Re: Challenge Cup 2020 : Tue Nov 19, 2019 7:01 pm  

rollin thunder wrote:

none of those clubs are being asked to put up bonds to secure there place in the competition though are they.

I agree that none of the clubs should be asked to put up bonds. That is discrimination - and those clubs might just be better supported at Wembley, than one or two of our UK clubs!

However, I do not believe that Toulouse would have been asked to put up a bond to play in the 1895 Cup, or at the Summer Bash. Not participating in those competitions could give them an advantage over UK clubs, in the Championship.

Re: Challenge Cup 2020 : Tue Nov 19, 2019 9:36 pm  

I very much doubt that bonds have been demanded this coming season due to the furore of last, even if they were I doubt Toulouse as a Championship club would have been asked.

Looking at the facts we know. Toulouse have decided not to enter the Challenge Cup, the 1895 Cup & the Summer Bash & have requested & been rewarded with a home game instead by the RFL.

So, TO13 avoid any travel to the U.K for the Summer Bash & now have an 'Extra' home game instead, saving money & gaining an unfair advantage on all other Championship clubs. TO13 also elect not to enter both the Challenge Cup & 1895 Cup & avoid travel & costs again.
By avoiding all 3 comps they avoid any potential injury & fatigue issues as well as any travel fatigue & costs while also gaining more recovery time between games & so on.

At what point of all this are the RFL in charge ?
TO13 it would seem make their requests/demands & the RFL just say "Yes" ! Is the RFL a conduit in guiding TO13 helpfully towards promotion by their action/inaction ???

Re: Challenge Cup 2020 : Tue Nov 19, 2019 9:44 pm  

Ste100Centurions wrote: I very much doubt that bonds have been demanded I'll stop you there... Catalans Dragons, who became the first overseas club to win the competition in 2018, will take part after once more agreeing to cover any shortfall in gate receipts in the event of them reaching the final. from https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/50472532 I agree that TOXIII do seem to be able to pick and choose, but the reality is that London v Toulouse would have added little to the bash weekend, whilst the comment about Catalan covering shortfalls would point to Toulouse making the semi-final or better would be a costly exercise. I am hoping to catch up with our resident French Poster Jean at the French Double header and have arranged my trip home in 2020 to coincide with it especially

Ste100Centurions wrote: I very much doubt that bonds have been demanded I'll stop you there... Catalans Dragons, who became the first overseas club to win the competition in 2018, will take part after once more agreeing to cover any shortfall in gate receipts in the event of them reaching the final. from https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/50472532 I agree that TOXIII do seem to be able to pick and choose, but the reality is that London v Toulouse would have added little to the bash weekend, whilst the comment about Catalan covering shortfalls would point to Toulouse making the semi-final or better would be a costly exercise. I am hoping to catch up with our resident French Poster Jean at the French Double header and have arranged my trip home in 2020 to coincide with it especially

Re: Challenge Cup 2020 : Tue Nov 19, 2019 9:48 pm  

AXE2GRIND wrote: I'll stop you there... from https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/50472532 I agree that TOXIII do seem to be able to pick and choose, but the reality is that London v Toulouse would have added little to the bash weekend, whilst the comment about Catalan covering shortfalls would point to Toulouse making the semi-final or better would be a costly exercise. I am hoping to catch up with our resident French Poster Jean at the French Double header and have arranged my trip home in 2020 to coincide with it especially EDIT https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/london-will-not-take-part-in-1895-cup-in-2020/ Hmmm...it would seem that maybe London are confident of getting to the final of the challenge cup

AXE2GRIND wrote: I'll stop you there... from https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/50472532 I agree that TOXIII do seem to be able to pick and choose, but the reality is that London v Toulouse would have added little to the bash weekend, whilst the comment about Catalan covering shortfalls would point to Toulouse making the semi-final or better would be a costly exercise. I am hoping to catch up with our resident French Poster Jean at the French Double header and have arranged my trip home in 2020 to coincide with it especially EDIT https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/london-will-not-take-part-in-1895-cup-in-2020/ Hmmm...it would seem that maybe London are confident of getting to the final of the challenge cup

Re: Challenge Cup 2020 : Tue Nov 19, 2019 10:07 pm  

AXE2GRIND wrote: I'll stop you there... from https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/50472532 To quote myself .... "even if they were, I doubt that Toulouse as a Championship club would have been asked". My main point revolves around Toulouse & the RFL's inability to run a fair league, I would go as far as to say that they are actively complicit in aiding the potential promotion of TO13, would anyone be surprised if it were proven true ?

AXE2GRIND wrote: I'll stop you there... from https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/50472532 To quote myself .... "even if they were, I doubt that Toulouse as a Championship club would have been asked". My main point revolves around Toulouse & the RFL's inability to run a fair league, I would go as far as to say that they are actively complicit in aiding the potential promotion of TO13, would anyone be surprised if it were proven true ?

Re: Challenge Cup 2020 : Tue Nov 19, 2019 10:17 pm  

Ste100Centurions wrote:

To quote myself .... "even if they were, I doubt that Toulouse as a Championship club would have been asked".

My main point revolves around Toulouse & the RFL's inability to run a fair league, I would go as far as to say that they are actively complicit in aiding the potential promotion of TO13, would anyone be surprised if it were proven true ?

I had 20 years of "London will never be allowed to go down" and "brown envelopes of cash being bunged our way conspiracies, so forgive me if I'm not sprinting to jump on this particular train.
Toulouse will do what they always do....flatter to deceive and their away form will cost them in the end.

Re: Challenge Cup 2020 : Tue Nov 19, 2019 11:35 pm  

bramleyrhino wrote:

The RFL can't just keep hoping for a combination of Leeds, Wigan, St Helens, Warrington and Hull FC

Well Warrington and St Helens didn't come remotely close to selling it out this year, and for that matter neither did Warrington and Hull FC in 2016. The less said about Warrington V Catalans the better, but I definitely thought Hull's first ever win at Wembley and Saints' first visit there in 11 years would have generated bigger crowds than they did.

Yes, I was at all three games mentioned before anyone asks.

Re: Challenge Cup 2020 : Wed Nov 20, 2019 1:24 am  

Even if there was not a bond, any club has the right and free choice to not enter the challenge cup.

The RFL cannot force clubs to take part and that is a good thing.

In English football for example, clubs can choose to not take part in the FA cup or League Cup.

Re: Challenge Cup 2020 : Wed Nov 20, 2019 6:14 am  

Dropkick Murphy wrote:

Well Warrington and St Helens didn't come remotely close to selling it out this year, and for that matter neither did Warrington and Hull FC in 2016. The less said about Warrington V Catalans the better, but I definitely thought Hull's first ever win at Wembley and Saints' first visit there in 11 years would have generated bigger crowds than they did.

Yes, I was at all three games mentioned before anyone asks.

Is it, perhaps, that the CC Final has lost a good deal of its gloss now that the GF is the 'glamorous' finale to the season? Once upon a time it was THE big game but no longer.

Re: Challenge Cup 2020 : Wed Nov 20, 2019 7:03 am  

bramleyrhino wrote:

It's criminal that the RFL insists on these bonds in the first place. Catalans have apparently agreed to cover any shortfall as well. The RFL can't just keep hoping for a combination of Leeds, Wigan, St Helens, Warrington and Hull FC to sell out the final. It's one of our showpiece events - the RFL still insists that it's a "blue ribboned" event - they should have no difficulty in selling it as long as they are smart and proactive about it.

I first went about 1971 and then and throughout the ensuing years it was the fans "big day out" we saved up for. Thousands of fans were neutral and many wore their club jerseys so it was fun to see if you could see and count jerseys from all the clubs. London was longer in time to get to and more expensive than it is now.

Times really really do change, now fans have Magic to go to and the Grand final is the real sell out(ish) showpiece. I haven't been to Wembley for many years but have loved Magic and the GF.

I disagree you can sell any event out "as long as you are smart and proactive" there's so many many more events to spend our limited money on nowadays and the Challenge cup final has turned into something like Football's league cup, in reality for SL teams who can win this if they aren't going to win the Superleague. We keep it because it's a great Terrestrial TV showpiece that the Beeb show, which reminds people Rugby League is still alive and well.