As a pundit, one has to be careful in reaching sweeping hypotheses from the results of sporting events.
Teams with every external advantage can quite often be defeated by those with no money, no players and no fans. Likewise, scorelines can often be reflective of nothing more than a bunch of individuals who had an off day playing a group who reached great heights.
Yet we’re nonetheless in the business of trying to interpret a bunch of random facts.
Which brings us to the World Club Series. Did the weekend’s matches flatter to deceive in relation to the relative strengths of Super League and the NRL?
And, more importantly, which games flattered to deceive? The ones where the Super League teams came close, or where South Sydney crushed St Helens?
If we first accept that the games did say something about the relative strengths of the competitions, then the answer to the second question should be straightforward.
The Super League sides who took part – St Helens, Wigan and Warrington – were the top three from the previous season. Conversely, St George Illawarra and Brisbane travelled to the UK by virtue of them being popular brands and their CEOs being keen on the idea.
So, the balance of probability dictates that the actual World Club Challenge – the one Souths won 39-0 – was a more reliable barometer of the difference between the leagues.
The fact that lower-ranked NRL clubs edged past top Super League teams would only serve to support the idea that there is still quite a gulf.
In truth, the World Club Series and Challenge have a built-in self destruct mechanism – the growing gulf in the salary caps of the two comps. The NRL cap is already toughly twice that of Super League’s and with the next Australian TV deal likely to be be $2 billion, the gulf is going to grow.
The popular narrative is that the WCS is a precursor of soccer’s Champions League or UEFA Cup.
But given that one of the only two full-time professional competitions in the world is in the process of picking the eyes out of the other, perhaps the WCS is actually the Amco/KB/Tooth Cup of its day
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the likes of Combined Brisbane, Illawarra Division, Monaro, Newcastle Division, Auckland and others played in a knockout comp against the Sydney clubs.
It was seen as an exciting clash of styles and histories in an era in which all players – including some of the biggest names in the game’s history – were part-timers. Famously, Western Division actually won the first Amco Cup.
The provincial sides were inherently at a disadvantage financially, featuring players who would either go on to play in the big league or were on the way out to pasture having done so earlier in their careers.
Sound familiar?
Super League clubs need more World Club Series to raise enough money to field teams which can compete in the World Club Series. It’s a circular argument which makes no sense.
After getting a taste of top company, Illawarra, Newcastle, Brisbane, Auckland and the rest marshalled their resources with the help of local businessmen and entered teams in the Sydney competition, which then ceased to be the Sydney competition.
Before the World Club Series I was sceptical about the idea of the NRL becoming rugby league’s global brand. Having seen the impact of Russell Crowe and Sam Burgess on the Langtree Park fans who were clamouring for photos and autographs on Sunday night, I am now almost completely sold on it.
We need to take the NRL, as represented by Russell in this example, to the north of England and beyond, in order to fight off the globalisation of other sports, as represented by rugby union defector Burgess.
The evolution of professional sporting competitions has been suburban to regional to national to international over a long period. Yet people seem to think this evolution will somehow cease.
Going to Brisbane on a plane was a big deal for Sydney clubs in the seventies – roughly as rare as going to England is for NRL teams today.
Four top English clubs in a conference-based NRL will happen eventually whether or not I wrote this column and whether or not you read it.
One day I might write an equivalent of Ian Heads’ The Night The Music Died (about Western Division in 74) about what I saw at the weekend.
I’ll call it The Day Russell Came To St Helens.
Breeze101
Roar Rookie
Buddy stop talking garbage if your not pacific islander or never been to the pacific islands before, you have no clue on what you are talking about trust me I would know cause I'm of Tongan heritage Rugby Union will always remain the dominant code in the Pacific do some better research before you open your mouth!!
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Glenn, I'm of the view that it is actually 'easy' to fix. The only real problem has been that few seemed to have the stamina for it, throwing everything in the it's too hard box. The prevailing attitude amongst most people for a very long time has been negative. But now, finally, after decades of stalling, it seems as if people are starting to believe that things can be done. And as you've seen over the last couple of years, the international value of the code is being recognised and the World Club Series is clearly an integral part of that. Whether things could have been changed is a moot point because if you don't believe it can be done or worth doing, it simply won't happen.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Slieman - If it was that easy they would have done it by now...their not stupid that know the problems, but they are not problems that can't be fixed on a training paddock. You cant win a gold medal in freestyle wrestling if your sparring partners are Australian, you have to go to Russia or iran or the States or somewhere were the standard is high if you want to do that.If you are just fighting mediocre wrestlers you will stagnate at that level and then get eaten alive when you fight someone who has been training against higher quality graplers. The English game draws from a much smaller talent pool, but has almost as many clubs, so the standard is much lower, they need less clubs and more competition against Australian teams..you can run with that wherever way you like, but one weekend a year ain't gonna change anything, As someone mentioned above this one weekend has actually brought the game some coverage in London, in other words twenty years of the London Broncos has not been able to achieve what the arrival of three Australian clubs for one weekend has,...mainstream coverage.but one weekend soon gets forgotten. The game in England needs much more that that, are we willing to supply it?Probably not, because it is all too hard and most people out here really couldn't care less what happens to English Rugby League anyway.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Here is another video: http://www.superleague.co.uk/article/31694/#worldclubseries-hailed-as-a-success
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Here is the video link: http://www.superleague.co.uk/sltv?y2o_jkOU6pI
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
And it's so obvious, right?
Col Quinn
Guest
Alright B101, Let’s objectively analyse RU. In terms of world sport it comes in somewhere in between 9 and 19, depending on the criteria use. This actually a decline as in 2004 it was ranked between 5 and 12, depending on the criteria. Does this mean that less people are watching or playing RU. In overall world crowd figures, attending games, there has been a decline. However, the world economy has much to do with this. Player numbers, well in Scotland, Wales and England there has been a decline. In England RU has been pushed southwards where the game appears to be stabilising its base, in spite of several major clubs folding. Again, much of this is the economy but some of it the overall drift towards Soccer. Scotland’s RU is in a dreadful state. Once proud centres, such as Glasgow, are struggling. Wales is similar. France is always put up as the shining light. Statistics indicate average TV viewership and crowd numbers. The game appears to be a plaything for the rich owners. The decline in the French national side indicates not all is good. Soccer, again, dominates French sport. In the rest of Europe, RU is a boutique sport. The South Pacific is an interesting situation. The tentacles of the NRL are everywhere and already RU has all but disappeared in the Cook Islands and the bastion of South Pacific RU, Fiji is being slowly overtaken by RL. You now see RL being played across the Pacific, something unheard of 10 years ago. The less said about Australia the better. Even New Zealand has issues but they have the best side in the world and an administration that is the most professional of all RU countries. So World RU, where is heading? Just like test cricket 15 man RU will become a holy grail, while like T20, 7 man RU will dominate.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Yeah, must have been the wrong link. That cross pollination of ideas is a great way forward.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
And then what?
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Fair enough but does that mean Super League clubs can't improve their defensive structures? You've highlighted a problem that can be fixed. The next step is to fix it.
Renegade
Guest
Very true, the atmosphere over there is on another level.
Mantis
Roar Guru
Are you really suggesting that an English team/teams enter the NRL?
Mantis
Roar Guru
Agree. Raiders get the least amount of help from the NRL out of any club, but that's a conversation for another day.
The Barry
Roar Guru
....which is exactly why there isn't an annual Chelsea vs a-league tournament every year.
The Barry
Roar Guru
If we accept that the Amco cup did kill league in Brisbane then your solution for strengthening league in the UK is to create an international equivalent! Huh?
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Sorry, I must have sent you the wrong link. It was a short video of Super League and NRL club CEOs discussing and sharing ideas on 'best practice' at a conference held during the WCS. I thought it was a good attempt at answering your questions about the 'how'.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Hi Sleiman, I watched it but I'm not sure what I was supposed to have taken from that other than having to listen to bloody glory, glory again! Do you mean the souths players talking about it being a tough game? That's pretty standard footy speak after a 39-0 win.
Brian M
Guest
I really don't see that in the article. If anything its making the case that the NRL doesn't need foreign competition, it is THE brand for rugby league in the world already. Just saying, that's what my takeaway was, regardless of what the author might have intended.
Breeze101
Roar Rookie
I can guarantee you 10 years from now Rugby league will still be in the same position behind Rugby Union as always!!
Glenn Innes
Guest
If you want to turn it into a pissing contest Union is pretty meaningless in the global scheme of things.This is a debate amongst Rugby League enthusiasts as to what direction the game takes as we move into the 21st century.Rugby Union can do what it likes, Rugby League has no control over that .