No Red Star, No Toulouse, but Toronto are in.....phew....Poor Bazza would have cacked himself!



[urlhttps://www.rugby-league.com/article/56051/road-to-wembley-starts-at-bentley-for-coral-challenge-cup-first-round-draw[/url

Will Toronto get a Home draw for there games? Nope....they will automatically be the away side no matter who they play. Did they agree to a £500k bond? Nobody will ever know



Toulouse have again said "NON"......which beggars the question as to why they are even in the Championship.

Heard a rumour Toulouse are pulling out of the 1895 cup too.

They have, London aren't in either.

And all this hype about Toulouse being the next super league team

I heard they want to concentrate all their efforts on getting a Super League place, hence no cup comps

It's criminal that the RFL insists on these bonds in the first place. Catalans have apparently agreed to cover any shortfall as well.

The RFL can't just keep hoping for a combination of Leeds, Wigan, St Helens, Warrington and Hull FC to sell out the final. It's one of our showpiece events - the RFL still insists that it's a "blue ribboned" event - they should have no difficulty in selling it as long as they are smart and proactive about it.

What will happen if the Red Devils get to the challenge cup final? as that could be a seriously low crowd for the final who ever they play

It's fundamentally wrong that they should be included in the league structure and not have to compete in the cup competition(s).
As "we" fill our league's up with overseas sides, who dont compete in the full range of academy, reserve and cup fixtures, the competition overall suffers and whilst Toronto are the new kids on the block, seemingly with money to burn (and lots of it), have those at the top of the sport factored in the scenario whereby Toronto play Catalan in the cup final of GF, both of which are possibilities in the next few years (assuming that Toronto dont run out of cash).

I assume that putting The RFL, smart and proactive in the same sentence was a typo, especially without the word desperate being in there.

Don't worry those heroes running SLE will save the day.......

Anyone “turning down” playing in the CC should be kicked out of their respective leagues.

Take away the absurd bonds.

Its an absolute joke that cup competition expects certain sides to put up a bond to enter the tournament.

Its all very small time.

Don't quite follow. Surely playing fewer games will enhance their promotion prospects?

The whole issue for me is that the RFL seems to think that either:
a) It cannot sell what it maintains is a "blue ribboned" and "protected" event to a wider market.
b) It is the responsibility of the clubs to sell the CC Final.

If it's the former, it's frankly pathetic to place that burden on the clubs and if it's the latter, then the clubs should be reaping the financial rewards from it.

The RFL cannot sit back and keep hoping that at least one of the finalists is one of the three clubs that could possibly get close to selling a 20,000+ ticket allocation.

If you are going to insist on bonds, the only fair way to do this is to insist that every club, from Super League down to the lowest rungs of the BARLA ladder, fronts up the same bond. If not, stop placing the burden for the cup's finances on expansion clubs that are "unfortunate" enough to be successful.

If you are going to insist that every club has to front up the same sort of bond, fine.

If it's the £500k that Catalans were allegedly threatened with, we'd be looking at a field of about 3 clubs...

Which highlights the sheer absurdity of the entire situation.

Absolutely.

Of course, the likes of Featherstone, York, Leigh, Bradford etc could also feel that playing less matches would enhance their chances too. I wonder if they would be allowed to pick and choose their competitions, in the same way?

none of those clubs are being asked to put up bonds to secure there place in the competition though are they.

I've no idea. Can't be ar$ed reading the rulebook but I doubt they could be forced to participate.
Just to be clear I'd much rather Toulouse were in as it's fairer on their promotion rivals. Snowie, to whom I originally replied, seemed to be suggesting that their withdrawal somehow made them a less credible promotion prospect when the opposite is true.

Don't like the bonds though. That too is an unfair situation.

Well done to Toulouse. Putting up a bond is ridiculous!

I agree that none of the clubs should be asked to put up bonds. That is discrimination - and those clubs might just be better supported at Wembley, than one or two of our UK clubs!

However, I do not believe that Toulouse would have been asked to put up a bond to play in the 1895 Cup, or at the Summer Bash. Not participating in those competitions could give them an advantage over UK clubs, in the Championship.

I very much doubt that bonds have been demanded this coming season due to the furore of last, even if they were I doubt Toulouse as a Championship club would have been asked.

Looking at the facts we know. Toulouse have decided not to enter the Challenge Cup, the 1895 Cup & the Summer Bash & have requested & been rewarded with a home game instead by the RFL.

So, TO13 avoid any travel to the U.K for the Summer Bash & now have an 'Extra' home game instead, saving money & gaining an unfair advantage on all other Championship clubs. TO13 also elect not to enter both the Challenge Cup & 1895 Cup & avoid travel & costs again.
By avoiding all 3 comps they avoid any potential injury & fatigue issues as well as any travel fatigue & costs while also gaining more recovery time between games & so on.

At what point of all this are the RFL in charge ?
TO13 it would seem make their requests/demands & the RFL just say "Yes" ! Is the RFL a conduit in guiding TO13 helpfully towards promotion by their action/inaction ???

I'll stop you there...

from
[urlhttps://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/50472532[/url

I agree that TOXIII do seem to be able to pick and choose, but the reality is that London v Toulouse would have added little to the bash weekend, whilst the comment about Catalan covering shortfalls would point to Toulouse making the semi-final or better would be a costly exercise.
I am hoping to catch up with our resident French Poster Jean at the French Double header and have arranged my trip home in 2020 to coincide with it especially

EDIT
[urlhttps://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/london-will-not-take-part-in-1895-cup-in-2020/[/url
Hmmm...it would seem that maybe London are confident of getting to the final of the challenge cup

To quote myself .... "even if they were, I doubt that Toulouse as a Championship club would have been asked".

My main point revolves around Toulouse & the RFL's inability to run a fair league, I would go as far as to say that they are actively complicit in aiding the potential promotion of TO13, would anyone be surprised if it were proven true ?