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Why I have changed my mind about the Challenge Cup format

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When it was announced that Super League clubs would enter the Challenge Cup at round 3 and face seeded away ties at lower league or amateur clubs, I was against the idea. This weekend has changed my view. In years gone by, we have seen Super League clubs lay waste to Championship and League 1 sides in the Challenge Cup, in encounters which have served little purpose. Fans agreed and often voted with their feet. So we changed the structure meaning that Super League clubs entered later. This led to Super League teams having a short route to Wembley, more repeat fixtures and the competition feeling less unique. Also, not ideal. The latest idea represented a half way house. My primary concern was that the blow outs that we see when Super League clubs face non-professional opposition would be even worse with the involvement of amateur clubs. I also worried from a safety perspective. The prospect of super human, Super League athletes coming up against people who play the sport on a weekend, ...
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Judgement Day

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After much talk, we have finally learned which sides will take part in Super League in 2025. The news leaked the previous day through various media outlets, meaning confirmation that Wakefield would replace London was not much of a surprise. Some clubs have published the breakdown of their scores, meaning we can learn a little more about the, shall we say, idiosyncrasies of this new system. Halifax are facing enormous financial difficulties and earlier this week confirmed that they face a winding up petition. Despite this, their score for financial performance under the grading system increased by 1 compared to their indicative score. With changes to the criteria made for 2024, Hull FC have lost points as the big screen at the MKM Stadium has a pixel pitch of 20mm. Oldham have lost points because they moved from Whitebank Stadium (akin to a school field) to Boundary Park and their new, far better stadium is less full. Under the specifics of the criteria, Doncaster's Keepmoat Stadiu...
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The IMG Deadline is Coming

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Wednesday 23rd October is set to be one of the biggest days of the year in the Rugby League calendar. Here are some key questions and answers. What is happening on Wednesday? It is the day that the 12 teams who will compete in Super League in 2025 will be announced by the RFL. The decision will be based on a detailed set of criteria, of which on-field performance counts for just 25%. The rest is out of the hands of playing and coaching staff and the burden of making sure that you are a Super League club lies in the hands of club executives. The decision will be announced at 10:30am. Can we predict who is going to be in Super League next year? The margins are so tight and there are so many variables that the public and even journalists are not privy too, making an informed prediction is impossible. Treat any journalistic piece you see over the next few days which claims to predict which sides will be in Super League next year with the language of certainty or even likelihood with  s...
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Death by Suffocation

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Saturday night's Grand Final saw Wigan defeat Hull KR by 9-2 to retain their Super League title, to win four trophies in one season and to win six consecutive available trophies. The Era of Dynasties It is now fair to say that we are in a Wigan dynasty. And that has started on the back of a St Helens dynasty that saw them win four Super League titles, three League Leaders' Shields, one Challenge Cup and one World Club Challenge. If you watched Saturday night's Grand Final, you may have been forgiven for thinking that Sky Sports had simply re-run the 2023 Grand Final, such was its similarities. The game played out in a near identical manner. Even the scoreline was similar (10-2 in 2023 v 9-2 in 2024). How Wigan Became Immortals So, how did Wigan win it? The obvious answer is Bevan French's brilliance, combined with a precision kicking game from Harry Smith. I would argue that the biggest contributor was defensive steel. Wigan have now gone four full matches without conce...
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The end of the on-field call?

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Yesterday's play off between Hull KR and Warrington was a blood-and-thunder encounter between two sides who gave their all to reach the Grand Final. In a tense and thrilling match, Hull KR came out on top by two points. There were two tries scored by each side with Joe Burgess' try sparking a fresh debate about the referee making an on field decision and the video referee having a high threshold to overturn that call. The mood music suggests that this method of decision making will change for next season. Let's start by looking at the incident in more detail. It appeared that the ball was grounded initially short of the try line but then ended up raised, over the try line. Whether at any stage between those two moments any point of the ball touched the try line cannot be determined. Sometimes this happens in Rugby League. In amongst a mass of bodies, the ball ends up over the line but no camera angle can see it. Reaching an evidence-based determination as to whether a ball ...
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Have we finally got the play off structure right?

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A play-off structure was introduced in 1998 to determine the winners of Super League. Since then we have had a top 5 system, a top 6 system, a top 8 system, a top 4 system, gone back to the original top 5 system and, most recently, a separate top 6 system.  On average, a play off system lasts for about 5 or 6 years before we change it. I'll start this post by saying I would have no objections to each side playing each other home and away and the side that finishes top are the champions. That is the fair way of deciding the best team in a way a play-off system can never. I am generally not in favour of lowering the bar too much. Saying that, the lack of secondary prize (such as European competition places in football and rugby union) would be problematic in terms of maintaining interest and to lose the Grand Final now it has been established would be a loss to the sport. Still the point of this post is not to theorise over whether a play off system is the right approach. It is estab...
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The eye of the tiger, the thrill of the fight

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This weekend saw us enter the home straight of the Super League season and the way that the fixtures fell meant that, whatever the results, we were going to see some drama. On Friday night, Hull KR travelled to Wigan knowing that a win would put them on the brink of winning the League Leaders' Shield. The reverse result would put Wigan as overwhelming favourites. St Helens needed one win from three matches to all but secure play off rugby, to continue their record of being the only side to compete in every Super League play off series. Catalans' season had entered do-or-die territory as they faced Salford. The Red Devils would take a huge step towards play off rugby with a win and a huge backwards step with a loss. Leigh and Leeds also faced opponents who they would be expected to beat, knowing there was no room for error. Yet the story of the weekend, in terms of the long term future of Super League,  involved the side who sit 10th in the league. Castleford Tigers. On the fiel...
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