Slight exaggeration shabs

I'm sure if it was a semi final or it was at least a team we haven't just played (and lost t) it would be a bit different. I would also wager that similar fixtures in the CC in years gone by have had poor crowds.

Season Ticket holders should get a big discount on tickets IMO

Are you going?

Wanted to and friend and I were planning, but wife already already had a night out in diary and I have the kids. Not that easy as a dad to young family…..juggling a lot of balls…..

Wow your kids are easily entertained, good old fashioned entertainment aswell - love it

I think I'd have to ask who's balls is he juggling? (this thread is now expected to merge with the coffee table thread from the past...)

Not sure why there is a bit of lack of enthusiasm from some towards tonights game apart from the cost of attending which is fair enough. We get to measure ourselves against one of the best 2 teams in the competition for the second week in a row with virtually a full strength team. It will be a great barometer of where we are as a club when you review the two games collectively. What have we learnt or built on from last week from a playing or coaching perspective. Win or go close and its a great building block for the rest of the year.
Lose convincingly and it looks like progress is limited. Maybe thats the source of apprehension. The Challenge Cup is our best chance of winning something this year and we should embrace it! Agree about the format though a Friday night in March five weeks into the season does not feel right

Logic doesn’t come into it when feelings are concerned unfortunately.

As you say Logically i should be excited about it, but that’s not how I feel.

I think Friday night is the totally wrong time for this fixture, i think Saturday afternoon live on BBC one might have given the fixture a different feel.

I'm not going tonight. Hadn't anticipated a Friday night game and had already made plans. For what it's worth I think the challenge cup should start the season, as it did in the early days of SL. If this was the first game kicking off at 15:00 on a Saturday or a Sunday I think we'd get between 12 and 15K. Despite all that, it is a fascinating test of Smith's coaching chops. Massive series of games upcoming.

TV this week unfortunately. Won't finish work in time to get there.

Agree with Christopher about SL sides should enter a round earlier and get the magic back of away games c teams we have not played in years.

Tonight still feels like a big game to me, we’ve not won a cup match since winning it in Covid , a win against the benchmark club would be massive for Leeds and potentially Smith.

wonder who decided to play it on a friday night.... bizarre...

You could ditch the magic weekend and play the quarter finals and semi final weekends at a neutral venue. That might create interest and be something different.
Definitely the semi finals anyway. Create more of an occasion and something different.