Not really, it just highlights that there are no suitably-sized venues within six or seven miles of Leeds which fit the required criteria. Odsal was a one-off in 2006 and has visibly crumbled even since then; no W Yorks ground other than Headingley or Hudds have appropriate facilities to hold a Challenge Cup semi.

I really don't get the issue - with dear old Station Road long gone and Leigh apart (and I find it easier to get from Leeds to HJS than to LSV via road, and let's not dwell on the Leythers' public transport situation) there are no RL grounds other than Hudds and Warrington between Leeds and St Helens which are of appropriate size and have appropriate facilities. And Leeds can't just keep on having them at Huddersfield every season.

Some Leeds fans just like to whinge about anything.

in every year since 2008, at least one of wigan, saints, wire and widnes have all had "home advantage" in a semi final

I'm moaning and I go to all the games apart from Catalans away. Were you one of the Leeds fans that didn't get into the ground at Saints until after half time last season ? It is a nightmare journey and it takes about half the time on a Saturday or Sunday when you are coming from North Leeds. I don't moan about the league games because it's accepted the games are sometimes Friday night, but I'm gonna moan about the first Challenge Cup semi in history being played on a Friday night. It's diabolical and two big fingers up to the Leeds fans from the RFL. What about people that want a train connection into Leeds and out again, what chance have they got of a last train back out of Leeds, it's a case of f**k you, don't bother coming we've got the BBC money and you can go do one. It's all about the money for people like Nigel Wood, he can stick his nose in the trough and have a real feeding frenzy. What about Brian Barwick and all the other jokers that were supposed to be raising the profile of our sport ? Is this the best they can do, a Friday night slot on BBC 2. Anyone picking kids up from school and then racing around like idiots on Friday tea time rush hour will thank the RFL for sure don't you think ? If you want to bend over and take it willingly up the Jacksy feel free, I won't, and I'll have a good moan at the greedy bosses who take, take, take and don't seem to offer much back.

If it was arranged at Elland Road, that would make you very happy wouldn't it?

That would appear to be the only acceptable alternative for some Leeds fans. Worked out well when they got the semi there in 1995.

Didn't work out so well for them when we had to travel there twice in 5 days back in 1986

True

The grounds chosen for Leeds semis vs the Hull clubs are worthy of note. Poor put-upon Leeds had to travel to Huddersfield in 2000 and vs Hull KR in '86 (twice as you say) were sent all the way to Elland Road which is basically in 'Unslet. Hardly fair.

i do feel for leeds fans in a way, as with a semi final you want to enjoy the day, it's the occasion rather than just a match, and friday night takes that occasion away for me, i can understand the frustration.

however i don't really feel for leeds in terms of venue, as to my knowledge, they have usually had the benefit of not having far to travel, last year was the first time in 9 years that they had to travel outside of yorkshire for a semi final, Huddersfield on the other hand have only had 1 semi final in yorkshire in the same period, ironically the 2006 semi at odsal, where leeds fans were so cocksure of brushing away the challenge of these upstarts,their fans gave the semi final a miss and splashed out on final tickets instead

Indeed. This will be the 20th CC semi final tie I've seen Leeds play in, 14 of which have been in Yorkshire with nine in Hudds, one at Odsal, one at Doncaster and three in Leeds itself, albeit south of the river.

There is no room for us to complain about anything.

The game sold its soul and control to tv a long time ago. Why are people only just realising this?.

Less than 3,500 tickets sold by Leeds for Friday night.

Hardly a surprise, and hopefully the end of the ludicrous Friday night experiment for one what should be one of the showpiece games of the season.

If 4 million watch on TV compared to the usual 1 to 1.5 million but the crowd is 9,000 rather than 12,000 will that be deemed a "ludicrous" failure for Rugby League?

If 4 million watch it on TV and think "wow, they can only get 9,000 for their equivalent of an FA Cup semi-final, what a tin pot sport", then yes.

Not quite sure what makes you think that moving to Friday night will suddenly attract four times the number of viewers that Saturday/Sunday afternoons do though, or that those viewers won't be RL fans who would have tuned in anyway?

don't think people are moaning about the venue as ,much as the ridiculous decision to play on a Friday night.

When did we sell out to the bbc? I must have missed that