I was watching a superb game of the 1988 Lancs Cup Final between Salford and Wigan and the standard was better than todays Super League, so why not?

we should bring back the lancs & yorks cups for the championship & C1 teams instead of the northern rail cup imo

maybe the super league reserves can play in it too?

There's enough games, I suspect.

Does make me wonder though. How players of bygone eras could potentially play in all five competitions; League, Lancs/Yorks cups, Regal/John Player Trophy, Challenge Cup, and Premiership... and still have time to hold down a full time job.

not sure about the reserves but like the idea of the championship sides playing it with the winners of the lancashire cup playing the winner of the yorkshire cup.
only problem would be toulouse and london skolars

The Yorks and Lancs Cups could be a pre-season tournament. It would provide reasonably meaningful games for everyone, and if it was seeded so that SL clubs played lower league clubs away in the 1st round a cash boost for them.

Perhaps it could be made so SL had to play a minimum number of Under 21s. Most of them probably would anyway.

Bringing back the Regal / Players trophy would be pointless and worthless IMO

pre-season would surely bring us close to year round rugby. when would the players have a rest?
if the SL sides were pitted against the lower league clubs they'd win then we'd just have have 14 SL sides and a couple of Championship teams come the last 16.


it's an idea and i can see how the inclusion of SL sides could raise interest in the competition although i'm still unsure as to whether it would benefit the young SL players.


100% agree

toulouse would'nt play in it..they don't play in the NRC...

as for london they'd go into the lancashire pool meaning both comps have 10 teams

Lancashire cup - 2 groups of 5, top 2 advance to semis

oldham
rochdale
swinton
leigh
widnes
blackpool
barrow
whitehaven
workington
london skolars

Yorkshire cup - 2 groups of 5 , top 2 advance to semis

halifax
keighley
sheffield
doncaster
hunslet
dewsbury
batley
featherstone
york
gateshead

2 oppotunities for sponsors to get into the game,2 finals,and 4 sets of fans get to enjoy a final...as well as the possiblity of another final in the shape of a super cup type game,lancs cup winner v yorks cup winner...

I'd go with something like that. There's no way SL clubs can accommodate more games, but if they could put out under 21 sides it would give the country's elite youngsters some experience of a more intense level of competition than they currently get in reserve grade rugby and would provide the spectators and CH/CH1 clubs with some novelty value.

that was my thinking too..

There are a number of players at Saints at the mo who are too good for reserve grade but not quite fixtures in the first team yet (Frodsham, Eastmond, Wheeler, Foster) that would really benefit from a comp like that.

I'm sure the same goes for most clubs.