Preferred Semis draw:

Wigan/Saints vs Huddersfield/London
Leeds/Leigh vs Warrington/Catalans

Yeah, and our really easy run from the year before, you know, when we beat Saints, Wigan and Hull to get to the final. It's like we keep getting bye's into the final.

So do away with the games altogether and hand pick your finalists to 'avoid your embarrassment to the game'. Ah ha, the word game, game suggests sport, which is what our game used to be. It seems some just want it to be a powerpoint presentation as quoted by a well known journalist.

you can get their from southampton

Nah that embarrassment would involve your team.

Game, sport, no difference. I'm sorry that you find the truth hard to accept and it is an unfortunate situation but if Huddersfield or Catalans got to the final it would be a shambles. People on here were getting wound up when there were empty seats in the Leeds end last year, whatever would they say if the ground was over a third empty if either of these sides got to the final?

Did you have someone help you when you came up with that post?

Luckily we won't be troubling the final this year as I agree, it would be a farce.

Got it!!!! Scrap Challenge Cup and replace with the Elite Cup for Wigan/Saints/Leeds and Wire. The rest of you in Listers world can go do one as you are embarrassments to the game. Better still scrap RL altogether and the aforementioned can join the hybrid game.

No way will Wigan switch to Langtree Park. Why give up home advantage in a cup game?

Could always have a 1pm kick off on the Saturday. Unless there is an incredibly long extra-time period, it will finish 24 hours before the Sunday 3pm Wigan vs Wolves game.

Sigh. OK, you have you Catalans vs Huddersfield final and come back to me as to how it went. Seeing as Rugby League fans are utterly obsessed with attendances, I should hope that a 50k attendance would be a disgrace. Or would it be OK?

Now theres a surprise six non Yorkshire clubs and the two Yorkshire clubs get the nobodys. What chance Hudds/Leeds draw each other in the semi to provide the usual Lancs/Yorkshire final ???

Well considering that last year was the first time there's been a Yorks/Yorks and Lancs/Lancs semi final for at least 13 years (can't find Challenge Cup fixtures for pre 1997), then I can't see the odds being that high on a repeat.

Bit rich coming from a Salford fan. Remind me when you last won the League or the Challenge Cup?

Almost as bad, Sporting Life describing Leigh as "minnows". If we were Hemel Hempstead or South Wales Scorpions, then fair enough - but we're (arguably) one of the top 15 teams in Britain, for goodness sake!

Wigan v Saints is on the Saturday at 2.30pm, venue TBC.

As I wanna travel up from london glad the game is on saturday. Now waiting for the venue!

Wonder if they will go to HJ?

More Lister twittery



we have been to 2 finals in recent years and neither was a shambles and our support has gone up since then. But you keep writing cr*p.

Nothing to do with the fact it's basically free to get into your ground these days?



Once again, it's a shame the truth hurts you so much

Reebok or Leigh have been mentioned as potential venues, Langtree Park wont be taken into consideration apparently.

Leigh v Leeds - Friday (8pm) SKY
Wigan v Saints - Saturday (2:30PM) BBC
Catalan v Warrington - Sunday (2:50PM) BBC
Huddersfield v London - Sunday (5:30PM) SKY

Because they have too,

Also Its a shared gate so why should Saints lose out on a good payday just because the goons are haveing trouble with their landlord.

Isnt the Reebok too big. Cant see it being anywhere near a sell-out.

Don,t think Dave Whelan would risk the possibility of damaging the pitch (bad weather) if rugby is played on the Saturday, especially if Wigan have to go to the last game of the season to avoid relegation.

Its not the first time the Wigan Warriors cannot fulfil a scheduled rugby league game on there "Own Ground" its giving the game a bad image, playing second fiddle to the premiership football. If you don,t have the control to play on your own ground at the specific dates contracted by the BBC then they should lose home advantage.

Soccer match has been arranged since August. Surely that must have precedence. Although I don't know why Wigan can't play on the Saturday.

5.30 on a Sunday?! Nice to know they care about travelling fans (In b4 London don't have any fans). It's not often we get this far lol.

And the train tickets are so expensive! £90 with a railcard according to East Coast, they can jog on.

Hopefully it won't be moved. The fixture in 2008 was a night fixture ahead of an afternoon kick-off the next day - even I can grudgingly accept a turnaround would be difficult. If the 24-hour turnaround is Whelan's problem (as he stated), he's almost within that time frame with a 4.15-4.30 finish on the Saturday against a 3.00 ko the next day.

The pitch is a non-issue. A bit a cutting up from a RL game is nothing compared to the wear of a football match.

I'd opt for the Reebok. It's local and only holds 4,000 more than the DW. The Reebok won't get anywhere near selling out but you'd get more than at the HJ or Stobart, plus it's dead easy to get to, park at, etc. Leigh is the other option but Leigh are at home that day.

Last 10 CC Final attendances....
62,140
65,187Hudds
71,212
73,734
74,213
76,560Hudds
78,482
82,821
84,241Catalans
85,217

About 10% of The Challenge cup attendance has to do with who is playing and is 90% about the EVENT.

Catalans v Huddersfield would attract about 80,000 and be a real boost for the games image as no longer being just about Wigan, Leeds, Saints and...er.....that other team from up norf that anyone south of potters bar can never remember the name of.

Alas, I suspect it will be London Broncos v Leigh