudds took 15k. That would leave around 35k neutrals. 

When we played Saints I think we sold probably 10k and Saints 15k to 20k. Again, neutrals making up 30k plus. 

When I went on 1990 to see Wire v Wigan, I expect we took 20k and Wigan probably more. This would leave 30k plus neutrals. 

I believe the number of neutrals is around that 30k mark, maybe up to 40k for a real classic. But clubs who go regularly see their numbers dwindle as they stop being must-see events. 

Had Wire and Saints turned out in great numbers, we would have had 75k plus, but they didn't. 

Even events like the FA Cup Final probably have fewer neutral tickets (and they don't always sellout). In 2019 City had a 32k allocation. 

None of the above absolves the RFL at all. I think pricing and format has weakened it, and Wembley is horrible, but we shouldbt aim for somethibg that has never really been the case. 

Dave , how did they get there ?

[Harry Stottle]

45 minutes ago, Dave T said:

SKS has become nothing more than a troll now. 

"Has become" that's generous.

[Dave T]

13 minutes ago, Scubby said:

I said in my post that the problems is not fan allocations but the 30-40k neutrals which were attracted are now down to something like 15k at best. That means you are basically pleading with the finalists to take 20k each to get anywhere near a respectable crowd.

There is nothing to suggest neutrals make up only 15k or less. 

And I'm not sure why you think clubs shouldn't take 20k but double that number of neutrals should be interested. 

Of course clubs should be looking to take 20k.

In those days that you now crave for we didn't onky have 10k from each club. That's nonsense. 

[Scubby]

4 minutes ago, Dave T said:

There is nothing to suggest neutrals make up only 15k or less. 

And I'm not sure why you think clubs shouldn't take 20k but double that number of neutrals should be interested. 

Of course clubs should be looking to take 20k.

In those days that you now crave for we didn't onky have 10k from each club. That's nonsense. 

The crowd was circa 40k last year meaning we only sold 10-15k neutral tickets.

Covid on not that is the base we now have. Factor in Fev and York fans were in that number too.

[Dave T]

Just now, Scubby said:

The crowd was circa 40k last year meaning we only sold 10-15k neutral tickets.

Covid on not that is the base we now have. Factor in Fev and York fans were in that number too.

I didn't realise you were using a covid final to make your numbers up. 

The last proper final likely had 30k plus neutrals.