I know it seems counter-intuitive but would it be better if the CC final was on Sky?

That way it's get a bigger build-up, more advertising and you'd see it on the likes of Sky Sports News throughout the week.

I'm not sure the Challenge Cup final being on BBC actually does anything for the game.

And there's plenty of us in St Helens who can't stand Liverpool in particular and United too. I don't know a single Liverpool 'fan' in the town who goes anywhere near Anfield.

A mate of mine who is a United season ticket holder gave away his ticket for their game on Saturday to go to Wembley with Saints. Not a good day for him either way.

I think the game is in real trouble if we are having to discuss the rejuvenation of the cup? I don’t think SKY are the answers as at least the BBC gives the posability of millions of viewers free to air. No matter what spin you put on it Sky is still a small player with the sports Chanel putting most effort into soccer we are just an afterthought. SKy also shows little respect for the cup by asking Warrington to play Thursday five days after Wembley.

Over 80 quid for a decent seat will not go down well with nuetrals or locals.T hat is the major factor for me its overpricedaswell as travel and accomodation of you dont want an early start or 10 hour round trip.

I had two free tickets but never went.

I would personally prefer the final to tour around the big stadiums, maybe try the grand final at Wembley.

I can see your point, gone are the days when a trip to London was the great highlight it once was. I personally would be happy if I never saw the overpriced blot on the countryside again. Try to make the final an event people would travel to see & make a weekend of Newcastle springs to mind maybe we could have stadiums/cities competing to hold it even take it to France/Spain as long as it’s zero cost to the game?

I thought the BBC coverage was pretty decent - they even avoided putting football updates and even full-time scorers over the coverage, so thumbs up from me.

At least having a foothold on the BBC does keep the game in the public space, we'd be truly forgotten if just on Sky - and I don't think Sky would bother to cover the early rounds (as the online BBC coverage does).

Agree with this. I think we should be more worried about getting 3-5k at league games rather than worry about getting 62k at Wembley. If we focus on getting more fans through the gates in Super League, I'm sure the overall interest would increase across the board.

As I Wire fan, I love my Wembley trips and feel privileged to have had so many recently. I've been to every one since I've been born and I can't understand any fan who wouldn't bother going to see their team play. I hope it never leaves.

If only the RFL owned their own stadium they could develop that was close to the motorway networks so that all supporters could reach the ground without a long journey.

I get your point put that place is a million miles away from being CC Final worthy in these modern times.

You call london an overpriced blot and in the next sentence suggest moving thw game to another country..... Do you happen to work for the RFL?

No I said that a trip to London is not the once a year event it used to be, most people have wider aspirations than to get ripped off for food, drink & hotels. Take the game to a place people might actually enjoy going to (& yes it’s my personal view & you would be correct in assuming I don’t like London one little bit)

No amount of emoticons can hide your crass idiocy, come on now.

Well, Slugger, you're not talking to the same folk I am. I know of two biggish amature clubs who used to run buses to Wembley, no longer do because nobody is interested in paying good money to watch, in their words, overpaid Aussies and has-beens. Ditto a number of Fev and Dewsbury fans who have no wish to shove money into an elitist SL event, their words, whilst their own clubs get sod all from SKY and occasionally get a resentful payday against a SL team.

People on here, not saying you, need to look and listen to what's being said and done ouside of the cosseted world of SL, it's not good news.

Does anybody know if Saints and Warrington will have to pay a bond similar to Toulouse for not selling out the stadium?

That was Ralph Rimmer's stupid idea and will remain so, nowt to do with the clubs ( including Cats ).

I would guess that an average crowd for a Saints v Wire game would be 10k or 12k.
A Widnes v Sheffield game 3k to 4k.
On that basis getting 60k plus for Wembley isn't a bad turn out.
Ok it doesn't fill the place but if it held 150k would we expect it to fill that.

As has been mentioned in other posts the days of neutral fans swelling the crowd have gone. People have other demands on their money and time these days.

Reading through previous post I recall one poster mentioning that he goes regularly as a neutral fan, just curious how many other posters go as neutrals, I know I wouldn't go again unless my own team was there.

Crass idiocy





from the person who had to change his username because of his own crassness and the idiocy of claiming RLFans is responsible for lower Wembley crowds

[urlhttps://twitter.com/raflrimmer/status/1167045110288326656?s=21[/url

I've no doubt some people say that but it's just cr ap. The days of bumper Wembley crowds in the 70s early 80s were witness to unfit, aged, bang average British players with an occasional superstar Aussie. Read posts on other team's boards. They're always full of supporters who have had a season ticket for 400 years but have had enough of the coach or referees & are never going again.
What I noticed this year was the lack of Leeds Rhinos supporters. A decent number, but nowhere like previous years. The usual great turnout from HKR/HFC. And not a single Wigan shirt. All weekend. Again.

It's a fair point and you wonder what the number is that defines a poor crowd.
Mind you there were still significantly more there this year (62000+) than last (50,000+)

The "bond" is an absolutely shocking idea.
At a time when "we" are trying to encourage clubs from N. America and France to join the comp, implementing a huge bod for overseas clubs to take part is just nonsense and the "exclusion" of clubs like Toronto and Toulouse, just further devalues the Cup.
Can you imagine if we reach the point where there are say, 4 N. American clubs and 2 (or 3) French clubs in SL and yet they didn't compete in the premier cup competition for our sport.
Maybe that's why the 1895 cup has been introduced



Once again RL fails to think through its own plans.

Doesn't matter if it's crap or not, that's how they feel and as a game, we can't afford people feeling like that.

You remind me of one of those creepy argumentative geeks who infested these kinds of forums in their early years before Twitter and Facebook thankfully hoovered them all up. You know the ones who pedantically twist every word before claiming they 'own' somebody, whilst simultaneously releasing some bodily fluid.

We've moved on a little since then and twisting what people say and then adding a way to many emoticons for someone truly convinced of their argument no longer qualifies as a debate. Move on.

If you don’t like people challenging you on nonsense you post then stop posting nonsense.

I refer you to my signature