Re: Why Dont we do Pre Season Friendlies ? : Tue Dec 31, 2013 4:41 pm  

FevGrinder wrote:

Hence the reason Tubbs doesn't like them

And I suspect the reason Sheffield don't get asked is again finance, in that Sheffield are unlikely to bring many fans to buy those burgers.

Hmmm, well, as we've been invited to Limoux again, I don't know that that's the case.

Re: Why Dont we do Pre Season Friendlies ? : Tue Dec 31, 2013 8:19 pm  

Personally I would like to see some friendlies purely for selfish reasons I just want to watch Sheffield Eagles play, But I understand why we don't with little financial gain and the risk of even more injuries

Re: Why Dont we do Pre Season Friendlies ? : Tue Dec 31, 2013 11:26 pm  

I understand the financial reasons why we don't host Friendlies however I see Doncaster they are playing crusaders at home in a friendly on 9th February I am sure they would have got a bigger crowd if they invited us they could have brought a trophy and called it the South Yorkshire Shield.

Another thought with no Northern Rail Trophy this season could this have been played as a Pre Season tournment ? 16 Teams 14 Championship Sides and 2 from Championship 1 (they could hold pre qualification matches) L16 L8 Semi Final and the Final to be held mid season Pre Season Friendlies with something to play for

Re: Why Dont we do Pre Season Friendlies ? : Wed Jan 01, 2014 10:55 am  

duggs413 wrote:

I understand the financial reasons why we don't host Friendlies however I see Doncaster they are playing crusaders at home in a friendly on 9th February I am sure they would have got a bigger crowd if they invited us they could have brought a trophy and called it the South Yorkshire Shield.

Another thought with no Northern Rail Trophy this season could this have been played as a Pre Season tournment ? 16 Teams 14 Championship Sides and 2 from Championship 1 (they could hold pre qualification matches) L16 L8 Semi Final and the Final to be held mid season Pre Season Friendlies with something to play for

Hard to see that as a financial winner, duggs.

Re: Why Dont we do Pre Season Friendlies ? : Thu Jan 02, 2014 11:36 am  

Because you bring to many fans .What was name of the dog in the film ,Lassie ?

Re: Why Dont we do Pre Season Friendlies ? : Thu Jan 02, 2014 3:55 pm  

duggs413 wrote:

I understand the financial reasons why we don't host Friendlies however I see Doncaster they are playing crusaders at home in a friendly on 9th February I am sure they would have got a bigger crowd if they invited us they could have brought a trophy and called it the South Yorkshire Shield.

Another thought with no Northern Rail Trophy this season could this have been played as a Pre Season tournment ? 16 Teams 14 Championship Sides and 2 from Championship 1 (they could hold pre qualification matches) L16 L8 Semi Final and the Final to be held mid season Pre Season Friendlies with something to play for

I agree with Griff Don't see how anyone can make money out of this. For example you get beat in the L16 and you now have 3 blank weekends when you could have organised 3 friendlies.

Then what happens when you find out it is freezing for 3 weeks in January and can't play the L16, L8 & semis and already have a venue booked for the final?

Don't get me wrong, I quite like the idea of the rail trophy, more cups to be played for potentially gives clubs things to aim for and a second great day out for our league. However this would need to fit into the standard league fixtures, which would be difficult with the current 26 games plus 2, 3 or 4 CC games plus 4 weekends for the playoff series means we already have around 32-34 games to fit in. The only way of doing this with the rail trophy as well would be to start the season a month earlier which leaves you to the issues with the weather and means that the players off season gets curtailed even more.

For me the only way of doing this (including a "rail trophy") would be to reduce the league to 12 teams, which I think there is a chance of in 2015. reduce SL to 12 teams, have SL2 with 12 teams (2 relegated SL teams, maybe Tolouse, top 8/9 from CC1 and GF winners from CC2) with the remaining 13/14 clubs forming the 3rd teir.

Re: Why Dont we do Pre Season Friendlies ? : Thu Jan 02, 2014 11:58 pm  

charlie caroli wrote:

Because you bring to many fans .What was name of the dog in the film ,Lassie ?

Which one Pal was the first!

Re: Why Dont we do Pre Season Friendlies ? : Fri Jan 03, 2014 11:13 am  

FevGrinder wrote:

I agree with Griff Don't see how anyone can make money out of this. For example you get beat in the L16 and you now have 3 blank weekends when you could have organised 3 friendlies.

Then what happens when you find out it is freezing for 3 weeks in January and can't play the L16, L8 & semis and already have a venue booked for the final?

Don't get me wrong, I quite like the idea of the rail trophy, more cups to be played for potentially gives clubs things to aim for and a second great day out for our league. However this would need to fit into the standard league fixtures, which would be difficult with the current 26 games plus 2, 3 or 4 CC games plus 4 weekends for the playoff series means we already have around 32-34 games to fit in. The only way of doing this with the rail trophy as well would be to start the season a month earlier which leaves you to the issues with the weather and means that the players off season gets curtailed even more.

For me the only way of doing this (including a "rail trophy") would be to reduce the league to 12 teams, which I think there is a chance of in 2015. reduce SL to 12 teams, have SL2 with 12 teams (2 relegated SL teams, maybe Tolouse, top 8/9 from CC1 and GF winners from CC2) with the remaining 13/14 clubs forming the 3rd teir.

Divisions of 10, 18 league games, four weeks for the Rail Cup, four weeks set aside for the Challenge Cup, four week play-off series, March to September season, job's a good 'un.

Last season, each division had, in effect, it's own Cup competition which its clubs could realistically win whilst - theroetically at least - being able to win the Cups for higher divisions. I liked that structure and I'm disappointed that it's been abandoned for the sake of fourteen team divisions which it looks like we'll be abandoning at the end of 2014 anyway.

Absolute madness !

Re: Why Dont we do Pre Season Friendlies ? : Sat Jan 04, 2014 8:09 pm  

griff1998 wrote:

Divisions of 10, 18 league games, four weeks for the Rail Cup, four weeks set aside for the Challenge Cup, four week play-off series, March to September season, job's a good 'un.

Last season, each division had, in effect, it's own Cup competition which its clubs could realistically win whilst - theroetically at least - being able to win the Cups for higher divisions. I liked that structure and I'm disappointed that it's been abandoned for the sake of fourteen team divisions which it looks like we'll be abandoning at the end of 2014 anyway.

Absolute madness !

I wouldn't be upset with that format, but chairmen will never agree to only 9 guaranteed home games, they all want to maximise their revenue. Teams like Leeds must average around £500,000 gross from their home games from say 15,000 x £20 average ticket price, plus say £6-£10 average incidentals (tea, beer, burgers, programmes, lottery, car park, etc.), plus executive boxes and sponsorship. I know this is not all profit, but even with overheads of say £100,000-£150,000 per game it is a lot of income to give up.

Some chairmen will not want to go down to 11 guaranteed home games from 13, which is why teams voted for a 14 team SL in the 1st place. The extra 2 home games is greater value than the extra money from sky when share between 12 clubs compared to 14 clubs.

Anyway thought you poo-poo’d my suggestion of 2 leagues of 10 for SL.

Re: Why Dont we do Pre Season Friendlies ? : Sun Jan 05, 2014 12:19 pm  

Largely on the grounds that it'll never happen for the reasons you yourself raise.

I think you should count how many weeks there are in the season, take away some for cups and play-offs and the number you're left with is the number of league games you play.

Which - of course - doesn't necessarily mean you'd play everyone home and away.