Towns88 wrote:
I really don't like 8 teams entering at the last 16 mark. It's boring.
Neither do I, it just adds to the problem of teams playing the same teams (and only those teams) over and over again. It also sets up the cup to be more likely to see the same few clubs getting to the final year on year. You wouldn't really expect a club from outside the SL to make the final but when nearly every year Wigan, St Helens, Warrington, Leeds, (and more recently) Hull FC and Cas all get a bye to the last 16 even the lower half of SL clubs are likely to run into one of the top teams and (usually) see their run end there.
I would rather see something like a first round of the 26 Championship & League 1 clubs plus 14 community clubs with the 20 winners then going into an open draw with the 12 SL clubs in round 2. That way you would get more potential for variation in fixtures plus big draws for lower league clubs. You would also increase the chances of a club lower down the ladder making the final which was surely part of the appeal of the cup. With fewer rounds we could also start the cup later in the season and cut out the stupid momentum killing gaps we have had.
