Well, as the RFL have only “postponed” the 2 cup finals, it seems that they’re hoping to resume the game some time this year.
Critical for our club could well be the number of VIQI contributors who 'stick'.
Some will be prepared to buy another ST next year, me for one, but some maybe can't or won't be able to.
I seriously can't see Rimmer and Elstone wanting to change a great deal unless forced by circumstances.
Can you have the Challenge Cup without all the teams still in it? If they make it Superleague only it's pointless for me, that's for the grand final. The 1895 cup has also not been cancelled, just postponed. Does this mean the RFL think the Championship season will re-start? I just cant see it until the new season in Feb, it's only 6 months until pre-season training starts in November.
They may have delayed it with no timescale more in hope I suppose, but unless all teams involved are back playing it wont work for me.
In effect the CC has been SL only for years and has lost much of its old attraction because of it.
Could they be thinking of rejigging the 1895 so the teams like Featherstone and Leigh who want to play behind closed doors (quite a few L1 clubs apparently too) have a competition to play for?
Surely if the Championship Season ends, so does the 1895!
I wouldn't mind the 1895 being revamped next year anyway, to be like the Northern Rail with a group stage to get some extra home games and income.
They can't do anything official with the 1895 Cup until the league is settled. For me, the outcome is inevitable and Beaumont's comments are an insult to the clubs that don't have his money. The hash reality is there isn't enough money to carry on playing this year.
Once the league is settled, the 1895 cup will naturally follow. I'd have no objection to the Challenge Cup being SL only, in reality bar the odd decent game it is largely SL only anyway. Any sports teams that win anything this year will have a big asterix at the side of their name anyway.
Without gate money and/or tv money, it is impossible for the majority of Championship/League 1 clubs to play behind closed doors. The cost of having to pay the players and the cost of staging the games would be beyond the means of most clubs at this time.
Possibly, the CC could be played depending on the income from televised games, but as has been said, would it be viable for Championship/League 1 clubs if they have to bring the players back into training and pay them for potentially one game - although we would probably get a bye in the sixth round having been drawn against Catalan.
I doubt that anything beyond the SL games will happen in 2020, but you never know, the SL clubs may agree to subsidise the lower league clubs in the CC to ensure that the competition can go ahead.
Was that a pig that just flew by!!?
Was that a pig that just flew by!!?
Sure was!!
We all know the answer is the inclusion of Ottawa and NYC...…...
SL is messed up, some clubs want a 15% salary cap cut and the Wire have signed Inglis….
We will get little to no help off them and I feel the likes of Wakefield could be binned off by the back door in the interests of the bigger clubs.
But I look forward to Widnes having a good season in 2020/21 whenever we do play...
I honestly think this will be almost a back to year zero for the championship. SL will continue shortly and fulfil the sky contract championship clubs will be left to their own devices, and this is the chance for them to grasp the nettle and Create their own competition, get a tv deal and stick 2 fingers up to SL, some clubs will rapidly come crawling back to join (Salford,wakey,kr,HUD’s) then twp,cats,New York,Belgrade can crack on
Wonder if an under pressure BBC would bite at a TV contract with the Championship? There seemed to be plenty of interest in the old CC games shown as 'fillers'. Comes down to Rimmer getting of his butt and taking things on I suppose.
I still don't get Sky's reticence re the Championship.
They regularly put on Championship RU (although admittedly BT have the main rights to the top stuff) and no one will ever convince me that Ealing v London Scottish is a better draw than Widnes v Bradford.
By my guess is Sky would rather see Newcastle Thunder v London Broncos....
If there was a separate TV deal, maybe it would be like the EFL/Snooker which has stuff on Quest?
I honestly think this will be almost a back to year zero for the championship. SL will continue shortly and fulfil the sky contract championship clubs will be left to their own devices, and this is the chance for them to grasp the nettle and Create their own competition, get a tv deal and stick 2 fingers up to SL, some clubs will rapidly come crawling back to join (Salford,wakey,kr,HUD’s) then twp,cats,New York,Belgrade can crack on
Wonder if an under pressure BBC would bite at a TV contract with the Championship? There seemed to be plenty of interest in the old CC games shown as ‘fillers’. Comes down to Rimmer getting of his butt and taking things on I suppose.
I agree with all of the above. If the RFL offered a package, including Championship/League 1 games and CC games, this may well be attractive to the BBC. I think the problem may be that Championship and CC games are included in the Sky package, although they choose to largely ignore those games.
The RFL/SL need to decide if they want to pursue the international big city dream at the expense of the wider RL game in the UK or to promote RL in the UK. If the former, then let SL go its own way and leave the door open for those SL clubs who will inevitably fall by the wayside - potentially all of them, other than Catalan, Leeds and Hull.
Just read Beaumont's screed on possible actions and consequences. A lot to take in but at least he has put his thoughts out there, more than our RFL leader!
Much depends on the consequenses of cancelling wrt the furlough cash plus the loan.
Just read Beaumont’s screed on possible actions and consequences. A lot to take in but at least he has put his thoughts out there, more than our RFL leader! Much depends on the consequenses of cancelling wrt the furlough cash plus the loan.
What he doesn't say is that he has invested a lot of money in the team with a view to getting promotion to SL this season and does not want to waste that investment. I thought that the Government furlough scheme had been extended to the end of October, with salary costs shared with the employer from August.
It will be for the clubs to work out the costs and savings for themselves to come to a view whether or not it is viable to play the games behind closed doors. He dismisses the difficulties that Toulouse may face in travelling and playing home games, but this must be a serious consideration for clubs and the RFL.
As has been said, at least he has put his cards on the table (even if for selfish motives). It will be interesting to see the response of other clubs. Would he still want a play-off between the top 5?