Super league RETURNS. : Fri Jun 26, 2020 3:03 pm  

August 2nd with 3 live games HKR v Toronto 1PM Saints v Catalan 4.15 PM Giants v Leeds 6.30 PM https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/53196901

August 2nd with 3 live games HKR v Toronto 1PM Saints v Catalan 4.15 PM Giants v Leeds 6.30 PM https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/53196901

Re: Super league RETURNS. : Fri Jun 26, 2020 3:06 pm  

Wonder which venue will be chose.

Re: Super league RETURNS. : Fri Jun 26, 2020 3:32 pm  

karetaker wrote:

Wonder which venue will be chose.

Apparently its Leeds, which seems strange, would have thought if we were holding the games at a number of neutral venues they wouldn't allow one team to play at home, even if there were no fans in the ground.

Re: Super league RETURNS. : Fri Jun 26, 2020 3:36 pm  

Alffi_7 wrote:

Apparently its Leeds, which seems strange, would have thought if we were holding the games at a number of neutral venues they wouldn't allow one team to play at home, even if there were no fans in the ground.

That wouldn’t come as a surprise it is Leeds after all.

Re: Super league RETURNS. : Fri Jun 26, 2020 4:32 pm  

karetaker wrote:

That wouldn’t come as a surprise it is Leeds after all.

Well, I would assume the HJ will be used as one of the stadiums too at some point given it's a rugby ground and owned by a SL club, maybe St Helens, Leeds, Wire and maybe Hull KR to be used too? So guessing Warrington will play at the HJ at some point too.

Re: Super league RETURNS. : Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:17 pm  

Alffi_7 wrote:

Apparently its Leeds, which seems strange, would have thought if we were holding the games at a number of neutral venues they wouldn't allow one team to play at home, even if there were no fans in the ground.

They are neutral, in that fact that there is no home support. If a team gets any slight advantage, then it’s because they have best adjusted to the strange environment.
The stadium has no effect on team ability.

Re: Super league RETURNS. : Fri Jun 26, 2020 7:38 pm  

As long as Sky don't simulate that terrible, out of tune band as part of the piped in pseudo stadium audio, then I'm not bothered.

Re: Super league RETURNS. : Fri Jun 26, 2020 8:45 pm  

I think the changing room set up at headingley makes it a bit easier. I think they have either 6 or 8 changing rooms when you take into account the changing facilities for the cricket ground.

Re: Super league RETURNS. : Sat Jun 27, 2020 7:54 am  

rubber duckie wrote:

They are neutral, in that fact that there is no home support. If a team gets any slight advantage, then it’s because they have best adjusted to the strange environment.
The stadium has no effect on team ability.

Taking the crowd out of the equation does level things considerably but playing 'at home' would give you some advantage.

To a very small extent it's knowing the pitch (dimensions of the in goal area, how the ball tends to sit up, the way the wind swirls etc) but mainly it is around the travel and preperation aspects such as pre-match meal. Not too much difference between the HJ and Saints for us but big difference going over to Humberside.

Re: Super league RETURNS. : Sat Jun 27, 2020 8:41 am  

I agree that there is no significant home advantage without your home crowd, but there are small advantages playing on your home pitch.

For example, Headingley's pitch is 105 m × 68 m, while Halliwell Jones is 110 m × 68 m. The home team will be used to maximising the benefit of a bigger or smaller pitch.

Anyone who remembers going to Odsal (and usually getting heavily beaten), will remember the way the fog used to settle in the bowl, and how the home side took advantage of the corners being raised to place kicks that would hold up. New Craven Park is very open and can be extremely cold and windy - surely an advantage to the home side who plays there every fortnight.