This post really echo's my own thoughts. I don't expect it to affect home crowds really but can see extra revenue being made from those supporters who rarely go to away matches bar the biggies.

making the challenge cup into a group format is just a way of disguising the loop fixtures, teams will still play each other 3 or 4 times a year still, even before the play offs, will they be home and away group fixtures or lob-sided like the loop fixtures atm? Cant see many fans paying separately for that format!

Totally agree
Another change that does nothing to enhance S/L .
Its a knockout competition leave it alone
Doing really well that IMG

Main advantage of this format is its guarantees a home game so teams can sell an extra game on season tickets and it increases crowds which have dropped a lot for the early CC rounds.

You could also seed the draw so the groups contain an SL, Championship and League1 side meaning some different matchups, though unfortunately likely to be some one sided scores.

Eight groups of three presumably means twelve Championship / League One clubs joining the twelve SL clubs so four groups will have two SL clubs and four will have one. Knowing the RFL this would be based on the previous year's placings so the top eight from this season will be seeded one per group and the bottom four will join the twelve qualifying lower league clubs in the draw.

My other long held thought about the CC is go back to SL teams entering earlier but make the lowest ranked team get the home game, gives the lower league sides a pay day and some different grounds for SL fans to visit. The BBC also like to cover games in unusual places early on, they do that for the FA Cup.