You know what... I think a one-off season in the Challenge Cup will do us good

[wellstiger]

I believe it could do us good.
Not for blooding young squad talent as we are having to do this NOW in the Prem.
More by way of confidence building and getting a bolt on team sheet week in week out.( excepting injuries/Int call ups)
We are failing because we are losing players and having to grow up quick .
The Prem is one of the toughest leagues in rugby a lesser competition could unite us. (Not taking anything away from the Challenge Cup)
But if we manage to be in it - in it to win it.......

[mol2]

To be honest under the current salary cap rules I don't think we can compete at the domestic level and top European level whilst losing internationals to the AIs and 6N, so the second tier competition is more realistic.

How others do it seems to be via joint investments between their sugar daddy and the individual players!

[chewbacca]

The idea that not being in the Heineken cup would be humiliating for the club is both ludicrous and laughable.
I think we are one of the only few clubs in europe to never be in it. (Certainly in the prem) Yet it hasn't affected others.

Some people really don't have a clue at times, highlights how sheltered some Tigers fans really are if they think Challenge cup rugby is a humiliation and maybe should come to terms with the real world.

Also why would we need a sugar daddy to get promoted if we did go down?
At the very worst I would imagine our Champ team would look like for me
1. Bateman
2. Youngs
3. Heyes
4. Wells
5. Fitzgerald
6. Taufua/Reffell
7. Thompson
8. Kalamafoni
9. Harrison
10. Hardwick
11. Olowofela
12. Reid
13. Taute
14. Aspland-Robinson
15. Steward

16. Clare
17. Gigena
18. Faeo
19. Lewis
20. Reffell/Tuilagi
21. Simmons
22. Costelow
23. Browning

That's a worst case scenario, I doubt Veainu would be let go for example.
The thing that usually gets most relegated Prem teams v Champ clubs is the scrum which we have pretty good practice at.

I was anticipating that after relegation we would no longer benefit from a share of the TV rights, premiership rugby income, income from sponsors and possibly reduced gate receipts. If so then we may struggle to retain some of our high earners.

[fentiger]

The idea that not being in the Heineken cup would be humiliating for the club is both ludicrous and laughable.
I think we are one of the only few clubs in europe to never be in it. (Certainly in the prem) Yet it hasn't affected others.

Some people really don't have a clue at times, highlights how sheltered some Tigers fans really are if they think Challenge cup rugby is a humiliation and maybe should come to terms with the real world.

Also why would we need a sugar daddy to get promoted if we did go down?
At the very worst I would imagine our Champ team would look like for me
1. Bateman
2. Youngs
3. Heyes
4. Wells
5. Fitzgerald
6. Taufua/Reffell
7. Thompson
8. Kalamafoni
9. Harrison
10. Hardwick
11. Olowofela
12. Reid
13. Taute
14. Aspland-Robinson
15. Steward

16. Clare
17. Gigena
18. Faeo
19. Lewis
20. Reffell/Tuilagi
21. Simmons
22. Costelow
23. Browning

That's a worst case scenario, I doubt Veainu would be let go for example.
The thing that usually gets most relegated Prem teams v Champ clubs is the scrum which we have pretty good practice at.

I was anticipating that after relegation we would no longer benefit from a share of the TV rights, premiership rugby income, income from sponsors and possibly reduced gate receipts. If so then we may struggle to retain some of our high earners.

I think relegated clubs receive a 'parachute' payment

[chewbacca]

Thanks fentiger I wasn't aware of that

[RagingBull]

I was anticipating that after relegation we would no longer benefit from a share of the TV rights, premiership rugby income, income from sponsors and possibly reduced gate receipts. If so then we may struggle to retain some of our high earners.

Losing
Manu
Youngs
Cole
Ford
May
Toomua
Polota-Nau

Would save you around close to £2,500,000 in money.
Would also mean if we where to get promoted straight up we would have that to spend again.

IF a club doesn't go straight back up thought thats is when things really turn south quickly.

[fleabane]

We should never aspire to go down « because it would be good for us / a kick up the backside for the Board, etc ».

In the dire event that this should happen, it is far from certain that the team, with the current coaches, players, playing committee would go straight back up again. It is beyond arrogant to make that assumption.

One season in the Championship would be bad enough, any more and the drop in TV revenue, Champions Cup revenue, and inevitable fall in gate numbers would impact significantly on the club in spite of the relegation money.

Anyone still think a year or more in the Championship is a good idea? If a club can’t réorganise whilst remaining in the top tier it deserves to go down, stay down and let another, more deserving club be promoted.

Tigers need to be playing in the top division, against the top teams, with a squad, coaching and management set-up that a club with its history and aspirations deserves.

[Dangerous4]

My personal view is that relegation would be very damaging. See the reasons in some of the above posts.

Come on Tigers, don't let this happen.

[JP14]

I wasn’t suggesting relegation neither was my OP, I was talking purely about the Challenge Cup.