I miss those regular games against Fax..got to admit, visiting the Pigeons and the Pumproom does have a bit to do with it.

I'd like to think if we got Fax away we would do a number on them, rather than partake in the unseemly game of pattercake that transpired last time.

Indeed. That game was awful.

We don't want home games , unless its against one of the bigger SL teams, as our share of gate wouldn't cover costs for a low attendance game and we'd actually lose money.

We've got Rochdale away to start with.

That will do nicely

Excellent! Nice to see Leeds get a Super League side too

Can hardly call them that these days...

How they beat us at there place I'll never know.

i've never been to rochdale

I'd rest at least 5 first teamers. Nas, Scrutes, Sammut, Kearney, Lulia. Don't want us playing a near full strength squad to smash Rochdale by 60. Need to rest some players.

Do we still get free entry to fourth round?

You aren't missing anything.

Would be great if the BBC decided to show some of the smaller clubs for a change but I'd expect Leeds and Hull KR to get the TV games.

London vs Featherstone
Whitehaven vs Workington
Sheffield vs Dewsbury

One of these should be on TV along with Cast vs Leeds imo.

Wigan Warriors v Leigh Centurions

Hemel Stags v Wakefield Trinity Wildcats

Hunslet Hawks v Catalan Dragons

Rochdale Hornets v Bradford Bulls

Batley Bulldogs v Huddersfield Giants

Hull FC v North Wales Crusaders

Sheffield Eagles v Dewsbury Rams

London Broncos v Featherstone Rovers

Halifax v Barrow Raiders

Widnes Vikings v Doncaster

Keighley Cougars v Warrington Wolves

Leeds Rhinos v Castleford Tigers

University of Gloucester v Salford City Reds

York City Knights v Toulouse

Whitehaven v Workington

Hull KR v St Helens

Or this one

University of Gloucester v Salford City Reds

Possible favourable draws in the next round, presuming we get past Rochdale - SL clubs at home, lower league away or home.
12/32 so a slightly less than even chance of a straightforward route to the quarters. With 12 SL clubs likely to be in the last 16, I make it a one in three chance there will be a lower league team in the QFs, again presuming no upsets.

Im feeling a Featherstone win against London!

All away game i think will be best unless we get a top side at home, dont see london or wakey bringing alot of fans but i could be wrong.

Rochdale have a decent ground and a club wholly owned by their members since 2009/10 I think.

Excellent draw for both clubs financially.
As already posted it's a loss maker for the Bulls to open Odsal with a small number of ticket buyers which would have been the case had it being Rochdale at home.
Rochdale will financially gain through the gate from the large Bulls following I expect.
It will create a buzz in the town and aspirations of a giant killing performance.
That's what cup rugby is all about

Are we not linked with Rochdale or has that now finished and we are with Dewsbury instead?

We were linked tenuously with Rochdale at one time. I'm pretty sure it's Dewsbury only now.

As per ever, the Bulls' run of almost never ever getting a home draw in the Cup rounds gloriously continues. Statistically, a snowball would stand more chance on the surface of the sun than we have of a home draw.

OTOH it would be almost impossible to make any money on any home tie, certainly in the rounds and even a QF would likely be a lossmaker unless it was Leeds. So I agree that away at a small club is as good as it was likely to get.

What we could really do with is a run of draws against minnows, and at the same time for the leading SL clubs to keep being drawn against each other, and get to the Final without hardly having had to play a game.

But you know we'll be drawn against Leeds sooner or later. It's tradition.

I reckon the last time we played at Rochdale was:
1998 CC Round 4 Sun 15 Feb 1998 Rochdale 10 - 48 Bradford

I remember back in the day when they weren't a bad team playing them at Headingley in the 1990-1 Regal Trophy Semi Final
Sat 22 Dec 1990 Rochdale 13 - 2 Bradford

I did the maths and I think we have about a 1 in 50 chance of reaching the semis without a game in which we aren't clear favourites, and 1 in 200 without facing SL opposition at all.

The Rochdale tie-in question was asked at a Hood-era fans forum (one I sent in) and we were told it had not come to anything. Like so many other tie-ups (Wakefield RU, anyone?) that we were sold and then came to nothing.

We played Rochdale at Spotland in 1998, yes. Nice stadium. We made up most of the crowd. Rochdale gave us a good run for our money first half, and we were pretty lacklustre tbh. In the end, we ground them down with superior fitness and bench and skill, but IIRC few Bulls fans left feeling we had taken them to the cleaners.

Only later did it become clear that the Edwards effect was already eating the heart out of the team, and that was probably adversely affecting performances.

We took such a big following, that traffic approaching the ground from the M62 was stupid. The stadium is at the far side of the town to the M62, So clever sod here decided not to follow the herd but "cut across" to Halifax instead to avoid the traffic. Unfortunately, I did not have my map book in the car, and on this occasion my usually-reliable direction sense failed me miserably. what I assumed was north was actually west. On what my missus described as "yet another Adey Route", we DID get to enjoy seeing the evening sights of delightful Rawtenstall and picturesque Bacup though...