i agree, and rotate who gives up the home advantage, if the fixtures were the same each weekend it would work. i do prefer the idea of a challenge cup weekend where the ground is neutral for all.

Lots of people keep suggesting bringing the 14 SL clubs in at round 5 plus two others that get through to round 5. That idea though would make the cup grossly unfair, impractical and would make the sport look stupid.

It is unfair as the one hope that smaller clubs have from the CC is that they will get a money spinning draw against a big SL club and for many this would set them up for the year financially. Look at Blackpool getting Leeds as an example. To limit the number that could possibly get this to two clubs is ridiculous and would further alienate the clubs outside of SL. Then to add insult to injury when two manage to get to round 5 they will not have the opportunity of a home tie to make cash but will have to share a probable 18 way split of the gate. These two clubs will then have to travel many miles to play after having to get through four rounds with poor gates to be robbed of their one chance of a big payday at the end of it.

Then we come to the practicality and the projected image. 2 teams go through to this round so 4 compete in what was round 4, 8 in round 3, 16 in round 2, 32 in round 1. There are 22 teams in the Co-op leagues so 10 places would be left for amateur teams in the CC. So first of all you have to bar the majority of clubs that take part in the competition from playing in it (there were around 60 amateur clubs taking part in round 1 this year with some already having played a preliminary round, the winners played in round 2 before 21 of the Co-op teams plus some French clubs entered, about 80 clubs not from the pro or semi pro leagues took part all told) so that you only have 10 plus the semi pros. Then the 32 clubs go through what is in essence a stand alone knock out cup until it reaches what would be its final (the last two). However rather than this then having a showpiece final (as casual observers would expect) the two "finalists" are put into a draw with the prize of being knocked out of the CC by fully professional teams. This type of format would just make the CC and RL look utterly stupid.

i'd go with this

Wigan v Wire (evenly matched)
Saints v Leeds (some great battles between the two)
Hull FC v Hull KR (obvious derby)
Bradford v Huddersfield (Local-ish derby)
Wakefield v Castleford (obvious derby)
Quins v Catalans (evenly matched)
Salford v Crusaders (evenly matched)

Thats a decent fixture list, and miles better than this weekends.

I'd go with that. They would have to release the draw a week or two before the event to account for form. Wigan v Wire this season may be evenly matched one year but not the next for instance!

Another way that could work is based on last seasons table, have 1st v 2nd, 3rd v 4th etc. At least you would guarantee some good games.

or base it on the same season

No one would know who they had until a week before.

See that would be good

Then you guaranteed top games that are fair and evenly matched.

didn't focus on other posts because this was so glaringly daft. We've 1 or 2 near sellouts a year and they attract the most armchair fans. Players love derbies and they're the most lucrative games for the club. Season ticket prices would have to fall in the year we lost a home tie to saints because most fans wouldn't be happy travelling. TV figures would fall as most only want one match a day so could cost RFL money too. All in all a really bad idea from every angle.

The [iONLY[/i way to do it.

Any other way = scrap it.

They'd need to do some savvy marketing, use the mystery element to their benefit.

Plus it would actually be a very important game in terms of position in the league and intensity.

Do away with it and use that spare weekend for one of the Easter fixtures.
Just have one game at Easter Good Friday and do away with the one on Monday.
Then you would not have three games in eight days.