Double post

Somebody from the club should come out and clarify the situition one way or the other.

Latics now own the stadium. What they say is what we have to put up with I'm afraid, especially given the good deal we get from Whelan.

It's quite simple. If Sky decide ( and it is their decision!) we are playing on Friday or Saturday, prepare for a trip to Widnes or Leigh. The club could have prevented this with a little foresight. Just as Old Trafford is kept free for GF day, so could the DW have been for the Ist Round play-off.

But the GF is a definite date, known 12 months in advance.
A Top 2 finish, thus a home round playoff was only confirmed yesterday.

We should have a friendly with Latics to decide whether we get chance to play Friday or not. 45 mins football and 40 mins Rugby, i reckon we would win at both

how can you say that when the club havnt even made an announcment yet. for all you know plans could have made weeks ago to get around this issue with the fixture clashes!

We'll play on Sunday.

. i really dont think after what happened before that we'd not have somthing in place by now to get around this issue

it depends which game they want on in the biggest viewing timeslot. They would be well within their rights to choose 1st -v- 4th as being on Friday.

same solution as before. there is very little choice if SKY insist on it being on Friday, and Whelan wont relent.

From the RFL Operational RulesIf a Club is unable to stage a match on its own ground on the date or at the time required by the RFL or SLE’s broadcast partners the Board may direct that such match be played at an alternative venue (which may be the ground of its opponents) on the date and at the time so required.[/i

The days for who plays whom is not set in stone as some seem to suggest. Recent history shows they'll move games depending on the particular situation. For example Les Catalans played all their home play-off games on a Saturday a couple of years ago, when previous convention said they shouldn't.

Also if there is a draw on Saturday the replay will be the Wednesday before the play-offs, so there's no way either the Dire or Whinos will be playing on the Friday.

there are plenty more examples of them moving games to suit SKY more, rather than the other way round.

they will probably be more willing to move games where there is some reason why SKY would be inconvenienced (i.e. having an 8pm kick off on a Friday in France would be 9pm in the UK and not ideal for SKY viewers), not just because a club cannot fulfil its commitments.

Given that SKY were not willing to be flexible last time this happened, I wouldn't hold your breath hoping for them to do it this time.

The cup replay date is just crackers - if its a draw this Saturday, Saints and whoever Leeds play will have a walkover in the first playoff game.

The last time it happened when we played at Widnes, the play-off games where Friday night or Saturday night, neither of which could be played at the JJB/DW. It had nothing to do with Sky not being flexible.

This time there is a Sunday play-off game because we have 4 games in week 1 instead of 2.