Halifax even

Once in a blue moon though rather then an annual thing.

We had a full time squad in 2006.

But it happens, and they do have a chance though dont they.



When was the last time a team from a lower division in ANY team sport won through to even a semi final?



How often did it happen before Super League?

Cardiff in the FA Cup final and Burnley nearly knocked Spurs out the league cup this year to reach Wembley.

Still fancy Rovers for 10th mate

RL isn't football. You can be an inferior team and get lucky, get dominated for 89 minutes then score a spawny winner.



If you get dominated in RL for 79 minutes you lose.

The Challenge Cup has been a Mickey Mouse competition since Super League began when it was reduced to nothing more than a pre-season competition. The moving of the final towards the business end of the season is nothing more now than a disruption of the Super League (or a welcome week off for 12 SL teams)

Do you call it the Mickey Mouse Cup when talking to the Leeds players?

I dont think its a mickey mouse competition at all, its exciting, and more umpredictable than a league game, means more to the fans and gives teams that wouldnt normally meet the chance to compete (even more important since we introduced franchising). I personaly see it as the best trophy of the season.

Since the advent of Super League the Challenge Cup has been sidetracked by Super League.



In the old winter days, crowds would rise for cup matches. These days there are incentives to drag fans in for 4th round games. Huddersfiled had vastly reduced prices on Sunday for their game as well. The appeal of the competition has diminished.

Why has it diminished?



Its still the only RL on national TV

Its winner takes all knock out RL

There's a trip to Wembley and a boozy weekend in london at stake

It is one of only 2 trophies on offer



I really don't understand why SL has had any impact on it?

I went to the Gateshead vs. St Helens game on Saturday night (as a neutral) and thought the standard of Gateshead was abysmal. It was boys against men. It really demonstrated the difference between Superleague and the Championship. There was a reasonable crowd though (over 4000) but a lot of neutral shirts there. I was a bit miffed at the level of entertainment I got for my £15 too, Gateshead just weren't at the races. I won't be rushing out and buying tickets for their next match anyway.

The challenge cup needs some freshening up in the earlier rounds.



Its still a great comp in the later stages.



1 The magic idea for the last 16 was floated by a few as an alternative to the current magic format. I think its a great idea.



It would give magic a competitive edge, give the lower league clubs a realistic venue to aspire to getting to, give all SL clubs 1 week off and (if my variation was used) the top eight a bye into the last 16 giving them 2 weeks off as a balance to playing in the previous years finals.



The fixtures can be drawn with the eight finalists as soon as the previous seasons league finishes with 8 qualifier balls which is when the magic weekend has been drawn in the past.



Also imagine if we could get magic on the beeb even if we got 2 live games+ (hopefully 4) and the rest on red button.



2 Why not let the sl academy sides enter the cup perhaps from the first round , only proviso they cant meet their senior side and senior players cant step down.



3 Tighten up the scheduling of the comp in the latter rounds - 2 months till the semis? Play the final before the FA charity shield.

Sky tell the masses what is important, it's the same in footy as it is in RL.



Sky don't have exclusive rights for the CC or FA Cup, no coincidence that these comps are played down significantly by Sky, while the Super League and Premiership are hoisted up as being the be all and end all.



Sadly, far too many viewers buy into this and it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.



I grew up watching RL in the 80s, when the trip to Wembley was something to be revered.



For me, it still is. This year I'll hopefully be at my 4th CC Final on the trot as a Saints fan, and it still feels magical making the journey to the final, I still get sleepless nights for a week before the game and I still get overwhelmed hearing Abide With Me.



Love it.

Think they may play a bit better against teams from there own division, as opposed to the best team in the country.

Madness, absolute bloody madness...