Given the current financial position the prize money for the CC will make it a priority I would have thought.

What's the prize money difference between CC and SL?

I'd reckon, unless a side gets very lucky with the draw, it's almost impossible to seriously target a double this year - There will have to be one side that is head and shoulders above the rest to do so and, from what we saw in the few weeks before lockdown, there isn't one. (Wigan are probably the closest).

The merchandise value of the CC dwarfs a GF. However I don’t know how it would stack up in 2020.

I'm not sure that the mercandising for the Challenge Cup dwarfs the mercandidising for the Grand Final, a lot depends upon factors such as when you side were last there etc, but I expect that the merchandising means more to the club than the prize money. As you say, this will be a different story this year if there are no fans at the game.

The actual prize money may well find its way directly into the pockets of the players since it is excempt from the sallary cap.

I expect that most clubs, at least up until the end of September, will treat this as a normal season with a game per week. After that it starts to get a bit congested. You can't rotate too many players per game, it's going to be more about managing the knocks and niggles as they occur.

6.30 tonight on our league

I think many people expect a lot more from squad rotation than actually ever happens. Typically a couple of newer players sneak into the 17, and maybe the odd one will start but unless there are serious injuries where it's obvious the guy can't play, most players will pick up niggles and just carry on. It's about managing the condition.
Now given the fixture congestion I can see a couple more newer names than we'd typically expect, but the core of the side will remain first choice so whether it's 30 or 34 training in the squad it makes little difference to the actual 17. Longer term though it's good because it exposes the newer players to the 'professional' environment.

not it does, clubs make a shedload off merch pre challenge cup final, you dont get the same money spent in the lead up to the GF

I meant that no club can afford to just concede defeat by playing a reserve team. Winning SL is far more difficult than the CC.

So we have drawn Saints.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/53584920

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/53584920

Is Robert Hicks available?

Guffaw. Almost spilt my coffee. Let's hope so.

Just gutted we've not got Wigan. Fixed I say, fixed.

Perhaps they want to see us put Wigan to the sword at Wembley this year .

Boom 9A
That’s what everyone wants isn’t it?

This year if they allow restricted attendance at Wembley for the final any "I was there" merchandise will be a collectors item, in years to come there will be more people who reckon they were there than saw the Roses at Spike Island.

In 2020, a team only has to win 2 games to win a GF comp, but has to win at least 4 to win the CC.
So how is the GF harder to win?

Sorry RD but that is pure rubbish. To get into the position to qualify for SL final (let alone win it) you have to win a lot more games than you would to win the CC.

You have a right to disagree, but it’s a fact.

So how many games do you say it will be necessary to win to get into the qualifiers?

Dunno. There’s only 11 teams so theoretically, win just over half your games would get you into 4th.
Either way, that has nothing to do with what I said.

In the words of the wiseman “whatever”.

Well, we avoid the 6th round which means that little bit of extra fuel in the tank come the business end of the season. No question of either the Wire or Saints not giving it their all in the quarter final. If we win then we're through to the semi with at least one of the big teams out, if we lose then we have two more weeks off in October. All in all I'm pretty happy with the draw.

It's going to be very interesting to see what happens in Sunday's two games. Short pre-season, strange conditions, new rules - a big learning experience for all.

So that means you have to win 13 games and not 2 to win a SL title.

Thanks for answering your own question, while making yourself look daft at the same time.

(And before you try to wriggle out of it, the SL comp and GF comp are the same thing.)

i have still got my programme from the " 4 or so minute" game at Knowsley Road played in the depths of winter all those years ago AND the programme issued for the replay. That's my pension sorted then.