I can remember last year when you said you'd done for good on RLFANS, look how that's turned out

It comes from the RFL doing its job and selling what it keeps insisting is a prestige "blue ribbon" protected event of national importance.

This is basically the RFL running the white flag up the Red Hall flagpole. It's an admission that the body has given up, that it no longer has the ideas, the skills of the competence to sell this sport to a new audience and that they'd privately rather have Leeds v Wigan in the final every year.

It's pathetic and if this is were any other kind of business with this sort of attitude, we'd rightly be saying that they deserve to die.

Agreed but, surely, any other business would replace the top management. They wouldn't just curl up and die.

Our sport has ZERO vision, we STILL keep on hoping that "innovation" and quick fixes will catapult the sport into the mainstream but, instead, we just look desperate and amateur.

It's time for the clowns that thought up the "overseas club bond" to either walk away or be finished, it's just not good enough.

And, yes, your right about our so called "event of national importance". Unfortunately, all of the importance disappeared just as soon as the Grand Final came into being.

Unfortunately those idiots aren't going anywhere. There's no way that Rimmer or Barwick would get such a good gig elsewhere.

Honestly, as skeptical as I am about an SL breakaway, this the top clubs that have to force the issue.

If I was Catalan I would withdraw from the challenge cup. Outrageous move from the RFL.

I don’t blame Catalans or any other club for objecting to paying the bond. It’s ridiculous.

Instead of penalising clubs the RFL should be incentivising them to all sell tickets for the event.

Every club, be it in SL, Championship, League One or amateur should be part of a ticketing scheme for RFL events whereby the club makes a profit off every ticket it sells for that event, effectively making every club in the country a sales agent for the RFL. At the moment if a club isn’t involved in the Cup Final you’re lucky if the event even gets a mention on the club website.

Also the RFL could look to negotiate travel and accommodation discounts for anyone buying a ticket.

I used to go regularly regardless of who was in the final but travel costs increased significantly to the point where it used to only cost me around 50-60 quid to go (incl travel and ticket) whereas now it would cost around 100-120 quid. I’d still go if it was my team but if I’m a neutral I’m giving it a miss. I can’t justify spending that much on top of everything else I spend on RL.

However, negotiate some discounts with Trainline or Travelodge for example, or for coach travel organised by various clubs and it might tempt me back again.

Unless this farcical policy is overturned by the muppets at the RFL, I will be boycotting any Challenge Cup games & will not be making the annual pilgrimage to Wembley for final.

I urge all other rugby league supporters to do the same, then maybe they will listen.

What's next.

Tonga being asked to put down a bond before the rugby league world cup as the RFL is scared they will make the world cup final.

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Create Twitter hashtag #boycottchallengcup

Couldn't agree more. And I would argue many fans are losing interest for 2 main reasons: 1 - many regular season games for many clubs are relatively meaningless, 2 - the game has been fannied around with too many times and has become too complicated, too convoluted and too forced. I haven't bought a season ticket for a few years now and only go to occasional games - after being loyal family ST holders basically forever.

...a dire atmosphere when manufactured expansion teams bring 7 fans doesn't help either. But according to expansionists such things don't matter...

I love the Grand Final. But I hate the way a team can finish 5th and still be crowned 'champions'. That, and the fact that when you can be fairly confident your team will be in the running at the end of the season, many regular season games become meaningless. Also that the ENTIRE season is marketed as a build up to that single game. For me that doesn't work.

As a Wigan fan I remember the end-of-season run-ins, and the derbies that meant so much more when Saints were title challengers and indeed, every game against a title challenger was a must-win. The excitement of the title race was palpable for months, not just during a brief play-off period. For weeks we all knew exactly how many points everyone had and who still had to play each other. We did all the calculations. Now derbies are mostly just for bragging rights. Now it doesn't really matter as long as we're in a play-off position.

Look at City vs Liverpool the other day. Both teams knew the season could hinge on the result even with months to go. And the run-in will now be tense as hell. THAT'S when every minute matters. Not a convoluted structure with everything pointing at the play-offs however you tweak it.

Similarly at the other end of the table. 2006 was the most exciting season at Wigan for years, and including title-winning seasons.

K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple StupidRFL.

The amateur game is a massive problem. Kids increasingly don't like graft, and RL is hard graft. Most amateur RL players quit by their late 20s/early 30s due to the commitment required and impact on their bodies. Fact is, you need to be fit and strong, and it can take 2-3 days to recover as you get older. In RU most clubs have 2nds, 3rds and 4ths consisting of unfit middle-aged men and talentless kids - but at least they can keep playing and boosting the numbers. I've played plenty of random games for local RU clubs since retiring, just for a laugh.

Wholesale changes are absolutely required at the RFL. Marketing, retail, development - if they're doing a good job then they're doing a pss-poor job of telling us about it. I suspect they're simply doing a pss-poor job. Credit due, it's improved in the last year or so but it's still pretty dire. Invest in good people to do the best job.

My dream: someone like BT invests massive £££££ in 2 x 'Rugby' channels, dedicated to RL & RU and nothing else. Show as many live games as possible while recording non-live games to show later, plus highlights shows, review shows, amateur segments, etc. I would happily watch that over & above anything I'm watching right now. In fact I'm not sure I'd watch anything else. I pay for Sky Sports and watch probably 1% of what they broadcast.

I didn't say BT WOULD invest, that was nothing more than a name plucked out of thin air. But I think the gist of my post is clear - my 'dream' would be to have RL & RU together on 2 dedicated 'rugby' channels, thus allowing for clashing RU & RL live games but also 24 hrs of airtime to fill.

As for the rest - no idea. But the RFL have outdone themselves in their idiocy this time.