New format for Betfred Challenge Cup in 2025

[Mike]

About time for me.

I remember playing Pilk's Rec's at Knowsley road back in the late 70's.
Bumper crowd and they nearly beat us.

Think it adds aspiration to the competiton.

Unfortunately these days we'd play our academy/reserves and put 100 on them. It's not the same game as it was back then. Full time pros vs amateurs isn't going to be a contest.

[Mike]

Does this mean we're in a round earlier? It probably a nice idea for the lower leagues, but another game in the schedule is tricky to justify. The CC is a bit weird at the moment, just two matches and then you're in the semi, sometimes that's the only hard game before you're at wembley. It doesn't seem much of a challenge some years.

Has it not been that way for a while?

Definitely. In the age of a full time top division if you want to avoid a stupid first round proper then you end up with a very short comp that gradually gets devalued. But it's worth a try bringing back the early rounds IMO.

To really revamp the comp, you need more teams that you don't usually play that have a realistic chance of beating you. I.e. get the Aussies in it!

[nathan_rugby]

Does this mean we're in a round earlier? It probably a nice idea for the lower leagues, but another game in the schedule is tricky to justify. The CC is a bit weird at the moment, just two matches and then you're in the semi, sometimes that's the only hard game before you're at wembley. It doesn't seem much of a challenge some years.

Has it not been that way for a while?

Definitely. In the age of a full time top division if you want to avoid a stupid first round proper then you end up with a very short comp that gradually gets devalued. But it's worth a try bringing back the early rounds IMO.

To really revamp the comp, you need more teams that you don't usually play that have a realistic chance of beating you. I.e. get the Aussies in it!

I am not sure what it is going to achieve though because the gap in quality is so big already. The only way you could revamp it would be to create group stages that lead to knockouts (like they do in the Champions League in football).

How often has a Championship team got to the final or semi final in the last 10 years?

How often has a League one team got to the quarters or semi in the last 10 years?

[Mike]

Has it not been that way for a while?

Definitely. In the age of a full time top division if you want to avoid a stupid first round proper then you end up with a very short comp that gradually gets devalued. But it's worth a try bringing back the early rounds IMO.

To really revamp the comp, you need more teams that you don't usually play that have a realistic chance of beating you. I.e. get the Aussies in it!

I am not sure what it is going to achieve though because the gap in quality is so big already. The only way you could revamp it would be to create group stages that lead to knockouts (like they do in the Champions League in football).

How often has a Championship team got to the final or semi final in the last 10 years?

How often has a League one team got to the quarters or semi in the last 10 years?

Round robins are just more of the same matches we already have too many off IMO. Maybe you'd have to count some matches for the league and the cup to avoid excessive fixtures. It's not a solvable problem until the game has more professional clubs IMO.

[fozzie58]

Has it not been that way for a while?

Definitely. In the age of a full time top division if you want to avoid a stupid first round proper then you end up with a very short comp that gradually gets devalued. But it's worth a try bringing back the early rounds IMO.

To really revamp the comp, you need more teams that you don't usually play that have a realistic chance of beating you. I.e. get the Aussies in it!

I am not sure what it is going to achieve though because the gap in quality is so big already. The only way you could revamp it would be to create group stages that lead to knockouts (like they do in the Champions League in football).

How often has a Championship team got to the final or semi final in the last 10 years?

How often has a League one team got to the quarters or semi in the last 10 years?

I agree in your points and frankly this is why the comp is doomed there’s very little chance any championship side would get to the semi final let alone the final so it’s just more of the same like putting lipstick on a pig it’s still a pig at the end of the day and the result of these changes are minimal at best because the gulf is so big between full and part time.

It’s time the Rfl realised people aren’t daft there’s only so much money to spend Ina rugby day out and most neutral fans now choose the grand final rather than a trip to London and it seems to me the challenge cup was doomed the second they introduced the that concept.

[ancientnloyal]

Great idea, will do the local economies good to the smaller teams and be a good day out each year.

Like it used to be.

[moto748]

Much better system being proposed IMO, it is a joke that super league teams only join in the last 16 it's a closed shop competition.
The proposal for me is spot on, all S/L teams playing away gives the lower league teams a massive incentive to see one of the top teams at their home ground which in turn is a nice reward for their loyal supporters who have stuck by them.
The flip side though is the Challenge Cup has lost it's appeal, it will never see the packed out Wembley stadium of yesteryear again. I think the R/L should seriously consider relocating to the north, maybe to somewhere like the new home of Everton on the Bramley dock. Food for thought.

Agreed.

[mickali1]

With the cost of living being what it is these days the final should definitely be up north.

[moto748]

But in Liverpool??