- Draw is on Wednesday on BBC iplayer. 10 Championship sides, 4 League 1 and 2 amateur teams. I think I'm right in saying they do the draw for the next 2 rounds at the same time? So 16 becomes 8 and then 4 teams go through to enter the draw with the 12 SL sides. No Featherstone or Tolouse gives us a good chance of making the last 4.
Not sure how the 1895 Cup works, is it the last 4 teams left to play each other to get to the final??
Looking at the IMG proposals if we can win the 1895 which is a more realistic feat than winning the challenge cup that would give us extra points. I feel the licensing system will allow clubs to build into a super league team rather than up and down like Toulouse. Establishing 2 French clubs in the super league is definitely going to be priority as is establishing Newcastle, York and London. Fast forward 5 years and we will possibly see a domestic French elite league that is at the same standard as the championship
1895 most realistic chance of silverware this year, especially with a kind draw in the CC Rd 4. But we have beaten Halifax, Keighley and York already so we should be targeting this IMO.
IMG being looking at Tricky Dicky Lewis' Grading System with the Northern Rail Cup?
Doesn’t it cost the club money to attend the 1895 Final? Good for fans but bad for club!
@pauliewalnuts if I remember rightly the first final had no prize or tv money but that might have changed I'm not sure.
We need to try & win the 1895 cup agreed & I am sure the coach & players will target this.
However the likes of London, Newcastle or York ever developing support above 2,000 to 3,000 to watch Rugby League good luck with that. I am sure the rest of the UK based clubs are really not looking forward to no away support at 5 of their games {including the 2 French sides}which will badly affect their income. It is a joke.
@mckviking Aren’t the IMG proposals for the 2025 season? If they are winning the 1895 cup this season won’t help us. But it would still be nice to win it.
I think if they play it right Newcastle could build a decent club with gates between 5-7k over the next 5 years but it would take some financial investment and they’d have to be in the super league to attract that type of investment.
London seems to be the most likely destination for IMG’s marketing plans. it’s failure in the past probably won’t put them off trying again.
Toulouse will definitely be a club IMG will want to see in the super league
catchment areas of championship clubs
York200k+
Bradford500k+
Sheffield700k+
these are probably some of the clubs IMG will have their eyes on but if Widnes, Halifax or Featherstone play the system they could be in with an outside chance.
@farnworth-viking I thought we got a score for next season to begin with
I think if they play it right Newcastle could build a decent club with gates between 5-7k over the next 5 years but it would take some financial investment and they’d have to be in the super league to attract that type of investment.
London seems to be the most likely destination for IMG’s marketing plans. it’s failure in the past probably won’t put them off trying again.
Toulouse will definitely be a club IMG will want to see in the super league
catchment areas of championship clubs
York200k+
Bradford500k+
Sheffield700k+
these are probably some of the clubs IMG will have their eyes on but if Widnes, Halifax or Featherstone play the system they could be in with an outside chance.
Sheffield area mad on football United and Wednesday
@pascal so is the Widnes area
Liverpool
Everton
City
United
I know but Sheffield have never had good support and will never show interest in Rugby league. Look at the attendances for a population of 700k same with London. If interest not their now it never will do. Trust me I live down South for years and got mates in Sheffield and zero interest in Rugby league
I suppose it is easy to say that there has never been large support for the game in cities like London, York, Sheffield and potentially Cardiff/Swansea and Edinburgh/Glasgow, but maybe IMG/RFL will come up with some vision/plan/finance to promote the game when previous attempts in London have failed.
My own view is that RFL/IMG should initially aim to promote/save and fund the game in existing RL areas with, as suggested previously, two competitive leagues with promotion and relegation.
I do agree that clubs need to address what they are doing to promote the game locally to increase their fan base, as well as their future financial sustainability. I am not sure that simply abandoning some existing clubs and changing the structure to enable the Sky cake to be shared between fewer clubs, is the answer to the long term future of the game.
... and I agree, a good run in the CC and aiming to win the 1895 Cup will be good for the fans and the Club.
@mckviking i don't think we will ever get London going it's never going to work!! How many stadiums have they had 10? Maybe more ? Branson spent a fortune they also had a owner who was losing a million a year and still no good surely better to build from strength build heartland clubs barrows oldhams etc back to where they were with the aim to have 20 strong vibrant clubs then once game is flourishing look to try and see what areas can be added but you can't build from a state of weakness where we only have 6/7 viable clubs