It was always going to be a bad idea, bad choice of venue bad choice of night. Ruled me out straight away.

If Jon Wilkin ain't playing, tickets ain't selling. Fact.

The support we give the team is more crucial now than ever. The refs are under pressure at every play the ball, they have to make calls on offside, laying on, interference, standing square and probably a couple more things. If the Saints fans are screaming for penalties at every play the ball, we have to make just as much racket, the refs could easily decide the outcome of this game. It's too close for us to take it out of the officials hands, so we are gonna have to be every bit as vocal despite being outnumbered. Our support is top notch normally, I've no doubt it will be for this game as well. It's good we've got the side terrace despite probably not filling it. It will give us an advantage to spur the team on and also influence the weak officials.

What time is everyone arriving?

I've been recommended The White Hart, 56 Sankey St, Warrington Bank Quay, Warrington WA1 1SB as a decent Food Pub with some Real Ale.

Can't complain about the choice a venue - it had to be either in Yorkshire or Lancashire. Which ever stadium had been chosen it was bound to favor one team more than the other.

It's the choice of day that is fekkin' stupid.

The Challenge Cup has been running for nearly 120 years and this is the first time in the competition's history that a semi has bee played on a Friday night... and there's a fekkin' good reason for that.

The RFL have the backbone of a jellyfish.

I agree but we'd best get used to it as when Sky get the sole rights to the CC soon, they will no doubt have one semi on a Thursday night and the other on a Friday night

Currently the RL Challenge cup is one of those events that has to be shown on terrestrial tv.
But with the current govt. who knows what changes they will make to this list to appease their media friends?

BINGO!

IIRC only the final has protected status, not the rounds leading up to it.

So Sky could quite happily show every round including the final, but they would also have to allow a terrestrial broadcaster live rights for the final itself.

Correct but showing our game on terrestrial tv at prime time has to be good for viewers if not for travelling Rhinos fans.

I'd be happy to see both semi finals back-to-back on the same day. Or even have them both at one good sized venue on the same day

Friday night is no problem if, say, saints were playing warrington at wigan. it's stupid forcing one set of fans to travel 70 odd miles over a motorway that's a car park on a Friday afternoon

IIRC, I got the coach from Headingley to Doncaster for the semi-final against Cas and we hit traffic on a Saturday afternoon. Only got to the ground about 20 minutes before kick-off. Probably why the coaches are leaving at 5pm tomorrow.

Think people might have to get use to it over the next few years if Leeds keep making Cup semi finals. Think I read something about the RFL wanting to avoid using the football/rugby grounds like Hudds and Wigan for the semis and just use the RL grounds like Langtree and the HJ for example.

This is the first time Hudds ground has gone 2 years without hosting at least one of the semis and both semis this year and last year were East vs West clashes and Headingley has gotten the nod this year ahead of Hudds for the first semi here since '99 I believe when London beat Cas. We obviously can't play at Headingley then it leaves very little options apart from travelling west if Hudds is a no-go. An all-Yorkshire tie might get Odsal or back down to Doncaster like a few years back but any East vs West clashes wouldn't really see those venues be top choice.

Good job the game wasn't tonight.
Tail back from Junction 29 to Junction 26 at 6.30.
Probably an hour delay before you even get to Ainley top and then into Lancashire.