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There is an uneasiness in discussions of the World Club Series. Many English pundits are excited, while Australian ones are pretty apathetic. Why is this?
The distance of the tournament could be a factor. An event in England occurring at 6am local time is going to a be a bit prohibitive to build hype for.
While English fans can go and see the match directly, Australian fans have the pleasure of setting alarm clocks, dragging ourselves out of bed, then turning on the telly soft enough not to wake the rest of the house up.
That’s if we’re even bothered at all.
But there’s another much more pressing factor which really doesn’t get acknowledged. And if correctly approached it could add a lot more fire to the encounter.
The NRL is the top dog of rugby league now more than ever. The salary cap gap is almost absurd, with most NRL clubs sending more valuable sides to the Auckland Nines than some Super League clubs are playing with.
The Aussie competition has bigger crowds, bigger paycheques and – adding insult to injury – offers a lifestyle that English clubs can’t match (although Catalans might be able to counter that).
The Super League may be heading into a bold new era and trying to build up some momentum for itself, but the truth is that the NRL clubs coming over to compete have a massive advantage through their salary cap that will overshadow the WCS if not addressed.
The series has been historically billed as a clash between champions but now one champion is considerably weaker than the other. So, in the spirit of helping out our English brethren, I propose we embrace our superior status.
NRL journos should be given free rein to slight the English players and to scoff at the challenge they represent. Official media should pump up the chance of a 3-0 whitewash, and the teams themselves display some bravado ahead of the series.
Essentially setting the NRL up as the Kangaroos were in 2008; heaped with enormous expectation, which lends support for the underdog.
Even though the ESL clubs are outclassed on pretty much almost all fronts, they can beat the NRL teams in front of them. As much as rugby league is a numbers game it’s highly unpredictable, and lending the English sides extra motivation to win can’t be a bad thing – perhaps it will tip the tables a little more toward even.
Little advantages such as conditioning, home ground and greater motivation will seem less like a credible excuse for an NRL loss if the build up is right.
On the flip side, an ESL win would be even more of a boost if the chips are seemingly down and they have it all against them.
As many journos have stipulated, the WCS is primarily run to benefit England and give them a handy boost at the start of the season.
Building up the tournament in a way which will give them a greater boost if they do win is only going to make the investment all the more appealing.
Besides, while swaggering into the event may result in outrage if Australia lose, because there are actual expectations applied, it will provide an extra gloating point if we do win 3-0 – whitewashes over the Poms are always a welcome outcome.
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