At this time of the year, the English and Australian flavours of rugby league seem to be worlds apart.
The freezing, boggy pitches along the M62 don’t exactly appeal to players and fans sweating it up on the east coast of Australia, who are eagerly awaiting the start of a new season.
Those stark differences are one reason why the idea of a poor man’s Champions League, where Super League and NRL premiers go head-to-head for the right to call themselves ‘World Champions’, is not such an easy sell.
It shouldn’t be this way, but this is rugby league, where things are never as simple as they seem, and myopia is often the default setting.
The truth is, Wigan is a long way from Bondi. It’s a tiny blip in the north west of England; a historic hamlet that makes up part of Greater Manchester and just happens to be one of the world’s few genuinely rugby league-mad towns.
My first trip was for a World Club Challenge, when my beloved Cronulla Sharks played Wigan Warriors in 2017. From the minute I walked out of Wigan Westgate station, I witnessed a special kind of energy; every shopfront on the high street had posters advertising the match, match-day scarves were being hawked, and every pub was bursting at the seams with cherry-and-white-clad patrons.
It pains me to say that these scenes even rivalled what I witnessed in the Shire on the eve of the 2016 grand final.
The unfortunate thing was that no one seemed to tell the Sharks. They appeared to treat the fixture as nothing more than a pre-season holiday, staying far away in London, with limited news to come out of camp.
Unless you count the team trips to the London Eye and Westminster Abbey, the Aussie side removed themselves from the build-up and therefore misread how much this game meant to the Wigan Warriors and the region.
Cronulla were duly embarrassed on the field. The fact that they scheduled a trial back in Australia at the same time and split their playing group clearly signalled their intent.
Fans who made the long journey to the UK to watch the Sharks win another trophy (because, let’s face it, there is still plenty of room in the cabinet) were left reeling about the result.
Rugby league in the UK is a small but passionate world. The vast majority is played along one motorway, which dissects the country from Liverpool in the west to Hull in the east. But make no mistake, these devoted fans dotted along these proud pitt-and-mill towns adore the NRL, and they see the World Club Challenge as their chance for their teams to match it with the best in the world.
If you look at it through English eyes, the fixture is a major event.
On the flipside, NRL clubs only wish to directly prepare for a gruelling season.
But what needs to be the default position is that the World Club Challenge is part of a title defence and therefore should be factored into pre-season preparations.
When Australian clubs become recalcitrant about scheduling, or treat this game like nothing more than a trial, it cheapens the event and allows an already jaded media to ignore it.
It is also a missed opportunity for the NRL and its clubs. If they get behind the fixture, fan interest will follow. Almost every Super League fan owns some NRL apparel, so there is a big opportunity for antipodean teams to grow their brand.
This year, the Roosters have the chance to become everyone’s ‘Aussie team’ – and what organisation would say no to more fans?
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
The February 17 fixture will be a cracking affair.
Boyd Cordner and Sean O’Loughlin – captains of their respective countries – go head to head, Wigan caoch Adrian Lam is taking on his old club, and Warriors recruit Zac Hardaker takes on Roosters gun James Tedesco.
These narratives alone are worth the price of admission (or the early wake up), never mind a shiny trophy and bragging rights to boot.
In an off-season saturated with news of horrible off-field incidents, as well as an absurd coaching merry go round, rugby league is crying out for some on-field action and a showdown between an original Northern Union member against a NSWRL foundation club is enticing.
It is impossible to manufacture passion, it has to be grown organically. The history of this match shows that it can be a success, but in Australia the game constantly gets overlooked.
Last year, the Storm refused to go to the UK, so the Leeds Rhinos had to play here. This year, it has been reduced from a six-team series (three Super League and NRL teams) to one standalone game.
But it could be the springboard to a great season.
Super League is the same game but so different.
It’s played in small, suburban grounds, with terraces packed with crazy, chanting Northerners. Places like Wigan adore their team and often refer to players as their boys. At a time when the game sometimes bumbles along in Australia in stadiums with seas of empty seats and almost zero atmosphere, we need our players to witness that the game is bigger than that.
Jordan Lilley had only played a handful of games off the bench for Leeds when injury decimated the team in 2016 and he was called up to start in the World Club Challenge, against a handy player named Johnathan Thurston.
Although the under-strength Rhinos were duly beaten, Lilley recalls running out in front of his home crowd – screaming Yorkshire folk – to take on the world’s best as a career highlight. When he talks about it you can almost see the passion.
Rugby league deserves to hear these stories more. I just hope the NRL comes to realise that before the fixture is relegated even further down the pecking order.
Tim
Guest
In my opinion playing this game after the finals would make it less likely to be seen as a preseason fixture. Also ensures it's the same players that have played the season before in the grand finals who play rather than the new crop if players have moved in the offseason.
AGO74
Guest
As much as it pains me to say it I have to give credit to the Roosters as they appear to be treating the game with some respect this year with them holding a training camp in France to try and give the code (if not necessarily the World Club Championship) some promotion in France. I suspect though this is of the back of Trent Robinson given his French links. No doubt influenced by his time in France but he's obviously one of the few heavy hitters in rugby league who can see the bigger picture rather than just their own club backyard. That said, it goes to the author's point around it being a lottery as its up to the clubs to promote and not coming from the top down - e.g compare the apathy of Storm last year to the positive approach of Roosters this year.
Jimmy
Roar Guru
Yeah I agree, that seems like a viable option. Aldo gives other countries leagues something to aim for. Women’s league is growing (at an amateur level especially) rapidly but is nowhere near the skill level of the NRL generally. I think it would be good to replicate this fixture for the women’s game even though it would be extremely one sided at first in my opinion, but it could show Super League women how far they have to come.
NotToday
Roar Rookie
I can't see people in the UK or elsewhere caring about a women's doubleheader. There's a way to make the competition both interesting yet the NRL and SL clubs only have to play twice instead of three games. Bring in national champs from NZ, PNG, France and the Balkan Super League. 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. This makes it a bigger deal than it is, so that it’s seen as a true ‘club world championship’. The NRL/SL clubs only have to play a winner of the two knockouts and then each other (presuming they win). But you get two additional games at very little cost (5 games in total), and a whole lot of hype. 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.
Peter Piper
Guest
Tom, you are right, both the Challenge Cup and All Stars are on FTA, my mistake however that kinda proves my point. If I as a keen Rugby League fan hadn't spotted this then what hope have we of attracting new fans ? Jimmy, Makes sense and as they are just over the road from each other, I guess you can be forgiven. Mary, I accept that NRL.Com and other RL orientated websites have mentioned both matches but to some extent those websites are ones that are specifically sought out by existing fans. What the NRL is not doing is trying to reach those with a casual interest in RL who could become the ardent supporter of tomorrow. Most big successful companies would devote a significant portion of their entire budget to marketing. How much does the NRL spend ? Not a lot I will wager certainly not on these 2 matches which in many ways are a curtain raiser for the entire season.
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.
Paul
Roar Guru
I disagree Jimmy. It depends on how seriously the powers that be want to take this particular accolade of world rugby league champion and much of this has to do with fan reaction. I think you could have the equivalent of a State Of Origin, which has enormous fan buy in, every year, if some restructuring was done to the NRL season in particular, which is already way too long. If you have 16 teams, as we do now, playing 15 regular season games, that allows plenty of time for this sort of series. You say it could never work but I think I the game can spread and become more popular, particularly in America, your "never" might change to a regular event, soon than we both think, after all the Americans are World Champions at most sports!!
Jimmy
Roar Guru
I think with time constraints a three game series would never work but I agree a double header with the women would work great.
Paul
Roar Guru
hi Jimmy, thanks for putting together this first piece for the Roar. It's certainly a controversial topic you've chosen to write about first up. In not so many words, you're saying the NRL and it's teams are largely indifferent to the world club challenge and there is significantly more interest in England. Would that change if, for example, there was a best out of three series held, rather than a one-off game? Look at State Of Origin and Test tours which generate way more interest than one off Tests have tended to do. Perhaps linking in with woman's football and having double headers would help this concept as well. Obviously the timing of these games would need to be examined, but it's doable, if Clubs and their masters want to commit.
Jimmy
Roar Guru
Thanks for the feedback Nat.
Nat
Roar Guru
I like your passion Jimmy and the fact you went to the UK for the WCC to support your Sharks speaks volumes. It is a pity there is very little promotion around this game. The NRL literally don't care because it's not NRL but to go as far as letting the clubs organise themselves is astounding. I don't know about the promotion on Fox but ch9 do very little because of the timing of the game itself. 4am - 5am is a hard slot to sell advertising so the money they spend on promotion has to be in proportion to what it is going to generate. Rugby League fans will watch but we are a long way from the traditional Eng vs Aust (Us v Them) rivalry does not exist in it's current format.
Tom of Brisbane
Guest
It is on free to air (and always has been). Local guide here is showing that its on GEM (5am Monday morning)
Jimmy
Roar Guru
Yeah sorry Peter Piper, got mixed up between North Western and Wallgate, I actually got out at Wigan North Western.
Fred
Guest
Great article Jimmy!
Mary Konstantopoulos
Expert
Peter, they are good points you raise and effective promotion is critical for these games to be successful. My question is, what sort of promotion would you like? I've seen plenty of stories on NRL.com this week about the All Stars game and plenty on social media too. Is it mainstream coverage that you're referring to?
Peter Piper
Guest
Slight correction, you walked out of Wigan Wallgate station not Westgate. There is one very very good reason why Rugby League fans in Australia take little interest in the match and that is lack of promotion. Its not on free to air so that takes out a proportion of NRL fans, there has been little mention of it in the media. Many NRL fans don't know when it is being played and don't know many of the Pommy teams. Australian fans cannot feel the passion because they rarely get to see Superleague games in anything like real time. One thing we are really really bad at in the NRL is marketing every aspect of our game. Want a good example ? Where is the marketing for this weekend's All Stars Match ?. Has the media in Melbourne printed even one word about it ? How much advertising on TV has it had ? Does anyone in Melbourne know it is happening or are we going to rely on the drive by (I wonder what's happening over there) types to just drop in ? If you don't tell people about it - they don't come.
Jimmy
Roar Guru
As far as I know the only Super League clubs are Wigan , Hull (who get healthy crowds) Huddersfield and possibly London? ( not entirely sure) share their grounds with Football Clubs. Unless you count Widnes sharing their ground with Liverpool Women’s but that was still a purpose built league stadium. I wouldn’t say that’s most. In regards to the WCC their are really only 6 clubs that are in contention and they all have a reasonably passionate following.
Jimmy
Roar Guru
Thanks for your feedback mate, it would probably make more sense to do it at seasons end but unfortunately I think with Internationals this part of the season is already too crowded.
Matt H
Roar Guru
I would prefer to see it at the end of the season after the grand final, similar to how the two Intrust Super comps play after their respective grand finals for the title of best non-NRL team in the country. But to be honest it's always been difficult to find a spot that suits everyone. And that's a shame because as a concept it's great. But considering the NRL refused even to schedule a test match against the touring British Lions shows exactly where their priorities lie. They want to be more AFL and less Rugby Union, in terms of international priorities.
Molly’s Hatchet
Guest
The NRL do a fairly average job of promoting the season proper , with Greenberg only rearing his head when his chain is rattled to the point of being unbearable. So getting behind the club challenge is only going to make work for him. And now he’s under the control of a mupppet that is clueless about the game, and comes from a background of zero accountability, and huge rewards for zero effort. So don’t go looking to him for to be attempting to reinvigorate the game. Add to that , certain sections of the media who only have a front page league story , if they are bashing the game. League doesn’t stand a chance. The only hope you have of this game receiving anything other than minimal coverage , is if one of the Roosters was to come under the microscope for misbehaving. And there’s every chance of that with the unrealistic conditions placed on players these days.