Loop fixtures to stay......

[Chris22]

Apologies for the slightly shameless plug, but I've written my thoughts on loop fixtures here. Whilst I'm not a fan, we can't ignore the reality that getting rid of them leaves a financial black hole with no obvious way of filling it.

[Derwent Parker]

2 hours ago, RugbyLeagueGeek said:

This seems a typical half-arsed compromise that ends up the worst of all worlds. It's no longer a pure knockout competition, but it isn't a group stage competition as the public would typically understand either (e.g. champions League, FIFA world cups, etc). Instead it's a convoluted mish-mash. Why not just keep the knockout format and stick all the super league teams in the hat a round earlier? Plus it's going to take 3 weeks to play the round with one team sitting out a week. Doesn't make any sense at all.

All PRO/ SEMI PRO teams should enter at the same time or as near as possible last 32 AS IT USED TO BE.

or maybe earlier last 64 ??? LOL - that will give them a few more games.???.

And shake things up a bit.  Put a bit of Jeopardy in there and have a few of the big guys taking each other out and not even reaching last 16. Will also help the lower teams earn a few quid and wont have any affect SL teams CF.

The days of giant killing may have gone - but the lower teams would be grateful of a saints/Wigan etc visiting and gaining a big gate and a big cash day [even at the expense of a thumping].

Or even the reverse and visiting a big club as CC gates are usually halved.

Plus Wigan / Saints and the other big boys could possibly take each other out early doors and give someone else a chance of a final. This years final was a breath of fresh air different teams. 

Seeding the big teams or saving them to the last minute to avoid anyone taking each other out early is just protectionism.

All the talk this last week since Sky money announced about loops, CC groups, 14 SL etc is all about how to get /Keep SL 1.5 Million CF and SL teams income stream.

Not a single mention of how to help L1 clubs who only get 20K CF - Challenge cup could help cos SL/ IMG and RLF arn't bothered.

[Jill Halfpenny fan]

3 hours ago, The Blues Ox said:

So for the group stages we are basically throwing teams in to groups that they literally have no chance of winning because of a seeding system so we end up with the 8 teams that they want to see in the 1/4 finals. That's not the magic of the cup. Its like a poor mans version of the Champions league but without any real risk to many of the SL teams.

Playing games seems to be too complicated. Just come up with another spreadsheet for the Cup.

Edited August 26, 2023 by Jill Halfpenny fan

[The Blues Ox]

2 hours ago, Jill Halfpenny fan said:

Playing games seems to be too complicated. Just come up with another spreadsheet for the Cup.

I like the idea and think it has legs. Could easily be done on the IMG scoring system and maybe add a few more stuff in there for how many rosettes a team sells for the cup and things like that. No need to play the games then and we can just have a presentation to the winning team each year. 

[sam4731]

I think my preferred solution to plugging the gap for loop fixtures and I've said it for a while is a third competition, one which could incorporate group stages whilst allowing the CC to remain purely knockout. It would be the Super League Cup. 4 groups of 3. Everyone plays each other home and away, that's 4 games (2 at home). Winner of each group into the semis. It would compliment the 1895 Cup as another chance for silverware for super league teams.

[burningmuscles]

Its mental to think 1993/94, we had a league of 16 teams. 30 fixtures, alongside 5 potential CC games, 5 potential Regal Trophy games, 3 potential Premiership games (and the season before that had the Lancashire/Yorkshire Cup, albeit with a league of 14 teams/26 fixtures). Using the first example, at least, that's max 43 games.

Then we decided there were too many games and teams to sustain "decent" quality RL. And now, having culled the amount of teams, and trophies, we need play loop fixtures to maintain financial solvency. 

The sport is the very definition of borderline personality disorder. 

 

 

Edited August 27, 2023 by burningmuscles

[Anita Bath]

Whats borderline about it?

[burningmuscles]

Touche.

But an angle to explore on during the initial years of the 22 game Super League was how much the World Club Challenge tournament was meant to play an integral part of the season. As it also seemed quite mad that many clubs could been "okay" with such a limited amount of league games. If so, it was a speculative bet to deconstruct the entire landscape of the season on.