Yeh .. just thought a nice positive post in support of our team was what we needed.

Obviously it probably won't be quite that easy...

In a way they're irrelevant but also can't help looking at them and saying the key is whether Saints have learnt some lessons defensively for this weeks game compared to those two previous meetings. Especially Luke Walsh, missed 6 tackles at Headingley and had a 'mare and his missed tackles numbers over the last several games don't make for good reading. If he's still defending on Saints' left side on Friday then the target for us is to get Watkins against him and hope he's on song and has a field day against Walsh.

Just had a look back at the stats for the league games. 48 missed tackles for Saints at Langtree Park, 46 missed tackles at Headingley.....those numbers need to come down massively.

It's a shame, but the kick off day and time has killed any chance of a decent crowd. Obviously Saints fans won't be affected on their 7 mile "trek", but too many people have suffered the nightmare of Friday nights across the M62 and will instead just flick the TV on button in a few days time. It's OK for me I'm self employed, I'll just lose a few hours pay and set off before the bedlam commences, picking up my old fella from Whinmoor en route. It's not that easy for some other people, and the RFL don't give a sh** about spectator welfare, so the one's that travel will just have to shout twice as loud

like you i'm also self employed but i'll leave at 1 and still book a full day in

Good for you, wish I could get away with that. When technology advances and I can leave a robot to cover for me I'll be a happy fella. The irony is, my old fella can't drive, my Missus sh**s herself if she has to do the Friday M62 run, so muggins here is finishing early so everyone else can get tanked up. At least if we lose I won't have a hangover as well.

Can you pay on the door?

The club has put some of the past semi finals against Saints on youtube, including substantial highlights of the 2003 epic, where the legend of Sir Kevin really started to gain pace.

I'm sure you'll be able to, they may even pay you to go in.

Best game of all time, golden point can go fudge itself

Right up there with the best game I've ever seen live that one!

3,298 Tickets Sold.

Ouch!

I don't blame supporters for refusing to make the Friday night trek over the M62. It will make the RFL think twice at abusing the goodwill of the loyal fans. The needs and safety of the travelling fans are totally ignored by the powers that be. The 3,298 of us will have to shout and cheer five times as much to make up for the missing supporters.

I agree.
End of the day it's only down the Road for Saints Supporters. Yes, they've still got to go through rush hour Traffic but it will be nowhere near as bad as us.

Like you say we will just have to get behind them a bit more!

is that from the leeds end or in total? If its the latter thats horrendous albeit predictable. It was madness making the best supported club in the comp travel across the m62 on a friday night

Leeds End!

It was always going to be a bad idea, bad choice of venue bad choice of night. Ruled me out straight away.

If Jon Wilkin ain't playing, tickets ain't selling. Fact.

The support we give the team is more crucial now than ever. The refs are under pressure at every play the ball, they have to make calls on offside, laying on, interference, standing square and probably a couple more things. If the Saints fans are screaming for penalties at every play the ball, we have to make just as much racket, the refs could easily decide the outcome of this game. It's too close for us to take it out of the officials hands, so we are gonna have to be every bit as vocal despite being outnumbered. Our support is top notch normally, I've no doubt it will be for this game as well. It's good we've got the side terrace despite probably not filling it. It will give us an advantage to spur the team on and also influence the weak officials.

What time is everyone arriving?

I've been recommended The White Hart, 56 Sankey St, Warrington Bank Quay, Warrington WA1 1SB as a decent Food Pub with some Real Ale.

Can't complain about the choice a venue - it had to be either in Yorkshire or Lancashire. Which ever stadium had been chosen it was bound to favor one team more than the other.

It's the choice of day that is fekkin' stupid.

The Challenge Cup has been running for nearly 120 years and this is the first time in the competition's history that a semi has bee played on a Friday night... and there's a fekkin' good reason for that.

The RFL have the backbone of a jellyfish.

I agree but we'd best get used to it as when Sky get the sole rights to the CC soon, they will no doubt have one semi on a Thursday night and the other on a Friday night

Currently the RL Challenge cup is one of those events that has to be shown on terrestrial tv.
But with the current govt. who knows what changes they will make to this list to appease their media friends?

BINGO!

IIRC only the final has protected status, not the rounds leading up to it.

So Sky could quite happily show every round including the final, but they would also have to allow a terrestrial broadcaster live rights for the final itself.

Correct but showing our game on terrestrial tv at prime time has to be good for viewers if not for travelling Rhinos fans.