There’s no doubt the World Club Challenge needs a freshen-up.
As someone who covered – and attended – every one from 1994 to 2017, I’ve head officials of the visiting team privately criticise the hosts – and vice versa even more often – almost every year.
When it goes to Australia, the Brits can’t believe there’s no match programme for fans or that it gets treated like a pre-season game, with trials played the same day that can get more publicity.
When the Antipodean team heads north, they believe Super League should be completely paused for the weekend rather than just the schedule of their opponents being interrupted in a domestic season that started up to a month before.
And, over the years, there have been plenty of Englishmen who believed the NRL sides have been too greedy in their demands to even take part in the match – and a long-running, never-ending sense of exasperation that the Australasian authorities don’t even make the event compulsory.
That leaves it to the whims of the NRL premiers as to whether they even take part, what they get paid and where the match is played.
Melbourne didn’t want to travel to Leeds so the Rhinos went to them in 2018 – full credit to Sydney Roosters for showing enough interest to be at the DW Stadium on February 17 with a stop in France on the way.
My colleague Phil Wilkinson of the Wigan Observer tells me the Super League and NRL champions had preliminary discussions about “meeting halfway” this year – ie: playing the match in Asia.
But, says Wilko, they “ran out of time”.
Well, of course, they did! This is because no serious discussions take place about the World Club Challenge until we know what clubs are in it. And those talks are primarily between the clubs involved – governing bodies just don’t seem to want to know. It’s a situation bordering on the farcical.
Now, there is a “steering group” comprising officials of certain clubs that works on the WCC the rest of the time – but you know how football officials are when it comes to jinxing themselves by doing anything that could be perceived as ‘assuming’ they’re going to win a trophy.
The Roosters win the 2018 NRL grand final (AAP Image/Craig Golding)
There’s also this problem which is rarely discussed: rugby league doesn’t sell these sort of properties because any sponsors might then be taken away from the week-to-week competitions.
There is a fear that Peter is being robbed to pay Paul – even if it’s in the game’s long-term interests that Paul is paid rather than Peter.
No-one works for those interests.
The WCC needs a part-time CEO who liaises with broadcasters, sponsors and – most importantly – local authorities in would-be host cities all year ‘round. If he treads on the toes of the wider game – with-in reason – so-be-it.
The venue should be locked in before we know who’s in it. So should the date.
While the DW will probably sell out in two weeks, that will be on the back of Wigan being followed by their army of fans, not on it being an attractive event marketed to neutrals.
Like so many things in rugby league outside the NRL, the World Club Challenge has far more potential than is currently being realised.
Matt
Guest
Love the concept but needs to be at the end of the season if to continue. Then there are impacts to the ability to play internationals. Need a world wide review and agreement of schedules for all this to occur. Need to shorten the NRL and SL seasons. This then impacts revenue for the local game. Need some international and national body leadership and powers to be open minded and not self centred. Same discussion for almost all sports where there is a dominant body attracting the money in an international sport.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
A great weekend, 15 th and 16th Feb. World Club Challenge AND Aus Indigenous All Stars v NZ Maori Kiwis.Surely those in power could have programmed this better.
peeeko
Roar Guru
you mean firing players that deserve to be ousted from the game?
Sammy
Guest
If the the NRL and ESL were viewed as conferences in a combined comp. then the ultimate Grand Final would be the Club Challenge. But that proposal would only demote the two existing Grand Finals to the status of semi final. So if the Club Challenge is big taken seriously then what I would propose is an entire round of inter-conference matches each season. The match ups would be based on where you finished last season. Finish high and you’ll play a low finishing team from the other comp.
Big Daddy
Guest
Trouble is if it goes pear shaped with the score its not a good advertisement for the game. They put up the big billboards and should have followed it up with a game the week after Superbowl.
woodart
Guest
that league cant see what an opportunity they have to promote their sport worldwide, but instead cant see outside a sydney club comp makes it hard to see the sport growing much anywhere. having a hemisphere club faceoff should be a highlight of the calendar and something eagily played for by the [layers. they dont have much to look forward to internationally compared to most other sports.
BA Sports
Roar Guru
You won't get any argument from me that 26 weeks is too long. You shouldn't want to create a distraction from your product, you should want to fix the product so that you don't need the distraction.
Matt H
Roar Guru
It was nice to see the English come over to play it in Australia recently. Why should it always be in England? They already have the advantage of being further along in their season. To be honest Super League set the concept back, despite their good intentions. Back in 1997 when they played the World Club Challenge as a series between the Australian and English sides, it became obvious that in anything more than a one-off the English were badly overmatched.
Jimbob
Guest
Mate we need more distractions from the NRL. 26 weeks of it is freakin tedious.
Jimbob
Guest
I wouldn't mind seeing the World Club Challenge played every 4 years as a tournament, in between World Cups
Harold
Guest
If it were played at Penrith it would have international credibility. Seriously if it were played alternately in each hemisphere on a level playing field (pun intended) instead of the Brits play 3 games in and its a pre-season for the Aussies then it might have some credibility. But Sydney (esp) can smell a one-sided exhibition designed to keep Brits living in the odd belief that their comp is the equal of NRL. The over excitement when the Brits win is amazing - its like a World Cup win to them whereas Aussies go "OK the NRL season must be here soon"
egbert
Guest
Wigan 21 Penrith 4, 1991. Brought us back down to earth pretty quickly.
RandyM
Guest
i remember Canberra losing to Widnes in 1990, Martin Offiah at his peak. Young me was so devastated...
Paul
Roar Guru
I didn't realize something so simple could be so complicated. A pert-time CEO to get two sides together for a game - sounds like overkill.
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
I don't understand why they play this game months later when they could play it late October. Blake Ferguson misses out despite having a great season while Brett Morris, who contributed nothing gets a game. It's treated like a pre season game here because that's exactly what it is. Needs to be played same year as both GFs
Beetle
Roar Rookie
Always love reading your pieces Steve, you share the same views as me. The NRL needs to realise the potential of Rugby League, not just the NRL competition. I have always loved the world club challenge and am quite annoyed that its always so controversial within the NRL. I thought we were really starting to appreciate the concept when we brought in the WCC Series but that didn't last unfortunately. However I do feel the teams are starting to take it more seriously as they head to England earlier to adapt to the climate and the results are starting to show that. Meeting halfway in USA would definitely be the preferred choice over Asia, especially if we plan to have a World Cup there and maybe one of the teams could play a warm-up game against the Wolfpack and the other team play against the US National team?? Promoting the game is everything and I believe this is the opportunity
Tom of Brisbane
Guest
It is definately on Fox and will probably be on Nine as well (maybe Gem depending on where you are in the country), they usually do it. Kickoff 7pm UK time (Sun 17/2) which will be 5am QLD or 6am NSW/ACT/VIC/TAS (Mon 18/2). Looking forward to it. Will easily be able to fit it in before work, what better way to start the working week than with rugby league? That one game will have more action in it than the entire cricket, tennis and A-League seasons put together
Big Daddy
Guest
A few days ago we were debating why the NRL/Roosters would put a billboard advertising they are world champ. Now its is the Australian side really interested in playing the game. Seriously.
Sludge McFlurrey
Guest
Don’t expect our Toddy to get involved, he’s flat out virtue signalling right now.
NotToday
Roar Rookie
Bring in national champs from NZ, PNG, France and the Balkan Super League, even if they're amateur or semi-pro. Put them in a knockout format, then the respective winner proceeds to face the NRL and SL champ. Then the round-two winners face off in a final match. Make it a bigger deal than it is, so that it's seen as a true 'club world championship'. It would help get the game more coverage in other countries. So that means more TV revenue, and it would help grow the game in those countries as well. RL lacks these continental and multi-national tournaments that soccer and rugby union have. This should be used as an opportunity.