If I was Catalan I would withdraw from the challenge cup. Outrageous move from the RFL.

I don’t blame Catalans or any other club for objecting to paying the bond. It’s ridiculous.

Instead of penalising clubs the RFL should be incentivising them to all sell tickets for the event.

Every club, be it in SL, Championship, League One or amateur should be part of a ticketing scheme for RFL events whereby the club makes a profit off every ticket it sells for that event, effectively making every club in the country a sales agent for the RFL. At the moment if a club isn’t involved in the Cup Final you’re lucky if the event even gets a mention on the club website.

Also the RFL could look to negotiate travel and accommodation discounts for anyone buying a ticket.

I used to go regularly regardless of who was in the final but travel costs increased significantly to the point where it used to only cost me around 50-60 quid to go (incl travel and ticket) whereas now it would cost around 100-120 quid. I’d still go if it was my team but if I’m a neutral I’m giving it a miss. I can’t justify spending that much on top of everything else I spend on RL.

However, negotiate some discounts with Trainline or Travelodge for example, or for coach travel organised by various clubs and it might tempt me back again.

Unless this farcical policy is overturned by the muppets at the RFL, I will be boycotting any Challenge Cup games & will not be making the annual pilgrimage to Wembley for final.

I urge all other rugby league supporters to do the same, then maybe they will listen.

What's next.

Tonga being asked to put down a bond before the rugby league world cup as the RFL is scared they will make the world cup final.

.
Create Twitter hashtag #boycottchallengcup

Couldn't agree more. And I would argue many fans are losing interest for 2 main reasons: 1 - many regular season games for many clubs are relatively meaningless, 2 - the game has been fannied around with too many times and has become too complicated, too convoluted and too forced. I haven't bought a season ticket for a few years now and only go to occasional games - after being loyal family ST holders basically forever.

...a dire atmosphere when manufactured expansion teams bring 7 fans doesn't help either. But according to expansionists such things don't matter...



I love the Grand Final. But I hate the way a team can finish 5th and still be crowned 'champions'. That, and the fact that when you can be fairly confident your team will be in the running at the end of the season, many regular season games become meaningless. Also that the ENTIRE season is marketed as a build up to that single game. For me that doesn't work.

As a Wigan fan I remember the end-of-season run-ins, and the derbies that meant so much more when Saints were title challengers and indeed, every game against a title challenger was a must-win. The excitement of the title race was palpable for months, not just during a brief play-off period. For weeks we all knew exactly how many points everyone had and who still had to play each other. We did all the calculations. Now derbies are mostly just for bragging rights. Now it doesn't really matter as long as we're in a play-off position.

Look at City vs Liverpool the other day. Both teams knew the season could hinge on the result even with months to go. And the run-in will now be tense as hell. THAT'S when every minute matters. Not a convoluted structure with everything pointing at the play-offs however you tweak it.

Similarly at the other end of the table. 2006 was the most exciting season at Wigan for years, and including title-winning seasons.

K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple StupidRFL.

The amateur game is a massive problem. Kids increasingly don't like graft, and RL is hard graft. Most amateur RL players quit by their late 20s/early 30s due to the commitment required and impact on their bodies. Fact is, you need to be fit and strong, and it can take 2-3 days to recover as you get older. In RU most clubs have 2nds, 3rds and 4ths consisting of unfit middle-aged men and talentless kids - but at least they can keep playing and boosting the numbers. I've played plenty of random games for local RU clubs since retiring, just for a laugh.

Wholesale changes are absolutely required at the RFL. Marketing, retail, development - if they're doing a good job then they're doing a pss-poor job of telling us about it. I suspect they're simply doing a pss-poor job. Credit due, it's improved in the last year or so but it's still pretty dire. Invest in good people to do the best job.

My dream: someone like BT invests massive £££££ in 2 x 'Rugby' channels, dedicated to RL & RU and nothing else. Show as many live games as possible while recording non-live games to show later, plus highlights shows, review shows, amateur segments, etc. I would happily watch that over & above anything I'm watching right now. In fact I'm not sure I'd watch anything else. I pay for Sky Sports and watch probably 1% of what they broadcast.

Living in a Dreamland if you think BT sport are gonna invest heavily into rugby league. BT sport are cutting back on sports rights. Recently making people redundant. Shareholders not happy as subscription numbers are down.

As for the challenge cup. Am I right in saying that the BBC and Sky could put pressure on the RFL and demand Catalan and Toronto are entered into the challenge cup with no bond payment.

Could they not re-negotiate terms of the TV deal if the RFL continue with this stupidity?

I didn't say BT WOULD invest, that was nothing more than a name plucked out of thin air. But I think the gist of my post is clear - my 'dream' would be to have RL & RU together on 2 dedicated 'rugby' channels, thus allowing for clashing RU & RL live games but also 24 hrs of airtime to fill.

As for the rest - no idea. But the RFL have outdone themselves in their idiocy this time.

Just to pick up this point, I honestly think the role of away fans here is over-rated. Some of the best atmospheres I have experienced recently as an RL fan have been games with very few away fans (WCC games, the 2013 WC come to mind).

What creates the atmosphere for me is not the away fans, it's the occasion.

Thinking back to City v Liverpool, it wasn't the contrasting fans creating the atmosphere. I barely heard the Liverpool fans, because they were drowned out by the City fans urging their team on in a must-win game. I honestly think it would have sounded the same without a single scouser in the ground.

What would the RFL do if Wakefield & Salford made the final ........

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/ ... gby-league The Challenge Cup could take place without the champions for the first time in history after Catalans Dragons initiated a stand-off with the Rugby Football League by refusing to pay a £500,000 deposit to enter the competition. It is understood Catalans’ coaching staff and senior directors intend to enter the cup as normal this season without paying a fee, as has been the case since their formation in 2006. Insiders insist the only way they will not participate is if the RFL actively kicks out the Dragons after failing to agree to provide a cash bond. The Catalans owner, Bernard Guasch, wrote to the RFL on Wednesday saying they would not pay to enter the competition and imploring the RFL to find another solution to a situation. Catalans’ success last year has already had an impact for the game in Catalonia. After parading the trophy during Barcelona’s 2-2 draw with Girona in September, the Dragons agreed a deal to host a league game against the Super League champions, Wigan, at the Camp Nou in May. Those plans will remain, irrespective of the outcome of Catalans’ dispute with the RFL, but it would be seen as a significant PR disaster should the Challenge Cup holders not enter the competition. An RFL spokesman said: “We have been surprised and disappointed by the uncertainty over the Catalans Dragons participation, which surfaced just before Christmas. We have been in discussions with the club since then and will continue those discussions to search for a solution.”

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/ ... gby-league The Challenge Cup could take place without the champions for the first time in history after Catalans Dragons initiated a stand-off with the Rugby Football League by refusing to pay a £500,000 deposit to enter the competition. It is understood Catalans’ coaching staff and senior directors intend to enter the cup as normal this season without paying a fee, as has been the case since their formation in 2006. Insiders insist the only way they will not participate is if the RFL actively kicks out the Dragons after failing to agree to provide a cash bond. The Catalans owner, Bernard Guasch, wrote to the RFL on Wednesday saying they would not pay to enter the competition and imploring the RFL to find another solution to a situation. Catalans’ success last year has already had an impact for the game in Catalonia. After parading the trophy during Barcelona’s 2-2 draw with Girona in September, the Dragons agreed a deal to host a league game against the Super League champions, Wigan, at the Camp Nou in May. Those plans will remain, irrespective of the outcome of Catalans’ dispute with the RFL, but it would be seen as a significant PR disaster should the Challenge Cup holders not enter the competition. An RFL spokesman said: “We have been surprised and disappointed by the uncertainty over the Catalans Dragons participation, which surfaced just before Christmas. We have been in discussions with the club since then and will continue those discussions to search for a solution.”

They'd have a great game to sell, with 2 sides that play open attacking rugby league and I guarentee that there would be more fans there than last season



IF The RFL did their job properly and sold all of the tickets, apart from those held back for the 2 finalists, it shouldn't matter if its Wath Brow v Normanton Knights playing at Wembley

Your second paragraph is correct the RFl are responsible for selling out the game regardless of who is in final.
lets just leave the first paragraph there shall we.

Ask us one on pop music

I really fear for the sport as a professional game over the next 5-10 years. I believe we are in real danger of going out of business. My team (currently SL Champions) crowds are down a third on a few seasons ago. I used to go to the games in a large group but now the majority can’t be bothered these days (apart from finals of course).

Bad move by the RFL this, one that has potential to really damage the sport (maybe irreversibly)?

I know he got a bad press back in the day but no way something like this would have happened under Maurice Lindsay’s reign.

We need some fresh blood in or we are in serious trouble.

We've been in decline for the last 10 years and yes we do need another Uncle Mo, the Challenge Cup because of its historical nature should never have been devalued to give the Superleague Trophy superiority, they should stand as equal.

Does the FA Cup stand equal to the Premiership?

A 4/5 game cup competition SHOULDN’T be equal to the Grand Final regardless of history.

I know that neither Trinity or Salford are giants in the game but, what was wrong with the first paragraph ??

Even though they got hammered, Cas certainly took plenty to Wembley and Trinity would certainly do likewise.
Wakefields problem wouldn't be in selling the tickets, it's just making it through to the final that is a bit difficult.

perhaps the rfl could introduce some sort of sliding scale of charges

The Challenge Cup Final, much like The FA Cup Final in football, was always the end of season showpiece/celebration of the game and although The SL Title (like The Premiership Title) should always carry more kudos, "we" have devalued the Cup Final and it will never return to it's former status (unless we revert to being a winter game).
However, this still doesn't change the situation with Catalan, who are being punished for daring to win last seasons final, how utterly ironic and how bloody ridiculous.
Should they also have to pay a "bond" just in case they make the grand final or, are the powers that be just hoping that it doesnt happen ??

I find it incredible that the RFL actually employs anyone so stupid to think it's a good idea to apply bonds to some clubs in case they reach the final, yet presumably they employ several people this stupid as it must have got through some sort of review process. Attendances at the CC final have been sliding for years, that's not the fault of overseas clubs. Placing bonds doesn't resolve the underlying problem, if Wembley is a problem then move it somewhere else, having been to CC finals at Murryfield and Cardiff they were both great experiences. This approach makes the RFL an absolute laughing stock.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-leagu ... challenge/ Catalans Dragons may not defend the Challenge Cup after being asked to lodge a bond of £500,000. The cup final has traditionally been a valuable money-earner for the cash-strapped governing body, but last year’s disappointing attendance meant a reduction of around £800,000 in projected income. Fearful of a repeat, the RFL asked both the Catalans and Toronto Wolfpack to lodge bonds, thought to be in the region of £500,000, in the event of either of them reaching Wembley in 2019 and the Canadian club, after refusing point blank to pay up, will not take part this year. The Dragons have stopped short of threatening a boycott, but have written to the governing body urging it to reconsider, with ­chairman Bernard Guasch claiming it would be irresponsible for his club to pay the bond. In a statement, Guasch said: “The club has been officially advised in December that a £500,000 deposit will be asked by the RFL to play in the Challenge Cup in 2019. “We, as a club, want to ­participate in this prestigious competition and defend our title, but it would be irresponsible to accept this decision. “Thus, we have asked the RFL to reconsider its demand and we are now waiting for a decision. “The players would be very frustrated not to be able to defend their title and we hope that we’ll have an answer as soon as possible.” Because they are not full members of the RFL, Toronto and Catalans have no automatic right to enter the Challenge Cup, but it would be a major embarrassment for the governing body if the holders are not in the draw for the sixth round in May. The RFL said in a statement: “We have been surprised and disappointed by the uncertainty over the Catalans Dragons participation in the 2019 Challenge Cup, which surfaced just before Christmas. “We have been in discussions with the club since then, and will continue those discussions to search for a solution.” Coincidentally, the competition is set to break new ground when Serbian club Red Star Belgrade make their debut against Cumbrian amateurs Millom in the first round on Jan 27. The RFL, which reported a loss of £2 million in its last set of accounts for 2017, is still seeking a Challenge Cup sponsor after Ladbrokes failed to renew its backing.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-leagu ... challenge/ Catalans Dragons may not defend the Challenge Cup after being asked to lodge a bond of £500,000. The cup final has traditionally been a valuable money-earner for the cash-strapped governing body, but last year’s disappointing attendance meant a reduction of around £800,000 in projected income. Fearful of a repeat, the RFL asked both the Catalans and Toronto Wolfpack to lodge bonds, thought to be in the region of £500,000, in the event of either of them reaching Wembley in 2019 and the Canadian club, after refusing point blank to pay up, will not take part this year. The Dragons have stopped short of threatening a boycott, but have written to the governing body urging it to reconsider, with ­chairman Bernard Guasch claiming it would be irresponsible for his club to pay the bond. In a statement, Guasch said: “The club has been officially advised in December that a £500,000 deposit will be asked by the RFL to play in the Challenge Cup in 2019. “We, as a club, want to ­participate in this prestigious competition and defend our title, but it would be irresponsible to accept this decision. “Thus, we have asked the RFL to reconsider its demand and we are now waiting for a decision. “The players would be very frustrated not to be able to defend their title and we hope that we’ll have an answer as soon as possible.” Because they are not full members of the RFL, Toronto and Catalans have no automatic right to enter the Challenge Cup, but it would be a major embarrassment for the governing body if the holders are not in the draw for the sixth round in May. The RFL said in a statement: “We have been surprised and disappointed by the uncertainty over the Catalans Dragons participation in the 2019 Challenge Cup, which surfaced just before Christmas. “We have been in discussions with the club since then, and will continue those discussions to search for a solution.” Coincidentally, the competition is set to break new ground when Serbian club Red Star Belgrade make their debut against Cumbrian amateurs Millom in the first round on Jan 27. The RFL, which reported a loss of £2 million in its last set of accounts for 2017, is still seeking a Challenge Cup sponsor after Ladbrokes failed to renew its backing.

you said you could guarantee that a Salford Wakefield final would sell more that a warrington Catalan final, would you be prepared to put down 500k as a bond to ensure it did. really could not see a wakefield salford final selling more that 50k, and to be fair thats more to do with Salford, Wakefield against anyone else maybe would not be a bad attendance except maybe Huddersfield.

I think that you'd be surprised and that if Salford got to Wembley they would take plenty.

It could possibly kick start some greater RL interest in the 'town' if they reached the final IMO a bit of a revival. People like a day out and success and they've had slim pickings for an awful long time and that's what their club has had to endure and what the current lack of interest is based upon as much as anything.