This is it in a nutshell. There are lots of alternatives to "Wembley weekend" for a big day out watching rugby league, and depending on who you support it's likely you'll be able to watch your own club at Magic or Big Bash. Wembley is part of our heritage so keep it there, deal with the challenges it brings and make the best of it, but people will probably have to accept empty seats are inevitable in a 90,000 capacity stadium. People often compare to football, but every game they play at Wembley isn't an England game or FA Cup final. The League 1 and League 2 play off finals don't sell out - and those clubs generally have support bases similar in size to Super League clubs. The non league games for the play off, FA Trophy and FA Vase get even smaller crowds. No one ever advocates playing them at smaller grounds though, because the players and fans enjoy their Wembley opportunity. Just get on with it like they do.

Indeed

“She wore, she wore, she wore a yellow ribbon...”

thankfully we havn't had that experience at wembley yet with sneyd




congrats on the win

I know get loads of carload cut outs of people and when all the tickets are sold then put the cut outs in the empty seats problem solved LOL

The only thing I would consider changing is the date - next year notwithstanding as we've already been notified of that. August Bank Holiday isn't ideal for a number of reasons. However there has to be some acceptance that Wembley isn't available at all times either. Playing it outside of the football season would be preferable in my view, but once the football finals are played each May, you may then have England games taking it into June. July might then seem ideal, but the stadium is often hosting big gigs in the summer, there may be a big boxing match on, they might have certain dates earmarked for the pitch being relayed, etc. I don't believe the Wembley stadium operators would want to lose the Challenge Cup final, and they will work with the RFL when it comes to finding a solution if next year does prove a success and suggest there's an appetite for a permanent change of date. It's not as simple as the RFL just playing it on whichever date people on here come up with though.

On saying all that, if next year's final is again played between two well supported teams, with another biggish one (a la Widnes) in the 1895 Cup, and doesn't see a significant increase on this year's attendance, then that will suggest the date isn't really an issue. Next July will be quite revealing where that's concerned.

As long as they get there first and are running towards the ball rather than laterally they're fine. They can also jostle shoulder to shoulder if they're chasing the ball, again running towards the ball, no lateral movement allowed. Every team does it at least with the centre getting there first to protect the winger, otherwise the kicking team's winger gets a running jump whilst the non-kicking team's winger is forced into a standing jump

With the final moved theres a good opportunity for SL to do something with the August Bank Holiday Monday slot, theres absolutely no sport on at all today and SKY are surely crying out for something to show. Would be ideal time for a team to take a big game to a bigger ground, or a double header etc

Probably. He dropped everything else.

Good shout.
Maybe almost have a triple header of games for Sky. Have Saints v Wigan at Anfield, Leeds v Cas at Elland Road and Hull v Hull KR at the KC.
Could stagger them through the day so Sky could show all of them?

No ,not a good shout........How about having nothing that w/end? And let the players enjoy the bank holiday,and a well earned rest with their families before the business end of the season.It's Preposterous to have the C/Cup final during the summer holidays anyway.

On top of saints reffing clarification (definitely not a complaint) i just remembered about this little belter. https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.ampproj ... e.sthelens

On top of saints reffing clarification (definitely not a complaint) i just remembered about this little belter. https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.ampproj ... e.sthelens

Quote Fantastic Mr Cat="Fantastic Mr Cat"On top of saints reffing clarification (definitely not a complaint) i just remembered about this little belter. https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.ampproj ... e.sthelens'" If Wilkin was made of chocolate, he’d eat himself

Quote Fantastic Mr Cat="Fantastic Mr Cat"On top of saints reffing clarification (definitely not a complaint) i just remembered about this little belter. https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.ampproj ... e.sthelens'" If Wilkin was made of chocolate, he’d eat himself