Yes like others this match brings back a lot of memories, I went to my first final in 1963 I was 10 at the time, remember being gutted when we lost to Wakefield. My dad took me every year after that, strangely I remember the Hunslet game itself quite well, but not the actual day, apart from the fact I kept hitting myself on the head with my wooden rattle, (explains a lot I think).

I can remember being at Swinton with about 30,000 on there. Billy B was deemed in touch which lost us the game. That linesman Arnold Bagnall later became a relative of ours, though my old dad never forgave him.

not enough promotion and community work being done, with plenty of other hobbies to do these days its more important that people are taught league at an early age in school.
We seriously fail when it comes to playing rugby in Schools, teachers just don't care and don't have time to do it so clubs and the RFL should pick up the slack.

12 SL teams entering from 5R, compressing the competition to remove the long gaps between rounds and moving the final to end of May to move it away from the GF would all improve on what we currently have IMO.

There was a similar discussion on the VT last week and I posted this:

"The fixture calendar could very easily be structured around something like:

CC 4R - February
CC 5R - March
CC QF - April
CC SF - Beginning of May
CC F - End of May/beginning of June
MW - July (after the league split)

Playoffs - September
GF - October

Don't the 12 SL teams enter the CC from the 5R from next season? If so it's even easier to compress the cup and play the final earlier in the season. I guess the stumbling blocks are Wembley's availability and what the BBC want."

It is in the world our sport operates in.

And where on earth do you get the idea "most 7 events generate more publicity and money than the challenge cup final does"? If you are referring to 7's in RU that is no comparison because what you would have to be sure of is an RL nines competition would generate more interest than the RL CC final. I can guarantee it won't. Look at the magic weekend if you want to see an example of how a made up concept ranks in terms of interest and publicity. Now the novelty of the idea has worn off it just doesn't compare and neither would a nines competition which would be seen as a low prestige break from the regular season. Not a competition steeped in history which starts in January for the amateur sides and now even includes University teams.

And while some SL sides will eventually end up playing weaker opposition some do not when there are all SL ties and they are great games for the neutral and are invariably the televised matches.

There were also several coach loads of Hunslet fans there yesterday who were under no illusions as to the final result but had a great time. When they scored their first try we had 30 points on the board and they started singing "Easy, easy!" and when they scored again the chant was "One more than Bradford!".

Hunslet also get a share of the gate receipts and John Kear at Batley was recently reported as saying around 2,500 SL fans turning up for a CC game keeps Batley going for a month.

I think you have a very limited view of just how much money and interest the CC generates and the idea a nines competition could or should replace it is as I said bonkers.

We'll know the RFL really have well and truly lost the plot if they get rid of the Challenge Cup!