Aye I understand you
But to be fair, you've done your stint, worked hard & deserve the break. Once I get a roll on, I'm good at keeping busy, it's when I stop for something to eat etc.
Anyway, back on topic...
What's peoples thoughts opinions on what structure the league/cup format will take when/if the 2020 season restarts?
Play as many games as possible in the weeks available between now and the middle of October.
If grounds are open to fans by July-August (unlikely but here's hoping) we could manage to have an 18-20 game season, whereby I'd scrap the play offs and just keep playing league games until a mid-Oct cut off, with FPTP champions, or maybe the Top 2 meet in the Grand Final. Better to have a season with a decent number of games and then a champion or a one off game IMO, rather than stopping the season in September to have Top 5 play offs if we've all only played 15 games for example.
If possible I would not extend the season unless the Aussies have decided to, as I think we should try to keep The Ashes on the calendar if we can. I appreciate that this is unlikely right now as this would require both SL and NRL to be finished by mid October, and would require grounds to be open to fans otherwise the series and the un-necessary travel for the Aussie players would be pointless behind closed doors.
I worry that the Cup is a goner for 2020. I had originally thought that maybe we could go straight into it when we come back as a kind of 3-4 week restart before league games started again (a bit like 1996), with the Cup Final being treated like a massive occasion as the 'welcome back' moment we could all get behind in late Summer. But unless we start playing in May or June we may only have 12 weeks to play games between July-Oct, and the clubs are reliant on the Sky money so will prioritise getting as many league games in the calendar to fulfill their end of the tv contract for this year. The Cup is small fry by comparison, but I would imagine we would allow the BBC to extend their contract for another year and write it off.
I doubt that the game has enough people thinking outside the box for anything particularly radical to be suggested though. As it is, we may end up looking back at how naive we were to even think about restarting the season.
It does look as though we might be reaching the peak by the end of April and allowing a 2 month tail down then we could be looking at a July to August restart and will we playing just the basic home/away 22 game structure with top 2 straight into the final sometime in November. I get the feeling the international games will not take part as Australia have only just started to feel the effect of the virus.
Looking at the numbers infected in the EU maybe the EU (Brussels) need to think again with the Schengen Ruling of freedom of moment for people, which could be apparent in that it creates a breeding ground for terrorists and viruses, Italy, Spain, Germany, France and now the UK are ravaged and will be far worse than China who restrict their movement of people.
All great points there Gray.
I think the cup is gone as well as Sky will be determined to keep the Grand Final.
If the sport could afford it (which I highly doubt), I'd be tempted to write it off altogether.
Be gutted if the test series can't happen. Had renewed optimism for that
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/52149160
I normally wouldn't dream of posting much associated with the 15 player code but thought this is worth a share. I wonder similarly will the RFL be having conversations with the NRL etc about developments which need to be made to the game to strengthen it overall given the short term and long term fallout from Coronovirus. If it doesn't it will again be an opportunity missed and other coaches have also expressed the crisis presents an opportunity to take stock as to where we are as sport and do things differently and more effectively moving forward once this situation has passed.
I'm not sure that Schengen has much to do with the virus. Many of those borders have been closed for about 3 weeks. Even before schengen it was only a matter of getting your passport stamped for most travellers. With regards to terrorists, people smugglers etc I fully agree.
Alright folks, I haven't been on here much this week. I just wanted to let you know how are Scandinavian brethren are dealing with things. It seems considerably more relaxed than back home. Trains and buses are running, not much is open although I managed to get a Big Mac earlier. I got in a pub on Friday (and got a bloody parking ticket) for a take away litre bottle of some craft rubbish. I've noticed though, people seem a more sensible than in the UK, they follow the rules and make them work. I've also noticed there's hand sanitiser everywhere that's open and it's never stolen, no fighting over loo rolls, shelves are well stocked and people aren't turning into complete •••• wits.
And that's no surprise. Countries like that will always behave better than we will. We could be in a far better situation than lockdown at the moment if it weren't for the spoilt behaviour of people. In places like that if they say maintain social distancing the vast majority just do it and it's seen as uncool to not. Over here, as soon as you tell someone not to do something, there is a massive clamour to do it. And not just from the council house tearaways you'd expect, it's middle aged people from good backgrounds who are taking day trips to the seaside because they don't want their rights to be restricted. I'll never forget how people behaved that last weekend before lockdown. Absolute fools.
My Granddad always used to tell me we won the wars not because of those on the front line like him, but because of the people who stayed at home. These days we'd have a civil war on our hands never mind a national effort to help the country. All because Gemma and Steve can't do without kit kats and don't like being told what to do.