Rugby League Rugby League World Club Challenge

[RADICAL RABBIT]

I understand that it may be a more successful product over there (the fans seem to respond to it much more than they do in Australia), but I am not sure that is sufficient justification to limit it to two or three games in Australia since 2000.

Well in 2014 the WCC at the SFS got 31,515 (Sydney Roosters v Wigan Warriors).

Even when the English club teams used to win it most of the time, everyone knew it was because the Aussie club teams were treating it like a trial match and a lot of those English club teams would have a lot of Aussies in them anyway. We don't always have the World Cup in England to "help the game".

 

[S J]

I am not sure that I agree with you on that one SJ. I think the WCC concept started in 1976 (when we beat St Helens) and I thought it has always been on the premise that it should be played in the UK to 'help' the game over there by narrowing the gap between the NSWRL/ARL/NRL and the English Premiership/SL. It has now been 43 years, and I am not sure that the game is in a relatively better position now than it was then. In fact, it might have gone backwards in relative terms, as it has become more marginalised (relative to football and stronger rugby competitions). I understand that it may be a more successful product over there (the fans seem to respond to it much more than they do in Australia), but I am not sure that is sufficient justification to limit it to two or three games in Australia since 2000. I am saying that perhaps it should be evened up a bit (at least to start with). While the Australian teams have a better record, I am not sure that they should have to be continuously playing to a disadvantage (remembering, too, that the SL clubs have already started their season and will be more 'battle hardened' than the Australian clubs). Anyway, I don't claim to have the answer, but do think it should be looked at again.

Yes - true TFR The_Fanatical_Rooster - I remember that it was meant to be shared - but it does more for them than us. It allows them to see top NRL teams play. They will also get a good crowd.

Here we'd be lucky to get 5-10k ?

A bit like some Internationals. We must promote the game over there if we want to build it - over there ! imo.

 

[stanleyg]

Yes - true TFR The_Fanatical_Rooster - I remember that it was meant to be shared - but it does more for them than us. It allows them to see top NRL teams play. They will also get a good crowd.

Here we'd be lucky to get 5-10k ?

A bit like some Internationals. We must promote the game over there if we want to build it - over there ! imo.

Yes that game will be more of a "challenge" (no pun intended, well maybe a little) because the Poms have a lot of non Poms in those club sides.
It looks like to be more competitive the UK needs cultivate more homegrown players and cut down the number of foreign players boosting their retirement pensions,.

 

[RADICAL RABBIT]

Here we'd be lucky to get 5-10k ?

These are the attendances when it has been in Australia:

1976 - Roosters v St Helens (SCG) - 26,865
1994 - Brisbane v Wigan (QEII Stadium, Brisbane) - 54,220
2014 - Roosters v Wigan (SFS) - 31,515
2018 - Melbourne v Leeds (AAMI Park, Melbourne) - 19,062

 

[RADICAL RABBIT]

Lol, playing the WCC in England every year isn't going to "help the game" any more than it would playing the WCC in England every second year. What is going to happen to Rugby League in England if they started playing it there every second year instead??? Aussie supporters shouldn't have to miss all these opportunities to watch WCC games live at stadiums just because the Poms can't get their shit together. We don't have all of the World Cups in England to "help the game". Another idea is to make it a 2-game thing. The first game could be at the English Super League Champion's home ground and the second game could be at the NRL Champion's home ground. If they win one each then it comes down to for and against over the 2 games, but we should get rid of the Aboriginal All-Stars match and the NRL Nines and just have a Nines World Cup after the season like this year.

 

[moto748]

I'm sure most English fans would like to see it alternate; it is the obvious thing to do. But my understanding was (and please correct me if I'm wrong) that the sad truth is that the English teams/RFL have funded the thing, and figured, well, rather them fly them over here, we might as well have a trip to Australia in February when it's snowing in the UK.

 

[moto748]

I like some of your ideas there, RR.

 

[S J]

I like some of your ideas there, RR.

moto748 - NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO - don't tell him that !

 

[S J]

St Helens' World Club Challenge tussle with reigning world and National Rugby League champions Sydney Roosters will be a test of Super League's progress, says new head coach Kristian Woolf.

Saints have been the stand-out team in Super League for two seasons, winning 52 of 59 regular season games.

Grand Final success against Salford earned them a meeting with Trent Robinson's premiers on 22 February.

"It's a big task but a challenge and opportunity we want," Woolf said.

 

[moto748]

It is, but at least Woolf is inheriting a good, organised side. Holbrook did a fine job there.

 

[The_Fanatical_Rooster]

Lol, playing the WCC in England every year isn't going to "help the game" any more than it would playing the WCC in England every second year. What is going to happen to Rugby League in England if they started playing it there every second year instead??? Aussie supporters shouldn't have to miss all these opportunities to watch WCC games live at stadiums just because the Poms can't get their shit together. We don't have all of the World Cups in England to "help the game". Another idea is to make it a 2-game thing. The first game could be at the English Super League Champion's home ground and the second game could be at the NRL Champion's home ground. If they win one each then it comes down to for and against over the 2 games, but we should get rid of the Aboriginal All-Stars match and the NRL Nines and just have a Nines World Cup after the season like this year.

I don't mind the idea of a two game thing, although I doubt it would get the support (people would say that there is too much footy being played as it is). It would certainly be seen as a fairer arrangement, and you would eliminate the location bias of the WCC competition. It would be seen to 'help' both the UK and Australian games - I don't think anybody who is a genuine league head would object to such a win-win situation. Perhaps it could be played at a different time - i.e. after the super league grand final instead of February. That way, you would have the actual winning squads playing each other instead of altered sides. Representative football could be played in February instead perhaps.

 

[RADICAL RABBIT]

I don't mind the idea of a two game thing, although I doubt it would get the support (people would say that there is too much footy being played as it is).

It would be fine if they scraped the All-Stars match and the NRL Nines. The Nines World Cup sometime after the NRL season would be better.

Representative football could be played in February instead perhaps.

We can't have State of Origin and test matches straight after the off-season. Players need to earn their positions for those rep games and there is too much of a gap between Feb and the season before.

 

[The_Fanatical_Rooster]

Agree about scrapping the all stars and nines. Not sure about the nines world cup, though.

I would leave SOO where it is. I was only referring to the test matches. Players earn their spots from the prior season, so that wouldn't change with the off season. Most players would start their off seasons earlier and get ready for the test matches by playing the trial games a bit earlier and be match fit in time.

 

[S J]

Its a good excuse to fly to England …

 

[moto748]

Not a cheap business, though. But perhaps you'll get more bang for your buck if/when sterling goes down the pan post-Brexit.

 

[S J]

Not a cheap business, though. But perhaps you'll get more bang for your buck if/when sterling goes down the pan post-Brexit.

I'd say you'll boom - and miss the European crash ... in the next 6-12 months. A few places are going down.

 

[moto748]

Our govt's attitude is "They need us more than we need them". Sadly, of course, this just isn't true. Brexit will hurt the EU a bit (Ireland more than most), but the UK will suffer a lot more. Anyway, nobody, but nobody in the UK (mot even Boris Johnson!) is claiming there is going to be any kind of a boom.

 

[S J]

Our govt's attitude is "They need us more than we need them". Sadly, of course, this just isn't true. Brexit will hurt the EU a bit (Ireland more than most), but the UK will suffer a lot more. Anyway, nobody, but nobody in the UK (mot even Boris Johnson!) is claiming there is going to be any kind of a boom.

I think you may be surprised.

 

[moto748]

I would indeed. Do you have any evidence to support this unlikely theory?

 

[S J]

I would indeed. Do you have any evidence to support this unlikely theory?

They kept their own currency - which was a very smart thing. They have kept their distance all along - a very smart thing. USA, Canada, NZ, Asian countries, and us, are about to sign deals - once BREXIT is done.

Being locked into a failing system - eg Greece, Italy, Germany etc - and even Turkey is starting to stall - is not a wonderful idea. Not to mention the Scandinavian countries. Immigration and ever increasing migrants from Africa etc will kill Europe in a few years.

No more "rule" from Brussels.

Distance is not a problem today.