Catalan for GF and Leigh for CC

[ELBOWSEYE]

I hope those predictions come true for RL, it will give the best boost for RL . I want wires to win GF like all fans want their team to be successful.But I see that the above outcome will be better for the sport

 

[LeytherRob]

19 minutes ago, ELBOWSEYE said:

I hope those predictions come true for RL, it will give the best boost for RL . I want wires to win GF like all fans want their team to be successful.But I see that the above outcome will be better for the sport

 

No arguments from me

[sam4731]

Why will Leigh winning the CC be good for rugby league? The increased exposure to new regions for the sport? The potential to offer up a big metropolitan area as a potential heavyweight of the sport to entice broadcasters? Or maybe its the fact that wealthy benefactors might be more interested in investing in the game now that a suburb of Wigan is coming to the top table of the sport?

[gazza77]

It will b

58 minutes ago, sam4731 said:

Why will Leigh winning the CC be good for rugby league? The increased exposure to new regions for the sport? The potential to offer up a big metropolitan area as a potential heavyweight of the sport to entice broadcasters? Or maybe its the fact that wealthy benefactors might be more interested in investing in the game now that a suburb of Wigan is coming to the top table of the sport?

It will be good for the sport, as it will be someone other than the handful of usual suspects. A change is as good as a rest and all that...

[WN83]

As much as I hope it doesn’t happen, I think the cup final would benefit from HKR getting there. They’d take a huge following and we need that, as neutrals seem to be falling away at the event. I’m hoping it’s a Wigan vs Leigh final with my Wigan hat on but I can’t help but feel the best final for the game would be HKR Vs Leigh. 
 

As for the Grand Final, it would be great in so many ways to see Catalans there again and to win it but the drop off in attendance hurts the game. Do the positives of a Catalans appearance outweigh the negatives? It’s so tough to give a definitive answer. What I do know, is that it’s been a cracking season so far and to have winners of both comps coming from outside the usual suspects (Saints, Wigan, Leeds etc) wouldn’t do the game any harm. 

Edited June 24, 2023 by WN83

[Gooleboy]

An Hull KR v Leigh final would make a refreshing change from the usual suspects.

[Eddie]

Agree with most of those above, yet another Saints v Wigan final (as much as I’d enjoy being in the crowd) must turn off the vast majority of people who aren’t a fan of either club. 

[Eddie]

Why were Leigh wearing Hull KR’s away strip yesterday? 
https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/news/12204/12909039/catalans-dragons-38-30-leigh-leopards-french-side-move-two-points-clear-at-top-of-super-league-table-with-win

[Jughead]

11 hours ago, ELBOWSEYE said:

I hope those predictions come true for RL, it will give the best boost for RL . I want wires to win GF like all fans want their team to be successful.But I see that the above outcome will be better for the sport

 

What is this “boost” people talk of when saying that the game would receive one if [insert club name] won a trophy? Would I struggle to get a ticket for Wembley in 2024 for the first time ever? Would the game suddenly be awash with new investment and sponsorship? Would broadcasters sit up and throw cash at the sport? Would playing numbers swell significantly? 

[Jughead]

28 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Agree with most of those above, yet another Saints v Wigan final (as much as I’d enjoy being in the crowd) must turn off the vast majority of people who aren’t a fan of either club. 

Just for reference, there’s been four Saints v Wigan finals in the past twenty years (that’s 40 finals, by the way), so hardly “yet another”. 

[sam4731]

10 hours ago, gazza77 said:

It will b

It will be good for the sport, as it will be someone other than the handful of usual suspects. A change is as good as a rest and all that...

We've had 6 different winners of the CC in the past 6 years. How has the game benefitted from this winning diversity?

[Dave T]

10 hours ago, gazza77 said:

 

It will be good for the sport, as it will be someone other than the handful of usual suspects. A change is as good as a rest and all that...

Here's the regular reminder that the challenge cup has seen 6 different winners in the last 6 years, with such usual suspects as Wire, Catalans and Hull in that list. 

Has it been good for the cup? 

[Dave T]

1 minute ago, sam4731 said:

We've had 6 different winners of the CC in the past 6 years. How has the game benefitted from this winning diversity?

Beat me to it Sam! 

[Gerrumonside ref]

I can’t quantify or qualify the benefit of it, but I can see part of the sporting media latching onto coverage of a Wigan-Leigh final differently to the other match ups if only for its David vs Goliath aspect.

It just seems a good ‘story’ so to speak - not that the other potential matchups don’t have appeal and validity.

I will happily admit though that it might not as other contributors have said spark a mad rush of season ticket sales and it would need some ‘push’ by Derek Beaumont and the RFL to grab sporting awareness.

 

Edited June 25, 2023 by Gerrumonside ref

[Jughead]

4 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

I can’t quantify or qualify the benefit of it, but I can see part of the sporting media latching onto coverage of a Wigan-Leigh final differently to the other match ups if only for its David vs Goliath aspect.

It just seems a good ‘story’ so to speak - not that the other potential matchups don’t have appeal and validity.

I will happily admit though that it might not as other contributors have said spark a mad rush of season ticket sales and it would need some ‘push’ by Derek Beaumont and the RFL to grab sporting awareness.

 

Wigan v Huddersfield - Big club who’ve won it more than anyone else v underdogs, hadn’t won the cup since 1953, from where the game was invented 

Saints v Cas - B2B League champions v massive underdogs who haven’t won it since 1986. 

Leeds v Salford - Covid cup final, big club v massive underdog who haven’t won it since 1938. 

Saints v Warrington - two big clubs in modern times, though trophies have not quite matched the investment at Wire, Wire were underdogs and a relatively local derby. 

Catalans v Warrington - Catalans were underdogs, only the second time they’d been to a final, French side at Wembley etc. 

That’s the last five finals and they mainly follow the narrative you think the media would like. Now, I don’t remember there being the media pile on for any of those finals and I don’t see how Leigh v Wigan, Saints v Wigan, Leigh v Hull KR or Saints v Hull KR are going to suddenly do what the previous five finals didn’t. 

[Gerrumonside ref]

1 minute ago, Jughead said:

Wigan v Huddersfield - Big club who’ve won it more than anyone else v underdogs, hadn’t won the cup since 1953, from where the game was invented 

Saints v Cas - B2B League champions v massive underdogs who haven’t won it since 1986. 

Leeds v Salford - Covid cup final, big club v massive underdog who haven’t won it since 1938. 

Saints v Warrington - two big clubs in modern times, though trophies have not quite matched the investment at Wire, Wire were underdogs and a relatively local derby. 

Catalans v Warrington - Catalans were underdogs, only the second time they’d been to a final, French side at Wembley etc. 

That’s the last five finals and they mainly follow the narrative you think the media would like. Now, I don’t remember there being the media pile on for any of those finals and I don’t see how Leigh v Wigan, Saints v Wigan, Leigh v Hull KR or Saints v Hull KR are going to suddenly do what the previous five finals didn’t. 

I bet you remember, if old enough, the Wigan-Sheffield Challenge Cup final though which shares similar ingredients?

I do take your broader point that unless the narrative is worked by Derek Beaumont, the RFL etc then the national sporting media might miss it.  We have to do the spadework as other much bigger sports do to ensure maximum coverage.  It’s a joint effort.

It’s not guaranteed at all that Wigan-Leigh will grab headlines if we sit around and do nothing.  If we tell our ‘story’ in a certain way though then I do see more potential than the other matchups.

[Johnny Ringo]

Those 2 are looking far more likely than Saints and Wigan. You can never right both off of course but Wigan are a shadow of themselves and rely too heavily on 1 player. Saints appear to be showing the cracks of long aged careers and looming transition years.

[Just Browny]

39 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Here's the regular reminder that the challenge cup has seen 6 different winners in the last 6 years, with such usual suspects as Wire, Catalans and Hull in that list. 

Has it been good for the cup? 

I think it has. It certainly has as a viewer of the cup. We have had some great competitions and finals over the last decade.

However it seems unlikely it would be enough on its own to turn around the systemic challenges knockout competitions face in all sports.

[Dave T]

4 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

I think it has. It certainly has as a viewer of the cup. We have had some great competitions and finals over the last decade.

However it seems unlikely it would be enough on its own to turn around the systemic challenges knockout competitions face in all sports.

Sure, it's been nice for us RL fans, but then I never stopped loving the cup, I've enjoyed seeing the likes of Halifax beat Saints, and Sheffield beat Wigan. 

But unless it translates into tangible benefits, it's hard to say it's good for the game and not just good for us. 

[Jughead]

23 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

I bet you remember, if old enough, the Wigan-Sheffield Challenge Cup final though which shares similar ingredients?

I do take your broader point that unless the narrative is worked by Derek Beaumont, the RFL etc then the national sporting media might miss it.  We have to do the spadework as other much bigger sports do to ensure maximum coverage.  It’s a joint effort.

It’s not guaranteed at all that Wigan-Leigh will grab headlines if we sit around and do nothing.  If we tell our ‘story’ in a certain way though then I do see more potential than the other matchups.

A final 25 years ago when media consumption was very different? Jesus. 

[gingerjon]

2 hours ago, sam4731 said:

How has the game benefitted from this winning diversity?

Imagine how much negativity there would be if every final really had been Saints v Wigan.

[Toby Chopra]

I think Leigh or HKR winning the cup  wouldn't do much for the game/cup in isolation - in fact it might do the opposite: show that the cup isn't a good measure of the best teams.

But if their victory was further evidence of said club becoming one of the top group of teams, I think it would send a more positive signal.

This is what the Catalans cup win did - alongside ever improving SL performance it cemented perceptions of them being in the top tier.

If Leigh or HKR could win the cup AND quality for the SL playoffs (and maybe even knock off one of the big dogs) then the cumulative effect could be very positive.

Both clubs could potentially do this.

[sam4731]

1 hour ago, gingerjon said:

Imagine how much negativity there would be if every final really had been Saints v Wigan.

I'm sure the wider BBC casual audience would rather see Hull KR vs Leigh

[Eddie]

5 hours ago, Jughead said:

Just for reference, there’s been four Saints v Wigan finals in the past twenty years (that’s 40 finals, by the way), so hardly “yet another”. 

Fair enough, my point however was the same clubs in the final all the time - ie always one of Leeds, Wigan and Saints, and often two of them. 

Edited June 25, 2023 by Eddie

[daz39]

I've heard there's a massive clamour for a Leigh v Hull Kr final so much so that the TV rental companies down in Basingstoke are bracing themselves for a massive rush come August, licence fees have gone through the roof is Canvey Island and a temporary red and white fanzone is being erected as we speak down in Exeter.

Don't get me started on what's planned for Lille, Reims and Besancon come October in the run up to the Catalans v Salford grand final.