Moments to remember in 2023

[Tommygilf]

18 minutes ago, Zilla Budgie said:

Not really, the attendance was over 7K more than last years final that was at a better/newer stadium and included Wigan. So it's not even a talking point, never mind a big one. Warrington v Saints at Wembley in 2018 only had a crowd of 62K, compared to this years 58K.

 

Wigan vs Hudds wasn't at Wembley, and 62k is still more than 58k, despite having 2 of the clubs that are always winning things.

[phiggins]

37 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Wigan vs Hudds wasn't at Wembley, and 62k is still more than 58k, despite having 2 of the clubs that are always winning things.

There are different ways to look at this. If the 2 clubs are always winning things, shouldn't they be big clubs with big fanbases therefore big attendances?

Similarly, the 2022 final wasn't at Wembley, but didn't even sell out the Tottenham stadium. Would they have got more at Wembley? 

Personally, I'd like to see the final stay at Wembley, and more done to sell the occaision to neutrals, especially people in London. There's been an appetite for internationals, maybe they can be persuaded to attend a big cup final if told about it. From memory, I think IMG made two suggestions for the event, 1) move from August and 2) scrap magic weekend as it was diluting the showpiece occaisions. The RFL have done 1 (I hope they leave a month's gap between the semi and final) but 2) was thrown out

[Zilla Budgie]

2 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

Wigan vs Hudds wasn't at Wembley, and 62k is still more than 58k, despite having 2 of the clubs that are always winning things.

I know, hence my "it was at a better/newer stadium" and I was there also.

[Jill Halfpenny fan]

4 hours ago, Zilla Budgie said:

Warrington v Saints at Wembley in 2018 only had a crowd of 62K, compared to this years 58K.

 

If that was 2018 then Widnes took a few thousand to the 1895 cup final that day.

[Zilla Budgie]

53 minutes ago, Jill Halfpenny fan said:

If that was 2018 then Widnes took a few thousand to the 1895 cup final that day.

As did Leigh & Featherstone last year, probably about 5K.

[Mojo]

18 hours ago, Damien said:

I don't think stuff like that is memorable at all. Even in SL if things like that happened then I don't think of it as memorable. It's just another team winning a final really. 

A one off win yes its normal but doing a 3 peat in an era where there's salary cap it's very tough to do, I don't it'll be done ever again tbh. 4 Grand Finals in a row is near impossible in the salary cap era.

 

[Mojo]

18 hours ago, Damien said:

I don't think stuff like that is memorable at all. Even in SL if things like that happened then I don't think of it as memorable. It's just another team winning a final really. 

.

 

Edited November 18, 2023 by Mojo

[Harry Stottle]

22 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

The worst (non covid) all English Challenge Cup final attendance at Wembley since 1946 is a pretty big talking point from 2023.

Pretty significant for a Cup competition that appears to have its future format very much up for discussion.

Don't worry Tommy from that final one is a Grade 'A' club and the other will most likely not feature in SL after '24, but as a final departure message I would love nothing better than as in '23 they once again do the double over 'The Best Club' in the country, IMG says it is so it must be correct

Edited November 18, 2023 by Harry Stottle

[Damien]

1 hour ago, Mojo said:

A one off win yes its normal but doing a 3 peat in an era where there's salary cap it's very tough to do, I don't it'll be done ever again tbh. 4 Grand Finals in a row is near impossible in the salary cap era.

And? A great achievement sure, it doesn't mean its a memorable moment. The actual moment just boils down to another Grand Final winner.

[Tommygilf]

17 hours ago, phiggins said:

There are different ways to look at this. If the 2 clubs are always winning things, shouldn't they be big clubs with big fanbases therefore big attendances?

Similarly, the 2022 final wasn't at Wembley, but didn't even sell out the Tottenham stadium. Would they have got more at Wembley? 

Personally, I'd like to see the final stay at Wembley, and more done to sell the occaision to neutrals, especially people in London. There's been an appetite for internationals, maybe they can be persuaded to attend a big cup final if told about it. From memory, I think IMG made two suggestions for the event, 1) move from August and 2) scrap magic weekend as it was diluting the showpiece occaisions. The RFL have done 1 (I hope they leave a month's gap between the semi and final) but 2) was thrown out

I think we've tried it all within our traditional market now.

2 large teams. A large and a smaller team. 2 relatively well supported teams that haven't won a top tier trophy in decades. A Secondary cup final. Womens cup final. Move to bank holiday, move to june, move to July. A different stadium, back to Wembley.

Perhaps the cup is just not as big as it was?

I fully expect some sort of group stage to be introduced in the near future to guarantee (home) fixtures. Especially with the 1895 cup going the way it has and earlier round Challenge Cup attendances being notoriously poor. Whether that has an impact on the final though?

Its a massive moment for the sports oldest cup competition.

[Tommygilf]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

Don't worry Tommy from that final one is a Grade 'A' club and the other will most likely not feature in SL after '24, but as a final departure message I would love nothing better than as in '23 they once again do the double over 'The Best Club' in the country, IMG says it is so it must be correct

The edit really softens the blow there Harry

[Mojo]

48 minutes ago, Damien said:

And? A great achievement sure, it doesn't mean its a memorable moment. The actual moment just boils down to another Grand Final winner.

It'll be memorable because of the way it was won. Nathan Cleary's clutch moments in that final will never be forgotten. That's memorable enough for me

[Damien]

8 minutes ago, Mojo said:

It'll be memorable because of the way it was won. Nathan Cleary's clutch moments in that final will never be forgotten. That's memorable enough for me

Your entire argument up to now was about a 3 peat. This is a completely different reason.

I think you also overestimate how memorable NRL moments are on a UK forum.

Im happy to agree to disagree, whats memorable to one person wont be for another.

[Dunbar]

3 hours ago, Mojo said:

It'll be memorable because of the way it was won. Nathan Cleary's clutch moments in that final will never be forgotten. That's memorable enough for me

That's the point, these things are personal.

I am sure that the Cleary moment will live long in the memory of the Penrith fans (in particular) and those who follow the NRL and invested in it emotionally. 

I put the Sam Tomkins try to get Catalans to the Grand Final as a moment I will remember because it was a legend of the game getting to the Grand Final while another legend (James Roby) bowed out after a remarkable 20 year career.  That match would be the final one for either Tomkins or Roby and so was genuinely memorable. 

But I expect it didn't even register with many on the other side of the world, and why should it.

By definition, memorable moments have to have personal relevance otherwise why would they be memorable.

Your personal and my personal are not the same thing so we cannot persuade people that something should be more memorable for them.

[Bradman Better]

The rise of Reece Walsh as a super star at age 20.

[gogledd]

From a League 1 and North Wales Crusaders perspective its was an incredible season. Crusaders wer 0 wins from 7in the first half of the season. We played all but two of our home games 'on the road' (at Widnes, Llanrwst, Rhyl and Chester) and cme back from the dead to finish sixth. An incredible set of exciting play-off games saw us playing in the final for a place in the Championship!! Not to be; in the end Doncaster were the better team in the final. Congratulations to Donny and of course to Dewsbury who sprinted away from the rest of us.

Significant that we lost West Wales Raiders andLondon Skolars and Newcastle Thunder are looking to their supporters for a resurrection. League 1 needs help...and quickly. 

[Harry Stottle]

3 hours ago, gogledd said:

League 1 needs help...and quickly. 

Sadly I don't think that is the remit.