Time to tweak the World Club challenge formula
Roar Guru
By Steve Kaless, 5 Mar 2009 Steve Kaless is a Roar Guru
The World Club Challenge has matured to point where it may be time to tweak the format in order to allow it to continue to grow. Sunday’s nights game was great and the atmosphere at Elland Rd was sensational, as people have come to expect
The Sea Eagles lived up to their billing as the new bench mark of the NRL. Hell, there was even a bit of biffo.
The Sea Eagles showed that the game has grown in stature within the code and therefore were keen to take it pretty seriously.
And the Rhinos, despite the being beaten, also showed the improving standard of the English Super League, particularly at the upper levels.
I get fed up with plenty of people within rugby league circles moaning about the English Super League.
For the most part, few have probably even watched more than a handful of games and the arguments seem to swing between the idea that it is full of Australia’s best talent but still is second rate competition.
Surely it can’t be both?
First, anyone who argues that rugby league doesn’t have a strong presence in the north either has never been there, doesn’t want to believe it, or is in need of some strong medication.
Secondly, experiencing the atmosphere of a big derby up there is something I’d recommend for any fan of rugby league, and probably any open minded fan of sport.
The English don’t really need an Origin game because the derbies provide a ready-made alternative. I can certainly see the appeal of playing some footy along the M62 corridor.
What is more, with helpful media managers and approachable, honest and down to earth players, it is a world away from the Premier league’s prima donnas in London.
But that’s another story, and I’ve probably already wandered enough off the topic.
With the prospect of the concept expanding, I think it’s important not to bite off more than the game can chew and over-extend the clubs and players.
Of all the options I’ve heard, and there have been ones made from serious administrators to fans three sheets to the wind in bars (I won’t say which ones probably made more sense), one model stands out for me.
The top three from each competition play each other over one weekend.
With the NRL already struggling with an over congested calendar and international representative football looking to increase, there probably isn’t the space to involve anything more that an extension of the “one off” match.
But I’d like to see a “Super Weekend” played over the same weekend the match is played now.
So this weekend we would have witnessed Catalans Vs Cronulla on Friday, St Helens Vs Melbourne on Saturday and then Leeds Vs Manly on the Sunday.
I’d probably keep it in the UK at present. Amove to Australia could work down the line, but it would probably then have to be run at a different time of year, which could cause extra problems.
Everyone seemed pretty happy on Sunday night, although the big question was never asked of the Manly players: VB or John Smiths?
The Roar’s rugby league guru, Steve Kaless, has given us his third Rugby League Dream Team for season 2009: 1. B Slater (Melbourne) 2. A. Uate (Newcastle) 3. I. Folau (Brisbane) 4. M. Jennings (Penrith) 5. J.Hayne (Parramatta) 6. G. Inglis (Melbourne) 7. M. Orford (Sea Eagles) 13. F. Pritchard (Penrith) 12. R, Hoffman (Melbourne) 11. A. Watmough (Manly) 10. S. Thaiday (Brisbane) 9. C. Smith (Melbourne) 8. L. Bailey (Gold Coast) 14. D. Taylor (Brisbane) 15. D. Lawrie (Wests Tigers) 16. J. Kite (Canterbury) 17. S. Manu (Melbourne) 18. K. Filiga (Cronulla) 19. D. Harrison (Canterbury) 20. B. Hunt (Brisbane) 21. C. Bailey (Manly) 22. E. Grothe (Parramatta) 23. J. Idris (Canterbury) 24. S. Walker (Gold Coast) 25. D. Milne (Canberra)
You can pick your NRL Dream Team, too. Have a go now and give Steve a hiding!
View Steve’s first three dream team selections.
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oikee said | March 5th 2009 @ 9:20am | Report comment
Very good Steve, pack your bags and head straight over to the RLIF. Your suggestions are wonderful.
The Link said | March 5th 2009 @ 10:14am | Report comment
Good article Steve, the WCC is a great concept and (as i’ve said elsewhere) is one area that League has it over Union on the international stage.
One issue with the 6 team format you propose, what’s in it for the bottom 4? Surely we need some kind of tournament structure to make it meaningful.
What if the winner of Catalans v Sharks played Manly and the winner of St Helens v Melbourne played Leeds? The winners of these games then play off a week later for the big one?
Tim said | March 5th 2009 @ 11:18am | Report comment
I think we’re getting carried away. Expansion? The fact of the matter is that, despite being the first Australian victory in the WCC in 5 years, the Australian media reacted to the Sea Eagles’ victory largely with apathy. Try Googling ‘Manly Leeds’ or ‘Rugby League World Cup Challenge’ and see what you turn up. Build up articles? Post-game analysis? Player ratings? Despite being Australia’s first WCC triumph in five years, the game didn’t even rate as much hype as a regular round derby, let alone a qualifying final or Grand Final.
The public hardly seems all that excited, either. The uninitiated third party, visiting Manly would most likely have no indication that anything special had happened. Go to League forums on the internet and WCC discussion is limited – not even the Manly fans are all that excited about the victory. A day after the victory, all the articles were about Manly turning their attention to the NRL season. The fans were following suit.
And let’s be honest – Leeds didn’t show any sign that they were a team who could justifiably claim to be the equal of any NRL team going around. They had every advantage possible over Manly and were well beaten, despite Manly’s form being well down on last year.
I’d love for the WCC to be revamped in such a manner that it becomes a true contest of champions, but saying that that single game demands it? You’re joking, surely. If anything, it just reaffirmed how low a standing the WCC has in Australia.
oikee said | March 5th 2009 @ 12:27pm | Report comment
Agree with your points Tim. What you have to realise is that the game is played in England and has a huge following. I think you under-estimate the following it could have if maybe the game was played in Brisbane. They got a full house of 32 thousand to the game, A simalar crowd in Brisbane would be a good result. Any consept i am up for, i have seen the last 4 WCC games and have enjoyed them all. Its the start of the league season. Good bell to sound.
Benjamin Conkey said | March 5th 2009 @ 12:47pm | Report comment
oikee, Brisbane is definitely the only place you could have it. That’s why they played the World Cup final there and all of the big matches from memory? Steve, good article. I too don’t see why people criticise Super League so much, especially Phil Gould. It’s really not that bad.
There’s nothing wrong with Australians playing over there, just like it’s not wrong that so many Kiwis and Islander guys play in the NRL. I was kind of glad Australia lost the World Cup because it shut Gould up.
If you were to belive him, any other nation should just give up against Australia from the start because they can’t possibly challenge them. And if they do it’s the referee’s fault. British refs who purposely try and stop Australia from winning.
jaymz said | March 5th 2009 @ 2:26pm | Report comment
It needs to be times better aswell, preferably a week after the NRL Grand Final
Wills said | March 5th 2009 @ 2:34pm | Report comment
Interesting concept – go a level below international in order to grow international rugby league. I like it; smart and pragmatic.
Steve Kaless said | March 5th 2009 @ 6:43pm | Report comment
Tim,
I’m not going to argue that the WCC gets even close to the hype and interest of the NRL Grand Final, however the interest is certainly building. There was a large contingent of Manly fans who had made the trip over and plenty of Aussies in the UK were keen to see them at that game and the one against the Harlequins in London.
In fact, at the match in London I saw what I never thought I’d see at a rugby league match in the UK capital. Scalpers!
But all jokes aside just because it might not reach that level in Aus yet does mean it shouldn’t been expanded, perhaps the level of apathy comes from the fact that it was on at 5am local time in Sydney? Perhaps a match in Sydney might change all of that.
I think the Australian rugby league public needs to stop believing that if something isn’t going to be instantly bigger than State of Origin it isn’t worth pushing.
Of course, Manly are going to say they are now focused on the NRL. What do you expect “We’ll now hit the p*ss for six months”. It is the great sporting cliche to always be talking about the next great challenge.
The Link,
I’d opt for baby steps at present, a tournament structure could maybe come further down the line, I’m not sure the clubs would want to take so many weeks out of their schedule. At least there is no talk of binning it.
Billo said | March 5th 2009 @ 10:25pm | Report comment
Steve, I’m based in England (London) and agree that the WCC is much more popular in England than in Australia. And it was great to see Manly playing in London the week before the WCC.
The WCC has been going for years now, but it hasn’t really made any significant impact at home, and if we are going to tweak the concept we need to understand that the game has to be played in Oz in alternate years if it is going to work.
But the solution isn’t to expand the number of teams playing in the WCC, which would simply dilute the concept.
What has to happen is that the game be transferred to October, two weeks after the respective Grand Finals, which should ideally both be played on the same weekend.
The venue should switch north/southern hemispheres in alternate years. And when the game is in Australia it should be played at Lang Park. Brisbane is trying to get the NRL Grand Final, but the starter for them would be the WCC. A game between Manly and Leeds at Lang Park in October 2008 would have drawn a big crowd, in my view. And the Aussie media couldn’t then ignore it. Remember when Wigan beat Brisbane in 1994 at ANZ Stadium, in front of more than 50,000 fans. That sort of crowd could be attracted again, especially if, as you say, the status of the WCC is rising.
Steve Kaless said | March 5th 2009 @ 10:50pm | Report comment
Billo,
That’s the best argument I’ve heard for moving the game to Aus. I think if it is going to be in Aus that is the time to do it.
I guess the real problem against it being after the Grand Final would be the emotional let down for the players and also a clash with an international tournaments which may be beginning.
However if the concept is to kick on it may be a necessary gamble.