From the statement on the website it would appear there is a 24 hour rule. If its not a Premier League rule, as many have pointed out, I guess it is in the lease that Wigan have agreed with the stadium owners.

Agreed. Scheduling fixtures on dates when clubs have suggested they might not be able to play is a masterstroke. Let's add this to the laundry list of other superb things the RFL have done for the British game in the last couple of years.

Well done to them, all round.

i'm sure the RFL makes no promises when it asks clubs for the weekends that they may or may not be able to play. As it turns out, Wigan were able to play on this day, so not sure why they told the RFL in October that they couldn't?

Or RFL not succumbing to the whims of football club owner and rescheduling entire round of its premier club competition produces the desired outcome.

But no its better that we congratulate Ian Lenagan for achieving the great and wondrous opportunity for Wigan Warriors to play in their home stadium at the time they were scheduled to play, and all they had to do was mess every other club still in the competition about a bit.

I know Wiganers love their club, but to think that the RFL has to move it's schedule to the whim of their PL footy tennants is laughable.

We all know that the PL do not give the same generosity in return or the PL would not have planned the Latics game forcing wigan RL to move out only a few years ago.

Just because Wigan are subject to the whims of footy does not mean we all have to be. If Wigan played at CP then would IL be saying that the RFL need to account for the football fixtures I think not.

The issue is Wigans. Wigan should have secured a better lease before Latics made it to the premiership.

I'm sure we could have asked DW if we could play in slippers, Not park Cars on the pitch (Like some clubs Have to do) and completely ruin the pitch or reduce the capacity and limit the number of tickets to away fans because of a Baseball game nearby (Or some other stick/ball game for example) and he'd have been ok and he wouldn't have to quote the PL rule of 24 hours in the first place (I wish people would understand this Bl00dy RUle!)

yes there are.....in a reserve seats capacity......ST garuantees them a south stand ticket

Leeds dont have to let cars park on the pitch, they do it because it earns them money, intelligent business decisions like that is why Leeds can play when they want, in their own stadium which they own and make profits whilst turning over a massive amount more than any other club in the league. They also, when that happened, actually earned money not only from the RL games played at Headingley but also by the cricket games.

Wigan could have had a lease which allows them to play the games they are likely to play when they are likely to play them, but that would probably cost a lot more than they are prepared to pay, in that situation, home advantage is the opportunity cost of Wigans decision. Its not up to everyone else in RL to accomodate them.

I don't see why Wiganers are suddenly aiming their fire anywhere but Wigan.
No one put a gun to Wigans head to sign a contract otherwise it would be null and void. Contract signed under duress.
Why Leeds have been dragged into this debate is just beyond me.

Its an argument of deflection.

So the 24 hour rule is of Wigan's own making?

What is this 24 hour rule your talking about?
Please enlighten me as it's not something i've heard about?

Latics were already a PL team when Leneghan took over and negotiated the lease

I wonder if Leeds inform the RFL of any weekends when certain county cricket matches are on so as to avoid fixture clashes?

It may be beyond you ut if a Leeds fan hadn't come on stirring then I'm sure they wouldn't have been brought into the equation?

Did he not insist on reviewing the 24 Hour PL rule?

Of Course they do, and if they could be accomodated they are, if they cant leeds make the sacrifice to accomodate it.

Also the RL fixtures are released earlier, so the CC fixtures are planned to accomodate them, even the play offs.

Its in the statement issued by Wigan Warriors slagging the RFL off. Ian Lenegan states the following:

"is clearly known by the RFL that Wigan Warriors also cannot play the day before a Premiership match"

Did you miss this bit?

But thy are playing the day before a PL match?


I'm getting confused now

Sort it out Leneghan, I want an announcement!!!!!!

No idea. I wasn't there

More than likely Whelan has waivered his rights under the lease on this point.

RFL are not to blame here. Only DW. The statement puts a spin on things to head the blame into the direction of the RFL but the truth is Whelan tried all on sundry to make sure Wigan couldn't play on the saturday but in the terms of the lease they can. Anyone who believes otherwise is being naive. If the lease stated rugby couldn't be playing the day before then the rugby WOULDN'T be playing the day before.

You can almost reach out and touch the bitter disappointment in some quarters that Wigan are able to play this game at home. Most had already drafted their posts of outrage and bile ahead of the announcement we had to move to the LSV or somewhere.

And now there's made-up talk of lease clauses, etc, when no-one actually knows. Whatever. We're at home, we're happy. Fact is, the EPL is a billion-pound global corporation and can p:ss all over RL if it chooses to.

Given that some news reports state that DW has assured the EPL of the pitch's good condition, it would appear to be a EPL directive, if not an official operating rule. Perhaps issued in light of the poor condition of the DW pitch in years past.

As for the RFL - to choose to ignore potentially vital advice given prior to the season is just simply idiotic. The situation may not be of their making, but by their stubborn inaction to work to avoid such a clash in the face on that knowledge they certainly chose to exacerbate it.

Ah bllocks to 'em all. Roll on next weekend!!

More than likely it doesn't exsit.

The comment you quote is to spare Whelan's blushes.

www.superleaguefans.com/rugby-le ... ation.html [iWhilst the RFL were informed by Wigan Warriors of the potential difficulty they faced as a consequence of their unique tenancy agreement were they to be drawn at home in the quarter-finals, the club were aware that should their tie be selected for broadcast, the onus was on them to find a solution.[/i Pretty clear whats happened, DW wanted it his own way, Wigan Warriors played ball to keep him happy, RFL told them RL wasnt beholden to DW, DW backed down, Wigan Warriors issue press release full of bluster and bull to try and placate DW.

www.superleaguefans.com/rugby-le ... ation.html [iWhilst the RFL were informed by Wigan Warriors of the potential difficulty they faced as a consequence of their unique tenancy agreement were they to be drawn at home in the quarter-finals, the club were aware that should their tie be selected for broadcast, the onus was on them to find a solution.[/i Pretty clear whats happened, DW wanted it his own way, Wigan Warriors played ball to keep him happy, RFL told them RL wasnt beholden to DW, DW backed down, Wigan Warriors issue press release full of bluster and bull to try and placate DW.

Quote ="SmokeyTA"www.superleaguefans.com/rugby-league/2012/05/04/cup-clash-to-be-played-at-dw-rfl-blame-wigan-for-recent-situation.html [iWhilst the RFL were informed by Wigan Warriors of the potential difficulty they faced as a consequence of their unique tenancy agreement were they to be drawn at home in the quarter-finals, the club were aware that should their tie be selected for broadcast, the onus was on them to find a solution.[/i Pretty clear whats happened, DW wanted it his own way, Wigan Warriors played ball to keep him happy, RFL told them RL wasnt beholden to DW, DW backed down, Wigan Warriors issue press release full of bluster and bull to try and placate DW.'" News article now on RFL site www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/25 ... -televised

Quote ="SmokeyTA"www.superleaguefans.com/rugby-league/2012/05/04/cup-clash-to-be-played-at-dw-rfl-blame-wigan-for-recent-situation.html [iWhilst the RFL were informed by Wigan Warriors of the potential difficulty they faced as a consequence of their unique tenancy agreement were they to be drawn at home in the quarter-finals, the club were aware that should their tie be selected for broadcast, the onus was on them to find a solution.[/i Pretty clear whats happened, DW wanted it his own way, Wigan Warriors played ball to keep him happy, RFL told them RL wasnt beholden to DW, DW backed down, Wigan Warriors issue press release full of bluster and bull to try and placate DW.'" News article now on RFL site www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/25 ... -televised