The pitch will be re done again this summer which will have been planned into the fixtures. It was the extra unforeseen work on the undersoil heating that caused the fixtures to be moved as it took longer than the annual pitch relay.



The magic fixture could be a derby but think the fixtures will be drawn out of a hat or last years positions.

The RFL offered us a massive game for the first game at KC (Leeds) David Plummer said no, and we got London to open the stadium

The first game at the KC was against Halifax in the Challenge Cup, second game was Sheffield also in the Cup (the openng Super League fixture in between was Wakefield away). The London home SL game was the third game played at the KC.

The clubs are sent a draft fixture list, then have a week to request changes to the RFL before the final fixture list is completed. I guess they can also make requests before the draft, like we did requesting to have home games on a specific day of the week, or no home games in June etc.

but as I said, requesting changes because of logistics is one thing, thinking "if we play Hull FC in summer we'll make more money" is a different matter, surely?



we'll never know for sure, the RFL are a law unto themselves, they make the FA look transparent!

I think it's more of a case that requests go in and it's then up to the RFL to satisfy as many of them as is compatible with getting all the fixtures played. And I'm not sure the above scenario is any different in principle to clubs requesting that their home games are played on a particular day of the week to maximise attendances. As long as it isn't the same team at the same time every year, of course.





In fairness I've been involved with amateur soccer and cricket, and this is pretty much the way all sports organise their fixtures. There are always competing desires/requests/needs and the ruling body sorts them out as best they can.

guess we'll see when the fixtures come out, Catalans in the height of summer is great for the fans, but not so much the players.

It was posted on the wire forum when questioned why they get summer fixtures, never seen them play early in the season in france

Well its nice to see our own club site is wrong.



You know we were offered a big game and Plummer turned it down, why ignore that?



I posted to highlight the fact that teams can be offered fixtures at special requests.

Is that why we had London after the derby?

Nah, random fixtures, innit

I don't know that for a fact, although I've no reason to doubt you. It just doesn't seem that much of an issue given that there was a 50% chance of the opening game being a Challenge Cup fixture.



Obviously the fixtures aren't random. It was interesting that Sean Long's Hull debut was at Saints and Gareth Ellis' at Leeds*.



What are the chances of Catalans v Hull in round one...



*Edit - Well was due to be