Re: NRC final : Sun Jul 21, 2013 10:10 am  

Sheffield, Wales and London club in finals? At least the lower divisions have expanded!

Re: NRC final : Sun Jul 21, 2013 10:36 am  

It has been a while since I have enjoyed a game that much. Finals rarely create exciting football but that had everything! As for location I'm far from convinced by the move to Fax, however it could have been played on the school field and it would have still been a day to remember.

Re: NRC final : Sun Jul 21, 2013 10:58 am  

I attended two finals in Blackpool with HKR & have attended others since it is a great day out but Halifax is not for me I would not have gone even I was not working as I made a weekend away of it. I enjoyed it on TV & it shows how good a game we have as long as the teams are matched. I think it also highlighted the gap between the championship & the full time Super league, not in skill or entertainment but in the physique of the part time players they were all diferent shapes & sizes just like most of us. Thats why the way we introduce these clubs into the top level has to be thought out very carefully.

Re: NRC final : Sun Jul 21, 2013 11:02 am  

Think yourselves lucky, when the Giants won this is 2002 the final was played in Featherstone !!!

I watched it via internet and thought it was a great game till Sheffield collapsed, fair play to Leigh though, they were excellent.

Re: NRC final : Sun Jul 21, 2013 2:42 pm  

Andy Gilder wrote:

4,179 - for a day where there were four competing clubs. Thoughts?

2200 at a Super League game on Friday? Thoughts?
4870 at a Super League game on Friday? Thoughts?

Bear in mind, Super League attracts much more media, RFL and SKY TV attention than a Championship fixture.
Another problem which probably knocked a lot of the attendance was the game was advertised as ticketed.
There should have been a large promotion in various league publications and local media stating that you could pay on the day for any fans that may have fancied popping down at late notice.

Sheffield brought around 300 fans. I hate to think what the attendance would have been if Batley beat Leigh in the Semis.

Hope it reverts back to Blackpool next year. I don't think there will be a huge attendance in the Championship final at Leigh if Sheffield are there neither.

Re: NRC final : Sun Jul 21, 2013 2:43 pm  

GIANT DAZ wrote:

Think yourselves lucky, when the Giants won this is 2002 the final was played in Featherstone !!!

I watched it via internet and thought it was a great game till Sheffield collapsed, fair play to Leigh though, they were excellent.

I was there for that too, Huddersfield vs Hull KR at Fev haha!

Wasn't it called the Buddies Cup then?

Re: NRC final : Sun Jul 21, 2013 3:14 pm  

GIANT DAZ wrote:

Think yourselves lucky, when the Giants won this is 2002 the final was played in Featherstone !!!

I watched it via internet and thought it was a great game till Sheffield collapsed, fair play to Leigh though, they were excellent.

Leigh lost it at Dewsbury in 2000 , won it at Keighley in 2001 , both against the home teams, then lost against Salford in 2003 and beat HKR in 2004 ,both matches played at Spotland in Rochdale

But since they moved it to Blackpool it had been building as an event, just a shame the RFL and the clubs decided to cut costs rather than invest in it

Re: NRC final : Sun Jul 21, 2013 3:39 pm  

Starbug wrote:

Leigh lost it at Dewsbury in 2000 , won it at Keighley in 2001 , both against the home teams,

It didn't start until 2002 so you have that wrong.

Re: NRC final : Sun Jul 21, 2013 4:29 pm  

miscreant wrote:

It didn't start until 2002 so you have that wrong.

He's referring to the Trans Pennine Cup which was effectively the League Cup at the time. Might even by the same trophy but not 100%.

Re: NRC final : Sun Jul 21, 2013 5:01 pm  

miscreant wrote:

It didn't start until 2002 so you have that wrong.

Different name, same comp