The only thing virtual about my end was it was virtually empty.

Pardon!!

You two could always meet at the Holiday Inn and 'hug it out'?

That rings a bell.

Not getting involved in hand-wringing about likely attendance (and yes RFL are inept but rugby league fans love talking anything about the game down) but can't let the inference that the moon isn't actually whole pass?

WTF are you on about?

You are quite right, we should be upbeat and positive e.g) for some the stadium is half empty, for me it's half full!

The game may be in extremis, but there will be more parking spaces.

What do you care?

Hmmm. I never thought about that.
I wonder if the high viz arm wavers will be giving discount or upgrades too?

A bit of creative cgi may be called for to ensure a full house & convince the tv viewing masses of the popularity of rugby league in Britain.

Yes the chap that made the film [iGladiator.[/i

Or Toronto's marketing guy apparently and according to reports on the VT everyone not at their games is there but in the beer tent. This year everyone not at Wembley could be reported to be at the Holiday Inn watching BWW and RD in a Greco-Roman wrestling match

The biggest problem for the RFL was the way the semi finals turned out. If this was Saints v Leeds, we would not be stressing about a half full stadium.

Yes they could have done a big marketing campaign in London but the average Londoner would have seen the teams that were playing and gone "who?".

If someone put a leaflet through your door and said "discounted tickets for the ATP final: Roger Federer v Rafa Nadal" you would be more inclined to take the offer up than if it said "Dominic Thiem v Jack Sock", where you're more likely to think hmm ok I'll probably give that a miss, not that interested in tennis anyway.

Anyway don't RIP the Challenge Cup just yet, if the final in 2020 is Wigan v Saints, Shaun Edwards returning to Wembley will be a massive story and the game will get significant coverage and a packed house.

I wonder whether the RFL could be more proactive in making sure the semis deliver the best result for the game. Put it this way if this was Italian football and the Coppa Italia semis were Juventus v Genoa and Inter v Chievo, there is no way in a million years that Genoa and Chievo would be allowed to both win.

It's simply the length of time between the semi and the final. Just too short of a turn over.
With a longer period many more would be able to add to this effort.

Not the death of the Challenge Cup at all if we get a small attendance. One or two need to get a grip. Leave it at Wembley.
The short time between Semi and the Final does need to change.
Catalan getting to final is indeed unfortunate and it may be the case that no matter what the RFL did on the marketing the front it was always going to be hard to sell.

www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/art ... final.html

www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/art ... final.html

What marketing have they done? Take the cheapest tickets off sale and bang the expensive tickets on groupon! That’s all