Yorkshire Silver Trophy QF

[Grasser17]

Bramley Phoenix vs Dearne Valley
Halifax vs Wheatley Hills
Northallerton vs Rotherham Phoenix
Old otliensians vs Leeds Corinthians


Other than Leeds Corinthians I'm going for 3 away wins. Feeling confident for the Y3 teams to put on a good show and get the wins.

[Locked Out]

Glad so many clubs are still in (at the moment). I will go:

Bramley Phoenix +7
Wheatley Hills +7
Northallerton -7
Old Otliensians +7

[AntiGas]

Bramley Phoenix +7
Halifax -7
Northallerton +7/HWO
Old Otliensians +7

Think the gap between Y2 and Y3 is quite pronounced. Cup games means rejigged lineups though so anything can happen.

[Grasser17]

DV have gave Bramley the walkover

[avinastella]

That takes the tally for this year above the average of the last 15 years.
But still the Competitions committee refuse to look inwards.

[Locked Out]

Acklam have just blobbed on Ripon for the Shield QF citing no front row. It's an increasingly unfunny joke!

[Grasser17]

All 4 games in the Yorkshire shield have being given walkovers.

[bobtheguilder]

Maybe if the YRFU and Club committees asked players if they were willing to play cup games there would be only committed teams entering.

Entry requests are made before many clubs know if they have a team, plus some clubs I'm sure just see the extra match day revenue if they get a home game.

The people who make the real decisions are the players.

[Locked Out]

You're right about the players making the decisions Bob. The majority of Ripon players want to play rugby every week, regardless of the purpose - friendly, league, merit or cups; hence no difficulty in raising teams. The challenge is to keep playing momentum going when squads get trained and hyped up for "special games" and then end up with nothing to do.

[Grasser17]

Like someone said on another page on this forum, the league fixtures are released early and players make plans for the 'off weeks' only for a cup game to be placed there after plans are already made. IMO I would get rid the the Papa johns cup or whatever it's called completely then keep the Yorkshire cup but play the  first one or 2 rounds before the league season starts so you have as few break weeks as possible

[Ribbflagman]

Grassman,
            the problem with playing cup games in August (that you alluded to) would mean that clubs with new players/lads advancing from colts rugby would be fired straight into competitive rugby in cup fixtures therefore denying coaches time to have a look at new players from wherever, and/or give young lads some game time as if you enter a cup comp presumably a club wants to be competitive. The problem as I see it is that the cup comps respectability has become so diminished that they should be scrapped and replaced with 14 team leagues. I havent noticed one single walkover given by club in the Yorks Cup or Shield in a league game.
I am not a visionary guy but tell me i am wrong. League success is the priority for the vast majority of clubs and the cup comps are a distraction that not many want, hence a 50% walkover rate.       

[avinastella]

Like someone said on another page on this forum, the league fixtures are released early and players make plans for the 'off weeks' only for a cup game to be placed there after plans are already made. IMO I would get rid the the Papa johns cup or whatever it's called completely then keep the Yorkshire cup but play the  first one or 2 rounds before the league season starts so you have as few break weeks as possible

Not quite so easy. The RFU have a calendar for when competitive games can be played.
August is still prime cricket season, RL season and most of all, holiday season.

[gateprop]

Grassman,
            the problem with playing cup games in August (that you alluded to) would mean that clubs with new players/lads advancing from colts rugby would be fired straight into competitive rugby in cup fixtures therefore denying coaches time to have a look at new players from wherever, and/or give young lads some game time as if you enter a cup comp presumably a club wants to be competitive. The problem as I see it is that the cup comps respectability has become so diminished that they should be scrapped and replaced with 14 team leagues. I havent noticed one single walkover given by club in the Yorks Cup or Shield in a league game.
I am not a visionary guy but tell me i am wrong. League success is the priority for the vast majority of clubs and the cup comps are a distraction that not many want, hence a 50% walkover rate.       

Nobody is forcing teams to enter the cups though. If the cup comp is such a distraction just don't enter in the first place.

[Grasser17]

Grassman,
            the problem with playing cup games in August (that you alluded to) would mean that clubs with new players/lads advancing from colts rugby would be fired straight into competitive rugby in cup fixtures therefore denying coaches time to have a look at new players from wherever, and/or give young lads some game time as if you enter a cup comp presumably a club wants to be competitive. The problem as I see it is that the cup comps respectability has become so diminished that they should be scrapped and replaced with 14 team leagues. I havent noticed one single walkover given by club in the Yorks Cup or Shield in a league game.
I am not a visionary guy but tell me i am wrong. League success is the priority for the vast majority of clubs and the cup comps are a distraction that not many want, hence a 50% walkover rate.       

I mean still start the season in September but make the first two weekends cup games and then don't stat league games till the 3rd Saturday of the month. IMO they should only be one or two break weeks from September to Christmas but some teams this season will have 5 Weeks of in that time.  Then if teams aren't in the cups they can organise friendlies or do whatever.

[Locked Out]

I agree with Gaters in terms of, if a club enters a competition, then they should honour it of face a consequence of some sort. I also agree with Flaggy to a degree in that 14 club leagues make sense and two cup competitions is one too many. Maybe bigger leagues and a county cup competition, with perhaps, wait for it... a chance for league and county cup winners to enter a "champions league" style competition the following season - dates set in the structured season, so everyone knows what to plan for. The champions league could start off as a divisional tournament and then lead to a national knock out. RFU footing the bill for travel expenses of course!