- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Earlier this week, my heart skipped a beat as I read on The Roar that Channel Nine, through their digital channel Gem, have made the late decision to televise this weekend’s World Club Challenge match live.
First of all, I was thrilled that such an exciting game was so close at hand. Secondly, I was thrilled Channel Nine were showing the contest the respect it deserved.
However, once my heart recommenced beating as normal, it occurred to me that the World Club Challenge has always been shown live on Channel Nine.
Looked at in this light, the apparently “late” decision to show the match on Gem was not a positive step for the network, but a negative one. In essence, the match has actually been demoted in the pecking order.
However, it’s only those without digital televisions, or those in non-digital regions, who suffer from this.
I don’t fall in either camp, so why fret? On to the game!
I love the World Club Challenge.
I love watching rugby league from England in general, whether it’s the annual WCC clash, international rugby league or, when the whims of Channel Nine allow, Super League.
I love the cute naivety of the commentators, who start demanding that the English “scrum half” take the “one pointer” from about the fifteenth minute of the game, then clearly start panicking as soon as the English team falls behind.
I love how utterly forlorn they grow as the game winds down and defeat becomes inevitable. Furthermore, I love the English crowds – the singing and dancing and jumping up and down.
I’ve seen Super League live (at Wigan’s fantastic stadium) and the atmosphere is something else. Happily, unlike when, say, South Sydney play Canterbury at ANZ Stadium, this atmosphere is captured by the television coverage as a means to truly spark the soul.
I find a certain romance in watching rugby league from England, the romance that comes from sweet nostalgia.
As a child, waking up in the middle of the night to watch the ’94 Kangaroo Tour and the ’95 World Cup with my father was an absolute joy. International competition, at whatever level, captures the imagination in a way domestic competition never really can.
Another reason for my love of the WCC is the opportunity it provides to run the eye over the best of English talent. Outside the harsh spotlight of the Test arena, where they almost always choke, these contests showcase the wonderful talent England can produce.
This current Leeds line-up is a case in point: their revered big guns, Danny McGuire, Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield, have all had international careers ranging somewhere between poor and mediocre.
For this there are many reasons which I won’t go into now, but I’d wager the reason lowest down on the relevancy scale is actual ability. These guys can all play the game.
Similarly, these matches showcase some of the most exciting young English talent before they are crushed by Test failure.
Last year it was thrilling to watch Sam Tomkins trouble St George-Illawarra with every touch of the ball, while this year the contest between gifted youngster Kallum Watkins and Manly brute Steve Matai should be stunning.
If Watkins can hold his own here – as I expect he will – England can add another potential superstar to their growing backline collection.
For all my raving about the quality in the Leeds line-up though it should be clear that Manly go into this contest as deserved favourites. The notable things about the Manly players, aside from how detestable they are, is their toughness, commitment, professionalism and talent.
Brett Stewart is as classy a fullback as you’ll see, Matai as brutal a centre as there is, Watmough as hard a Neanderthal to tackle as I’ve ever seen, Foran the most gifted young five-eighth the game has and Williams as scary a freak as any non mad-scientist is ever likely to come across.
They’ll have to seriously hate the cold for Leeds to beat them. Their forward pack seems too big, particularly for the lightweight Leeds outfit (Jamie Peacock and to a far lesser extent, Ryan Bailey aside, who from Leeds can stand up to them?).
Also their outside backs are too experienced for the raw Leeds lot (as gifted as Hardaker, Watkins, Hall and Jones-Bishop are).
It pains me terribly to say it, but I think Manly will soon be officially crowned the best rugby league club side in the world. As much as I’m looking forward to the game, I am not looking forward to that!
Come on Leeds! Take the one pointer! Try the little chip! It’s T-R-Y time!
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.