The 2018 rugby league season begins in earnest this weekend when the Melbourne Storm host the Leeds Rhinos in the annual World Club Challenge at AAMI Park.
Traditionally held in England in the early part of the Super League competition, this year’s edition will be played in Australia for just the fourth time ever, first since 2014 and first ever in Melbourne.
The format also reverts to just the one singular match after the past three editions featured three matches, two of which were exhibition matches between selected NRL and Super League clubs, and the other of which pitted the premiers of those respective competitions in the showpiece match.
It will be the fourth time the Storm and Rhinos have met in the World Club Challenge, with the Rhinos winning in 2008 and the Storm saluting in 2010 and 2013, though the Storm had the 2010 title stripped from them due to salary cap breaches.
For Craig Bellamy’s men, this will be their fifth World Club Challenge match, and will be looking to add to the legitimate titles they won in 2000 and 2013, each of which followed premiership wins in the preceding year.
They produced a consistent 2017 season, topping the ladder for the third time by winning 20 of their matches, as well as having the best attack, defence and points differential of any club.
The Storm went on to win their third legitimate premiership by thrashing the North Queensland Cowboys, which were missing both their co-captains in Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott, by 34-6 in the grand final, with Billy Slater winning his second Clive Churchill Medal for being best-on-ground.
(AAP Image/David Moir)
Veterans Slater, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk (now at the Sydney Roosters) proved that age is only a number, while Cameron Munster continued to impress despite concerns over his off-field attitude which has come to light in recent weeks.
At the age of 34, Smith produced what can only be described as one of the greatest individual seasons in recent rugby league history, achieving the trifecta of leading his state, club and country to glory in the State of Origin, NRL and the World Cup respectively.
He also became the most-capped player in NRL history, playing his record-breaking 356th game in the qualifying final against the Parramatta Eels last September, and won the Dally M Medal and Golden Boot Award each for a second time.
The Queenslander now only needs to lead his side to victory in the World Club Challenge to complete the extremely rare quadfecta of winning Origin, the NRL premiership, World Cup and World Club Challenge, all as captain, simultaneously.
It would be rugby league’s equivalent of completing the Grand Slam, if he can achieve it.
Winning the World Club Challenge is something that eluded Smith’s former state and national teammate Darren Lockyer, whose Brisbane Broncos side he led to the 2006 NRL premiership (in which it defeated Smith’s Storm side by 15-8 in the grand final) fell to St Helens in the 2007 edition.
After missing most of the previous two seasons due to a serious shoulder injury which twice required surgery, Billy Slater returned to top form, reclaiming his place in the Maroons’ Origin side and claiming the Clive Churchill Medal in the grand final, his 299th NRL match.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Despite fears that he would retire at the end of last season, the Nambour native has committed to playing on for a 16th season, and barring injury, is due to bring up his milestone 300th NRL match in Round 1 against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at the newly-built Perth Stadium.
The 2018 NRL season looms as, potentially, the last season of rugby league by either (or both) Slater or Smith, with both turning 35 on the same day in June.
It would also mark a slow changing of the guard, with Cooper Cronk having moved to Sydney to not only be closer to his partner, Tara Rushton, but also extend his NRL career at the Roosters.
His move to Bondi has drawn the ire of many NRL fans, with some questioning how the glamour club could possibly fit him under their salary cap, the Chooks having already signed other big-name stars such as James Tedesco and Angus Crichton.
The Roosters have even hired respected salary cap auditor Ian Schubert to make sure that they are indeed operating legally; it has been reported that they are under the cap by $750,000.
Ironically, Schubert was the man who blew the whistle on the Melbourne Storm’s salary cap scandal which saw them stripped of two premierships, three minor premierships, fined $500,000 and condemned to win the wooden spoon in 2010.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Back on topic now, and we now swing our focus to Leeds who won a record-breaking eighth Super League crown by thrashing Castleford by 24-6 in last October’s grand final.
Captain Danny McGuire, playing his last game for the Rhinos before crossing to Leeds for the ongoing Super League season, won the Harry Sunderland Trophy after scoring two tries and kicking two field goals in the win.
He is the only man to feature in each of the Rhinos’ eight Super League premiership wins, while he has featured in three World Club Challenge wins, one of which was achieved by defeating the Melbourne Storm in 2008.
The Leeds side that is travelling to Melbourne could field up to four former NRL players for Friday night’s match, with Joel Moon, Matt Parcell, Mitch Garbutt and Adam Cuthbertson having played in the NRL at various stages during their careers.
Of the quartet, Cuthbertson will be seeking his second World Club Challenge win after featuring in the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles side which saluted in 2009 (though he did not play in the club’s 2008 premiership win, in which they thrashed the Storm by 40-0 in the grand final).
With no Auckland Nines tournament taking place this year, Friday night’s World Club Challenge in Melbourne officially marks the start of the Australian rugby league season for 2018, though the NRL season is still only three weeks away from starting.
On their home soil, the Melbourne Storm will be hoping to claim their third World Club Challenge title and get their premiership defence up and running in earnest before they travel to Perth for the aforementioned Round 1 clash with the Bulldogs.
The World Club Challenge will be televised on the Nine Network nationally.
Mitch
Guest
Is this game completely fair? On one hand you have a team that is already into their season with great fitness and cohesion behind them. On the other hand you have a team that is not fully match fit and doesnt have complete cohesion. Just look at the first round in the NRL all the players are pretty much half dead by the time they finish.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
That's right. It's not a 'trial'. It's the World Club Challenge. If one club or fans see it merely as a trial, then too bad for them and their myopia.
Peter Phelps
Guest
Its unfortunate that the RL calendar does not permit this to be played straight after the GFs but that is life. As for your logic as to them not being premiers, should the Cowboys not have qualified for the finals because they were not the same team that won games/points at the start of the season ? Both teams won GF and are holders of their respective honours including the right to call themselves premiers for a year so it is a legitimate World Club Challenge and not a trial despite so many on this side of the world trying to belittle it. Both teams will be taking this game very seriously and both teams will want to hold that trophy aloft at the end of the night.
Oingo Boingo
Guest
Geez ya went to a lot of effort to disguise this as "not another" Rooster bashing article.
Peter Phelps
Guest
He has said that he is not interested in coaching though Bellamy reckons he would be very good at it. That was some time ago so who knows,,,,,
Peter Phelps
Guest
Melbourne have a very strong team at least on paper, are playing on home soil and will have the majority of the crowd behind them. I watch quite a bit of Superleague and have seen Leeds play both last season and this and I do not think Leeds can pull it off. I might be wrong, I am a Storm supporter after all but I would take decent odds if they were available.
Jacka
Guest
4 wally medals
Dave
Guest
Cam Smith's won wally lewis medal 4 times!
The Barry
Roar Guru
Sorry mate, I’ve already lined the birds cage with that article...
Nat
Roar Guru
Yeah, come time that's as big as mental game as on field ability. Reminds me of the Jim Jeffires 'bit' about being with Michael Phelps ex. http://www.videoshub.net/v/mjae20q92-jim-jefferies-talks-michael-phelps-marriage-and-children/ When Storm meet Roosters, it'll be top line test for Croft but the Storm in general. Surely he puts allegiances aside and clues his team about the best defensive strategies to combat the Storm behemoth.
Nat
Roar Guru
Bloody Gallen! That F..., Pep..., che..., punch... Oh ok!
BigJ
Roar Guru
Gentleman, the debate of who is better between Smith and Thurston has already been covered in my Smith v Thurston article. please feel free to read it again. http://www.theroar.com.au/2017/05/21/smith-v-thurston-whos-gen-ys-best-player/ and for the record, Smith wins hands down.
Albo
Guest
In my books, Smith is already the GOAT ? Another year or two will just add more records to his growing list of achievements. Then I suspect he might aim at a similar record as a coach. The smartest guy on the park almost always.
Zaccaa
Guest
Storm 13+
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
I don't hate the Storm. I'm hoping for a Leeds win.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
lol
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Melbourne were so dominant last year it was frightening. Having said that, Leeds struggled in 2016 before bouncing back last and even tually clicking into gear later in the season. They have a lot of big game experience as a club and thoroughly outplayed League Leaders Castleford in the Grand Final. It's no guarantee that Melbourne will win. But then, it's no guarantee that Leeds will either. Good luck to both teams.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Nat What about when Brandon comes on to play hooker? Big shoes?
AussieIrish
Guest
Not being really in the know about League, I am curious to why you think Melbourne will batter Leeds?
The Barry
Roar Guru
JTs got an impressive list of achievements behind him too: Two premierships, 1 world cup, one WCC Four Dally Ms, four times halfback of the year, three times 5/8, once captain of the year, one Churchill, two Provan/Summons, one Wally Lewis, one Ken Stephens, most consecutive Origin matches, highest all time Origin point scorer, four MOM awards in four games in 2013 world cup,