Which to me is a clear message that they want to try and cash in on the "neutral" fans going to the final and aren't so bothered about making it easy for the Bulls fans. Fair enough, I won't be going if they do that. If they have it on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon as they usually do (and not the Cup Final weekend), I'll go.

The Challenge Cup is obviously a Mickey Mouse competition as is the League. Although the latter is gaining a bit of credibility now we have won some matches

Where have you heard this?
If it is, that would be bl00dy stupid. I would be furious. So anyone travelling down on the Sat morn (most people) wouldn't be able to go.

We have all the free cup weekends, it should be one of those.

I've heard this. But just board gossip. Is there any fact to it?

www.totalrl.com/index.php?showtopic=175323 Quote It is therefore 80% certain that the re-arranged match will be at The Stoop on the weekend of 9th August, (Challenge Cup Semi-Final weekend)'"

www.totalrl.com/index.php?showtopic=175323 Quote It is therefore 80% certain that the re-arranged match will be at The Stoop on the weekend of 9th August, (Challenge Cup Semi-Final weekend)'"

Spot on. I hope the club are putting their foot down and arranging it at a time that is suitable for our fans to travel - which definitely isn't a Friday night.

Email from the club (yesterday admitedly):

At the moment the thinking is that it will be played on the Friday evening prior to the Challenge Cup Final. Whether that happens will be confirmed by Friday. If it is not going to be then, it is likely to be on August 8/9, which is not ideal because we play Quins on the 2nd at Odsal. The decision, when it is taken, will obviously be taken for Football reasons; i.e. when it is most suitable for the Coaches of both clubs. The RFL were keen for it to be played on a Wednesday between two Super League games – as per the rules – but the clubs argued against this and the compromise was the Challenge Cup weekend. However, London Scholars traditionally play a game on that night, hoping to attract a crowd who are there for the final. An agreement will have to be reached with them if it is to be that day.

Pretty daft rule then. It's pretty clear this is beneficial to no one. The rule should be changed to state "unless both teams have a free weekend"

Stuff the rules, it is a situation entirely outside the rules, we had an official fixture which the RFL insisted we cancel, to suit the wishes of Quins and the Aussies, for reasons which have nothing, at all, to do with Super League. It cost us money, and seriously affected our season.

There is nothing in the rules which says they can do this, but we were simply told that's how it is.

Despite the rules saying clearly that the fixture must be played as originally scheduled. It wasn't, and so the rules no longer apply to it; as it wasn't postponed under any rule, but on the whim/diktat of the RFL, so why would they apply?

Is there really a rule stating this!?
I wouldn't have thought an Aussie side coming over and playing a warm up would have been considered!

I don't specifically know, and I can't be arrsed looking it up. I was commenting on the basis that once a fixture is fixed, it must be fulfilled. Clubs can't postpone a fixture, without a special dispensation from the RFL so that must be right.


Well, obviously not, but that's exactly what happened.

Edit:
I have been sufficiently arrsed to have a quick scan of the Operational Rules and found these provisions, in addition to the well know "play next Wednesday" rule:

B1:18 If a Match cannot go ahead as scheduled or in the case of a further postponement or in
the case of a dispute, the Board will decide when and where the Match will be played.

The next bit confrims what I claimed:






I can't find anything which specifically gives the RFL the power to postpone the fixture like they did, but presumably on the basis that they make the fixtures and they make the rules, they can do what they like.

Getting soft in your old age.

That's how it looks to me!

Pah!

You're too late, and anyway, you [iknew[/i I'd have to look it up!

Thank God for that, I was getting worried.

When the Hull v Salford game was postponed in 2007 after the floods in Hull it was rearranged for the Cup semi weekend and was played on Sunday the 29th of July.

Im going to the Castleford V Halifax match ard really looking forward to it!

On the Quins V Bulls game being resheduled for the cup final weekend... nonsense. Why not stage it on the first available Sat/Sun cup weekend when we're not playing? Or is that too straight forward for the RFL?

I know they may be trying to get a load of neutrals attending, but I just dont think that will work and there will be far far fewer Bulls fans in attandance with it being a Friday night. Rubbish.

If it has to be played cup final weekend why not play on the Sunday afternoon ?

Why not as a double header and curtain raiser to the final.

& we get to play at Wembley afterall

they wanted to stage it on friday before cup final as a double header with skolars/keighley game at skolars ground. rfl and bulls were in favor but skolars refused as they've played a game friday before cup final last year or two and its one of their biggest attendance due to fans in town for cup final and they werent keen on sharing gate. Fair enough really. looking like we'll play weekend of cup semi finals now.

Now thats an idea

I'd definatly be up for that as I'm there anyway, great stuff...... if only

Like I said, I could see what they were getting at, but thinking selfishly a Friday night game in London would mean I couldn't go even though I'm at the final the day after. If its on the sat or sun of the semi or other weekend then I probably will go, so as a Bradford fan thats the better result for me.

A ground that only holds 1500 I don't think so.

dont shoot the messenger. only repeating what the quins fans have put on a thread on totalrl which they were supposedly told in a fans forum. Suppose they could have got it mixed up and skolars refused to move their fixture against keighley to stoop to make it a double header.