World Club Challenge should be played in Melbourne
Roar Guru
By Steve Kaless, 13 Oct 2009 Steve Kaless is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Melbourne Storm, NRL, Rugby League, World Club Challenges
Leeds Rhinos Jamie Peacock, right, and Ryan Bailey, left, tackle Melbourne Storm's Anthony Quinn during their World Club Challenge Rugby League match at Elland Road Stadium, Leeds, England, Friday Feb. 29, 2008. AP Photo/Paul Thomas
After attending the last two World Club Challenges in Leeds, and after seeing the Rhinos take their third consecutive title at Old Trafford on Saturday night, I’ve decided its time to start the campaign to take the fixture to the southern hemisphere.
It’s not that I don’t enjoy a few Yorkshire ales, but rather, that it’s time to take the first step forward and take the match to the next level by playing it in Australia.
Now, that’s not meant to be a cheap shot at English rugby league. If anything, the English are to be applauded for sticking with the concept and allowing it to build its foundations.
However, the detractors will point to the fact that the match is played on English soil at a time that suits the English and therefore doesn’t have a true legitimacy as it attempts to find the best team in the world.
So taking the game to Australia next year, and then on alternate years, could help boost the prestige of the event.
Also in its favour is the fact that it would be held in Melbourne.
Melbourne is without doubt the sporting ‘event’ capital of Australia. While their population still seems lukewarm about attending the Storm’s matches week in, week out, they have shown an appetite to turn up for Test matches and Origins.
Well, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
I’d argue the novelty of the event might attract a few more first timers, rather than just fronting up to watch the Storm take on the Tigers or Rabbitohs.
The new found strength of the Australia dollar relative to the British pound also means the shift makes more economic sense.
The Rhinos have shown themselves to be bold in their efforts to spread themselves around the world.
They famously played a trial match against the Rabbitohs in Florida and their CEO Gary Hetherington has previously talked about taking the game to Australia or Dubai.
So there should be some willingness there from the current hosts.
It will take some negotiating, but I’d argue it will make a nice addition to Melbourne’s sporting calendar next year.
I would be happy to trade in my pint of John Smith’s at a bar at the Corn Exchange for a cappuccino at a café on Lygon Street.
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Ronnie Rhino said | October 13th 2009 @ 7:35am | Report comment
Wouldn’t mind our boys coming to Melbourne for the WCC. However, previous years February dates for the matches have been two weeks into our domestic Super League season so we’d not be able to travel there and back without some changes/rest to our regular schedule. Your teams have not been ‘in season’ when it’s been played up to now. How relevant do you view these one-off games ? I’d be interested in Oz views on the subject.
The Answer said | October 13th 2009 @ 7:23pm | Report comment
Ronnie,
Until the English teams start making similar sacrifices to the Aussie sides it won’t have the relevance it deserves in Australia.
The Link said | October 13th 2009 @ 7:37am | Report comment
Steve – agree that there must be some middle ground between the current UK based concept and the rolling circus that was the WCC during Super League. The Brisbane-Wigan game in the mid 90′s pre Super League was a huge success in Australia, so to start with at least one “one-off” game should make it to Australia in the next 2-3 years.
Perhaps a 4-6 team mini tournament could be the way to go to decide the League World’s best team??!!
WCC is a point of international differentiation for RL from RU and should be built upon accordingly.
MarkR said | October 13th 2009 @ 10:00am | Report comment
Ronnie – it’s not really counted as the team is 1 – out of season, 2 – often not the compelte team who won teh GF i.e. key players leave/retire. It is very useful for givng the UK bragging rights though & it gets us through a dry patch when there’s only some rubbish sport called cricket to watch.
Steve – you seriously want this to be a fair game ??? Next you’ll be telling us that you want the NRL judiciary to stop suspending Kiwis before the internationals…..it’s a conspiracy I tell ya ! Although having it in Melbourne could be a bit risky, Sydney/Qld would be a sure sell out & better atmosphere.
Brett McKay said | October 13th 2009 @ 12:42pm | Report comment
Steve, I would’ve thought the only time to play the game is now, immediately following both GFs. I seems silly to see Australian teams heading to England in February with squads nothing like what won the NRL Premiership.
Alternating between the countries seems like a no-brainer through..
Steve Kaless said | October 13th 2009 @ 7:16pm | Report comment
It is an interesting point Brett, but many clubs are loathe to play anything so close to the Grand Final given the “Grand Final hangover” which tends to occur literally and emotionally.
Anything too close to a Grand Final may cheapen the respective titles as the sides are immediately focusing on something else.
Football teams don’t seem to worry about the changing of squads etc for the following year’s Champions League etc.
Hansie said | October 13th 2009 @ 9:40pm | Report comment
Steve Kaless is right – clubs wouldn’t like this move and the players wouldn’t like it because it would interfere with Mad Monday and GF celebrations. But imagine the best team from each competition playing off a week or two after the respective grand finals. It could be a great clash, and the venue could alternate between north and south.
Tom Alexander. said | October 13th 2009 @ 1:07pm | Report comment
Would have been a good idea to play it at the new Stadium in Melbourne. Christen it with a special game/occasion etc. Probably would attract a few English Ex-Pats who follow Rugby League as well. The biggest problem with our game is that some of our current administrators can’t seem to see the forest for the trees. At least the Australian Super-League implemented their ideas like the International Club Challenge etc, without procrastinating over it forever and a day. The umming and arrring that we regularly get from Gallop over some decent concepts like the Indigenous 13 team (thank God for Campbell, Bennett and Searle) just leaves you shaking your head. How about a Grand Finalists challenge with all 4 teams. I reckon Parramatta Eels vs Saint Helens would have been alright.
Ben said | October 13th 2009 @ 4:41pm | Report comment
Good idea Steve – Melb Storm vs English SL team in what month ? October-November ? Gee they will be flockiing away from Flemington to get to that match!!!
Dumb idea.
No-one outside QLD, NSW and the North of England care about League so Victoria is a silly idea. Do not start on the RL World Cup – if you gave the Pacific Islands/PNG netballs it would probably be more popular than League.
The Link said | October 13th 2009 @ 5:11pm | Report comment
“No-one outside QLD, NSW and the North of England care about League so Victoria is a silly idea.”
Funny that since 650,000 from Melbourne tuned into the NRL grand final
Steve Kaless said | October 13th 2009 @ 7:12pm | Report comment
Gold star to Ben for bringing up some of the most tired cliches used on the Roar.
Mr cheese said | October 14th 2009 @ 11:55pm | Report comment
isn’t there some struth in what he says ?
as i understand it, your RL is superior to ours ( England’s ). So……..playing this match in England evens things out and gives the English club a chance ( even though the Aussies still won this year ).
If you take it to Australia, the Aussie club will win by 50 points. That’s not good for English RL or for its Aussie equivalent.
Be careful what you wish for, Steve.
Doing this in Aussie will just put another nail in the RL coffin. Play it in England.
Mr cheese said | October 14th 2009 @ 11:59pm | Report comment
some “truth”
not “!struth”
John Ryan said | October 13th 2009 @ 10:34pm | Report comment
Gee Ben what Code do you follow ?
Dave1 said | October 13th 2009 @ 4:54pm | Report comment
Word Club challenges are usually played in February
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Club_Challenge
Ben said | October 13th 2009 @ 5:47pm | Report comment
February – even better.
Between World Series Cricket finals and NAB AFL pre-season ?
Throw in a new s15 team kicking off and a Socceroos warm up for a real World Cup in South Africa……..genius stuff.
League is great as it is – a battler Aussie sport with no interest outside NSW and QLD.
Leave it alone.
Dave1 said | October 13th 2009 @ 6:11pm | Report comment
League doesn’t have to worry about s15 at the best of times but especially not next year because it starts in 2011.
the Socceroos are playing
6 January 2010: Kuwait v Australia @ International Jaber Al-Ahmad Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait (AFC Asian Cup 2011 qualifier)
3 March 2010: Australia v Indonesia @ Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane (AFC Asian Cup 2011 qualifier)
that won’t keep people away from league
also indecently last year 36,297 watched Australia play England at Telstra Dome in a league match on November 2 two days before the Melbourne cup and 1 day after derby day.
also incedently last year 36,297 watched Austrlia play England at Telstra Dome on November 2 two days before the Melbourne cup and 1 day after derby day
The Answer said | October 13th 2009 @ 7:21pm | Report comment
Great work Ben, you didn’t know when the game was actually played or even what year the Super 15 team may (seeing it hasn’t been decided) start.
One thing we know is you won’t be busy with any Mensa meetings.