Re: Sky deal drops in value : Fri Aug 25, 2023 2:31 pm  

B0NES wrote:

Challenge cup 24 teams in 8 groups of 3 , Winners of the groups go straight into Q/Fs . Extra home game aswell .

It'll work if they do scrap the loop fixtures in super league, makes super league fairer too as all teams play other teams the same amount of times, offsets the loss of a home league game with the removal of a loop fixture, and if the leagues are seeded, means you should play someone from outside SL which keeps it interesting

Re: Sky deal drops in value : Fri Aug 25, 2023 3:09 pm  

B0NES wrote:

Challenge cup 24 teams in 8 groups of 3 , Winners of the groups go straight into Q/Fs . Extra home game aswell .

Not a fan of that at all. What if every team in a group wins one and loses one? You shouldn't be able to win the Challenge Cup if you've lost one game in five. I know this can happen in the World Cup or football's Champions League etc. but the Challenge Cup should just be a straight knock out with the luck of the draw.

Just bring the Super League clubs in at the round of 32. More games for Championship and League One clubs against Super League clubs.

Re: Sky deal drops in value : Fri Aug 25, 2023 3:19 pm  

making the challenge cup into a group format is just a way of disguising the loop fixtures, teams will still play each other 3 or 4 times a year still, even before the play offs, will they be home and away group fixtures or lob-sided like the loop fixtures atm? Cant see many fans paying separately for that format!

Re: Sky deal drops in value : Fri Aug 25, 2023 3:19 pm  

ComeOnYouUll wrote:

Not a fan of that at all. What if every team in a group wins one and loses one? You shouldn't be able to win the Challenge Cup if you've lost one game in five. I know this can happen in the World Cup or football's Champions League etc. but the Challenge Cup should just be a straight knock out with the luck of the draw.

Just bring the Super League clubs in at the round of 32. More games for Championship and League One clubs against Super League clubs.

Totally agree
Another change that does nothing to enhance S/L .
Its a knockout competition leave it alone
Doing really well that IMG

Re: Sky deal drops in value : Fri Aug 25, 2023 3:22 pm  

ComeOnYouUll wrote:

Not a fan of that at all. What if every team in a group wins one and loses one? You shouldn't be able to win the Challenge Cup if you've lost one game in five. I know this can happen in the World Cup or football's Champions League etc. but the Challenge Cup should just be a straight knock out with the luck of the draw.

Just bring the Super League clubs in at the round of 32. More games for Championship and League One clubs against Super League clubs.

Main advantage of this format is its guarantees a home game so teams can sell an extra game on season tickets and it increases crowds which have dropped a lot for the early CC rounds.

You could also seed the draw so the groups contain an SL, Championship and League1 side meaning some different matchups, though unfortunately likely to be some one sided scores.

Re: Sky deal drops in value : Fri Aug 25, 2023 3:44 pm  

UllFC wrote:

Main advantage of this format is its guarantees a home game so teams can sell an extra game on season tickets and it increases crowds which have dropped a lot for the early CC rounds.

You could also seed the draw so the groups contain an SL, Championship and League1 side meaning some different matchups, though unfortunately likely to be some one sided scores.

Eight groups of three presumably means twelve Championship / League One clubs joining the twelve SL clubs so four groups will have two SL clubs and four will have one. Knowing the RFL this would be based on the previous year's placings so the top eight from this season will be seeded one per group and the bottom four will join the twelve qualifying lower league clubs in the draw.

Re: Sky deal drops in value : Fri Aug 25, 2023 4:04 pm  

My other long held thought about the CC is go back to SL teams entering earlier but make the lowest ranked team get the home game, gives the lower league sides a pay day and some different grounds for SL fans to visit. The BBC also like to cover games in unusual places early on, they do that for the FA Cup.