Re: Challenge Cup Final : Mon Aug 26, 2019 9:40 am  

The issue is, that alongside the Grand Final, Magic Weekend and Big Bash, the CC Final is no longer the sole RL focal showpiece it once was.

The introduction of the former have reduced the appeal and affordability of the latter.

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Mon Aug 26, 2019 9:51 am  

Crowds haven't been great for years club wembley tickets were including in the crowd figures before when it wasn't used now people are using it leading to empty seats in the stadium.

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Mon Aug 26, 2019 10:10 am  

ChampagneSuperRovers wrote:

Did they even go up to get their medal? Like any sporting team usually does? Did the Beeb miss filming that or are Saints that entitled and up themselves they think they're beyond that?

I was there and can confirm that they did go up to get them.

It was also shown on the stadium screens.

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Mon Aug 26, 2019 10:18 am  

A shout like Coooooote and Sneeeeeyd really blows up in your face when they fail.

As does the Lachlan Coote song along to She’s Electric.

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Mon Aug 26, 2019 10:21 am  

shinymcshine wrote:

The issue is, that alongside the Grand Final, Magic Weekend and Big Bash, the CC Final is no longer the sole RL focal showpiece it once was.

The introduction of the former have reduced the appeal and affordability of the latter.

This is it in a nutshell. There are lots of alternatives to "Wembley weekend" for a big day out watching rugby league, and depending on who you support it's likely you'll be able to watch your own club at Magic or Big Bash. Wembley is part of our heritage so keep it there, deal with the challenges it brings and make the best of it, but people will probably have to accept empty seats are inevitable in a 90,000 capacity stadium. People often compare to football, but every game they play at Wembley isn't an England game or FA Cup final. The League 1 and League 2 play off finals don't sell out - and those clubs generally have support bases similar in size to Super League clubs. The non league games for the play off, FA Trophy and FA Vase get even smaller crowds. No one ever advocates playing them at smaller grounds though, because the players and fans enjoy their Wembley opportunity. Just get on with it like they do.

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Mon Aug 26, 2019 10:53 am  

Dropkick Murphy wrote:

This is it in a nutshell. There are lots of alternatives to "Wembley weekend" for a big day out watching rugby league, and depending on who you support it's likely you'll be able to watch your own club at Magic or Big Bash. Wembley is part of our heritage so keep it there, deal with the challenges it brings and make the best of it, but people will probably have to accept empty seats are inevitable in a 90,000 capacity stadium. People often compare to football, but every game they play at Wembley isn't an England game or FA Cup final. The League 1 and League 2 play off finals don't sell out - and those clubs generally have support bases similar in size to Super League clubs. The non league games for the play off, FA Trophy and FA Vase get even smaller crowds. No one ever advocates playing them at smaller grounds though, because the players and fans enjoy their Wembley opportunity. Just get on with it like they do.

Indeed

“She wore, she wore, she wore a yellow ribbon...”

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Mon Aug 26, 2019 11:41 am  

lister wrote:

A shout like Coooooote and Sneeeeeyd really blows up in your face when they fail.

As does the Lachlan Coote song along to She’s Electric.

thankfully we havn't had that experience at wembley yet with sneyd


congrats on the win

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Mon Aug 26, 2019 11:54 am  

Dropkick Murphy wrote:

This is it in a nutshell. There are lots of alternatives to "Wembley weekend" for a big day out watching rugby league, and depending on who you support it's likely you'll be able to watch your own club at Magic or Big Bash. Wembley is part of our heritage so keep it there, deal with the challenges it brings and make the best of it, but people will probably have to accept empty seats are inevitable in a 90,000 capacity stadium. People often compare to football, but every game they play at Wembley isn't an England game or FA Cup final. The League 1 and League 2 play off finals don't sell out - and those clubs generally have support bases similar in size to Super League clubs. The non league games for the play off, FA Trophy and FA Vase get even smaller crowds. No one ever advocates playing them at smaller grounds though, because the players and fans enjoy their Wembley opportunity. Just get on with it like they do.

I know get loads of carload cut outs of people and when all the tickets are sold then put the cut outs in the empty seats problem solved LOL

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Mon Aug 26, 2019 12:28 pm  

The only thing I would consider changing is the date - next year notwithstanding as we've already been notified of that. August Bank Holiday isn't ideal for a number of reasons. However there has to be some acceptance that Wembley isn't available at all times either. Playing it outside of the football season would be preferable in my view, but once the football finals are played each May, you may then have England games taking it into June. July might then seem ideal, but the stadium is often hosting big gigs in the summer, there may be a big boxing match on, they might have certain dates earmarked for the pitch being relayed, etc. I don't believe the Wembley stadium operators would want to lose the Challenge Cup final, and they will work with the RFL when it comes to finding a solution if next year does prove a success and suggest there's an appetite for a permanent change of date. It's not as simple as the RFL just playing it on whichever date people on here come up with though.

On saying all that, if next year's final is again played between two well supported teams, with another biggish one (a la Widnes) in the 1895 Cup, and doesn't see a significant increase on this year's attendance, then that will suggest the date isn't really an issue. Next July will be quite revealing where that's concerned.

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Mon Aug 26, 2019 1:52 pm  

morleys_deckchair wrote:

genuine query around the rules here..... so each time we kicked high at saints left edge, they did a little 'wall of obstruction'... where a number of saints players came together quickly, so as to give protection to the person fielding the kick..... obviously a rehearsed move. So unless we have changed our rules, that's obstruction every single time.

When you watch the game back a few times, you can see it straight from the first kick... and it continued all the way through.

As long as they get there first and are running towards the ball rather than laterally they're fine. They can also jostle shoulder to shoulder if they're chasing the ball, again running towards the ball, no lateral movement allowed. Every team does it at least with the centre getting there first to protect the winger, otherwise the kicking team's winger gets a running jump whilst the non-kicking team's winger is forced into a standing jump