both


would it benefit our game as a whole, could it help our national game in not having as many games for its star players to play?

Not in my opinion. We'd lose a flagship occasion at the national stadium, and given that we lack a credible international game, I don't see what we'd replace it with. I don't know whether the lower league clubs who might get a big pay day against one of the big sides would see it as beneficial either.

Rugby League - no, in no way does it help to lose 1 of only 2 top tier competitions and especially one that has so much history and meaning behind it.

Super League - short term, yes. Long term, no. Short term would help by having a few less games but people of middle and lower table clubs would soon get bored of having no chance of winning anything at all.

If we want to lose some games from the schedule then, as rhinoms has pointed out, lose the MM game, and we've introduced another week of playoffs this season so lose that to start with. Then clubs can reduce the amount of friendlies they play too.

We have to keep the Challenge Cup, its the only bit of history RL has left.

I would imagine that's more to do with the fact that you were about 18 at the time and hence rugby was a bigger part of your life. I don't get quite as worked up about RL these days but that's more down to priorities than any difference in the perceived importance of the game.

hell no!

If the CC went to Sky I'm sure they'd move it back to the start of the season as it was before so as not to clash with the end of season play offs as the final does now.

IIRC it was only changed to August as part of a deal with the BBC at their request because they said it would fit better into their schedule and they'd be able to give it better coverage etc?

I always like the CC early on in the season when you knew where you were as all the rounds were every fortnight as oppsed to now when you have one round then wait 5 or 6 weeks to the next and then there might be 7 weeks to the round after that.

In its current format (apart from the final which is still a showpiece event for our sport) I feel the CC has become somewhat disjointed

Why should there be a backlash against JEdward? The backlash should be aimed at Cowell and his muppets.



That would be too easy and make too much sense for the RFL to ever consider doing it.

I thought it was disjointed and weird having the CC at the beginning of the season to be honest. I dont think anything is wrong with where it is in the season, the final is at just the right time. In the middle of summer, toward the end of the season but isnt too close to the Grand Final.
The only problem has been attendances, but thats been mostly , in my view, down to the fact they werent included in the season tickets. Take a look at playoff games and they have similar crowd to CC games.

There should be no backlash against Cowell at all. He made a very good business decision which will no doubt make him yet another pile of money and has already got his show tons more free publicity. Plus, it also removed someone dull and boring from our screns and saved one of the only entertaining acts they have on there - everyone's a winner really (well, everyone except the dull and boring one I suppose......)

I'd never have picked TVOC for an X Factor fan

(oh and you're right about the backlash)

The biggest issues here for me is that the current government don't think RL is important enough to protect for free-to-air TV. Yet they do think that the RU six nations is! While I don't think for one second they should take six nations off the list to take RL is a disaster.

[iBut in December 2008, Andy Burnham, the secretary of state for culture, media and sport, announced a review into the sporting events that should be safeguarded on free-to-air television.

Reflecting on the success of the Beijing Olympics, he said "the broadcast of big sports events... get young people inspired by sport, driving sports participation and the creation of the next generation of sports stars."

He added

So what are they saying, that RU is the preferred government approved Rugby code?

We don't have this situation in most other sports, as it is about showing a range of sports across free-to-air TV. Showing Tennis and not Badminton is not the same as showing RU but not showing RL.

We must remember that it is only in recent years that the Zurich Premiership has overtaken Super League as the second biggest weekly spectator sport after football. And even then only by a very small amount. We also currently (well 2008, as of course we can not have a comparison yet for 2009) have the best supported Rugby Club in the UK playing RL and when Leicester get there new stand sorted, we will still be second best at worst!

The issues is in some ways less about TV rights and more about the fact the current government don't think RL is worthy of a spot!

They don't think that one game per year of RL is important enough to protect for free-to-air TV you mean? Only the final has ever been on the protected list.

Sorry Andy, yes, I know that it is just the final per-say that is protected but it did also mean that the BBC did have some motivation to show the proceeding rounds which they indeed do. They now will have no motivation to show any if they don't want and arguably if you could not have the final, why would you bother?