Yup,just seems pointless at this time to me as bad as the CC has been devalued over the years this season just makes a mockery of the grand old tournament

I think pressure from BBC, Sky and the Sponsors will be justification enough to continue with the tournament.

Game has lost enough cash over this period would be madness to turn down more and also reduce our only domestic league exposure on terrestrial tv.

I only hope that the Championship and Division One clubs are compensated for not getting the chance to participate in the competition.

The withdrawal of Toronto has messed up the redraw as the three original all Super League ties of Leeds v Hull K R, Salford v St Helens and Wigan v Warrington could have been the 6th round games with the remaining five Super League clubs who were due to play Championship and Division One clubs all getting byes.

I for one applaud the RFL for trying to keep the competition going in these unprecedented times. Let's be honest, it's a shame the lower league clubs can't compete but the chances of them progressing anyway are slim so let's just get on with the competition. Come Challenge Cup Final day if we are in it nobody will remember the route there. It's still the pinnacle of the sport for me.

Not quite correct
The fact Toronto were due to play Newcastle whilst their season has been abandoned is the big problem
That would mean 7 teams going through with Newcastle getting Torontos spot in the last 8 despite not having played a game since March and not intending on playing another game this season so I guess it's highly unlikely they want or it is viable for them to play the next round I.e the Qtr final.
If that were the case there only be 7 Qtr finalists and then a team would get another bye to the semi final.

Better to redraw and get 2 last 16 games played with 6 getting "Byes" (Sorry tricky it wont be 1 game drawn, it will be 2) and the 2 winners play play the 6 byes in the Qtr finals.

It’s not though, is it.
You can’t tell me that the CC final is a more prestigious, exciting and interesting day than the GF?

It is in my eyes. Growing up during the 8 in a row winning at wembley is huge to me. Id take the cup every day of the week.

Also, as a fan of nostalgia i would prefer the champions to be first past the post.

I used to prefer it but recently with the empty stadiums its lost its magic, when it was full the GF couldnt compete with the CC for me

Told you before, You are Tailor made to be a Wolfs fan

Well they did have a better pack than us in 2013

Quite correct. Grand Final day is THE big one no doubt but on a personal level the Challenge Cup means a lot to me. Im with the egg man on this. Im 35, I grew up watching those amazing finals and amazing try's and for somebody who couldn't get to see many games live as a kid even though i loved watching, those finals and going to the parades etc for a kid were brilliant. It was a full day of anticipation and excitement and even the BBC coverage lasted about 4 hours. Loved it.

One day you'll listen and then you may learn something!

Pickles
Santiago
Shroud of Turin (not Lisa stansfield).

The main reason why the Challenge Cup Finals at Wembley are not as large is because they no longer get as many fans from the non competing clubs like they did in the past due to the cost of going to London and when you are there, then being ripped off.

At the Old Wembley Finals, you would see fans wearing replica shirts of most of the clubs, but now most are just of the two finalists and others from the better supported Super League clubs which prompts the question, is it better to have 70,000 at Old Trafford or 60,000 at Wembley.

And the area around the perimeter of the New Wembley Stadium and Wembley Way is no longer the same for pre match atmosphere.

And not just that. Loads of fans wearing the shirts of every amateur club. Basically it was a day out for every rugby league fan in the country. But sadly, it's not any more. But I don't think it's got a lot to do with 'rip-off London'. London has never been cheap, and the area around Wembley Stadium was always a dump anyway.