Let's have a Proper World Clup Championship

[Lesmets2000]

With Super League winning this years WCC is it worth looking into a proper World Club Championship, my suggestion would be we have proper 16 team Tournament once every 4 years in the years between RLWC, so for example starting in 2019 after the season ends instead of a 4N or Test footy 8SL teams and 8 NRL teams play in 4 pools of 4, 2 from each comp per pool, with the top 2 advancing to the QF and so on, this could be a great comp and surly TV companies would jump at the chance for Rugby League version of the Champions League!!

Les

 

[Hawkins]

I want a bigger off season. I think its time the 9's, all stars world club and international season are looked at.

And I'm from NSW so can we take origin behind the shed and shoot it in the head?

 

[Captain Apollo]

With Super League winning this years WCC is it worth looking into a proper World Club Championship, my suggestion would be we have proper 16 team Tournament once every 4 years in the years between RLWC, so for example starting in 2019 after the season ends instead of a 4N or Test footy 8SL teams and 8 NRL teams play in 4 pools of 4, 2 from each comp per pool, with the top 2 advancing to the QF and so on, this could be a great comp and surly TV companies would jump at the chance for Rugby League version of the Champions League!!

Les

Unless both the ESL and NRL reduce their number of regular season games to accommodate it:

(a) Where would you fit it in the year?; and
(b) The players (especially the NRL players) would not countenance playing extra games on top of those they already do. The NRL Players Association has been making noise about "player burn out".

 

[The Mad Hatter]

No.

 

[TheFrog]

With Super League winning this years WCC is it worth looking into a proper World Club Championship, my suggestion would be we have proper 16 team Tournament once every 4 years in the years between RLWC, so for example starting in 2019 after the season ends instead of a 4N or Test footy 8SL teams and 8 NRL teams play in 4 pools of 4, 2 from each comp per pool, with the top 2 advancing to the QF and so on, this could be a great comp and surly TV companies would jump at the chance for Rugby League version of the Champions League!!

Les

They did something like this in Super League (1997). The trouble was, they made the second round the top 4 English teams and the top 4 Aussie teams. I went to a game at Penrith (the last preliminary game) when the Panthers defeated St Helens to remain undefeated in the tournament. St Helens, who had won 1 game, went through while the Panthers were eliminated. This is the most memorable thing about this tournament, a team was eliminated after winning every game. The other memorable thing was that the Hunter Mariners made the final. If the Broncos had had a speck of decency they'd have let them win.

 

[Diesel]

It has merit but may be better as a knock out competition than playing pools then finals.

Hawkins made a point about Origin. With the amount of NZers, P.I'ers and U.K. currently playing and if we ever expand, potential Vic, SA and WA players, Origin will no longer be able to be referred to as a pinnicle of RL by the dinosaurs at Ch9 and News and a new cash cow outside of the NRL needs to be looked into

 

[Diesel]

They did something like this in Super League (1997). The trouble was, they made the second round the top 4 English teams and the top 4 Aussie teams. I went to a game at Penrith when the Panthers defeated St Helens to remain undefeated in the tournament. St Helens, who has won 1 game, went through while the Panthers were eliminated. This is the most memorable thing about this tournament, a team was eliminated after winning every game.

The Warriors hadn't played well in the SL season but come the 97 WCC they smashed top flier clubs like Bradford 64-14 and St Helens 70-6 in Auckland

 

[Walt Flanigan]

The other memorable thing was that the Hunter Mariners made the final. If the Broncos had had a speck of decency they'd have let them win.

That Mariners side was actually pretty good on paper. Pretty much the core of the 99 Melbourne side with guys like Brett Kimmorley, Scott Hill and Robbie Ross

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Let's not.

Here is my idea of how the season should run.
January 1 - 31. Nines tournaments in Auckland, Brisbane, Hong f**king Kong, Ouagadougou culminating in a final at trump towers. Winner gets a $50000 cheque.

February 1 - 28. World Club Challenge. All the teams in the NRL, ESL, PNG, NZ, Fiji, France, Canada and China gather in Widnes for 28 days of non stop rugby league. Winner is named world club champion and receives a gift voucher at harvey norman.

March 1. Indigenous all stars v blue eyes. Same weekend Maori v vegetarians.

March 2 - onwards. Season proper playing for the Shield. Thirty teams including 4 teams in perth play each other home and away in 15 divisions of 2. Top 5 then play for the cup. Bottom 5 are relagated to group 6. Top 2 clubs from the qld cup and nsw cup are promoted to the super premiership as is the top side from the women's afl.

Mid season we have a 12 week break for origin. We also have a nines comp between this period. And internationals. And a nrl olympics. And take games to the bush including a 7 game city v country series.

October: finals series.

November to December 30: a 17 nations tournament.

December 31: off season.

 

[lockyno1]

Yeah...and risk more injuries...how about no.

 

[Lesmets2000]

Unless both the ESL and NRL reduce their number of regular season games to accommodate it:

(a) Where would you fit it in the year?; and
(b) The players (especially the NRL players) would jot countenance playing extra games on to of those they already do. The NRL Players Association has been making noise about "player burn out".

It would be played in the middle year between World Cups instead to Test Matches or 4N at the end of the season approx 2 weeks after the Grand Final, only taking place every 4 years so with a min of 3 and a max of 6 extra games but instead of Internationals

 

[LineBall]

Shorten the NRL and ESL seasons and have them synced so they end at the same time. Then play the game 3 weeks after the GF, alternating b/w the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. It's the only way it can be considered a genuine championship.

 

[adamkungl]

Yeah...and risk more injuries...how about no.

lol you're such a tard

 

[roughyedspud]

With Super League winning this years WCC is it worth looking into a proper World Club Championship, my suggestion would be we have proper 16 team Tournament once every 4 years in the years between RLWC, so for example starting in 2019 after the season ends instead of a 4N or Test footy 8SL teams and 8 NRL teams play in 4 pools of 4, 2 from each comp per pool, with the top 2 advancing to the QF and so on, this could be a great comp and surly TV companies would jump at the chance for Rugby League version of the Champions League!!

Les

Thats too big..and nothing should replace test footy..

My idea would be to have a simple 4 team world club championship held over two weekends..

Weekend one....semi finals
NRL champs v ESL runner up & NRL runner up v ESL champs..

Weekend two....the final

Nice and simple,with 3 meaning full games,unlike the current arrangement where only the actually WCC game means anything...as good as warringtons win over brisbane was it doesn't really mean anything..they won a trial game,thats all..

Also a 4 team,2 weekend comp lends itself to somewhere bidding to host it..like perth for example

 

[Canard]

My concern is that the gulf between the competitions is probably greater than its ever been.

And any attempt to make this a serious exercise would only result in lopsided results ala 1997.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

World Club championship = ESL winners v nrl winners.

If you want a 2nd game make it NZ warriors v catalans.

 

[LineBall]

Thats too big..and nothing should replace test footy..

My idea would be to have a simple 4 team world club championship held over two weekends..

Weekend one....semi finals
NRL champs v ESL runner up & NRL runner up v ESL champs..

Weekend two....the final

Nice and simple,with 3 meaning full games,unlike the current arrangement where only the actually WCC game means anything...as good as warringtons win over brisbane was it doesn't really mean anything..they won a trial game,thats all..

Also a 4 team,2 weekend comp lends itself to somewhere bidding to host it..like perth for example

I only worry that with this system, you could end up with a replay of either the NRL or SuperLeague grand finals. Then if the runner up wins - it lessens the prestige of being the premiers of your respective competition.

I would prefer it to be like the SuperBowl. Champions from two separate competitions play off in the final.

 

[Lambretta]

To save on travel expenses, jet lag, interrupted pre-seasons etc the World Club Challenge should be a sledging contest on Twitter. The USA can join in and President Trump can be their captain

 

[adamkungl]

I don't think a full tournament really has legs.. too many obstacles (would need a shorter club season), not enough benefit (the lower down the super league ladder you go the bigger the gap in quality is, and only 1 other club comp in the world worth a damn unlike soccer).

But hypothetically.

It would be played through March, with the 4-week-shorter season proper starting in April.
It would feature the top 4 Super League and NRL clubs from the previous year in knockout format.

The problem is - currently the NRL clubs win about 80% of the time. Which makes the most likely outcome after the first round just a re-tread of the previous NRL finals. If there were 4 good leagues to draw from, or if SL was more evenly matched, this problem doesn't exist.

Which is why I much prefer, for the forseeable future, the current "Superbowl" style WCC, with the 2nd and 3rd ranked teams playing what are basically exhibition matches. Only change i'd make is October instead of Feb.

 

[roughyedspud]

There's no point to exhibition matches...And the 2nd & 3rd games wouldn't happen at all if our clubs don't pay to fly the NRL teams over..

That's why Wigan,Leeds,hull FC,Warrington & st Helens will be the only English teams to ever play in the series...Cos they are the only clubs that can afford the £300,000 it costs..

It's that model we need to get away from..The world club challenge,series,championship,whatever...Needs to be a joint venture,50/50,between the NRL & ESL and it needs to be self financed through the sale of hosting rights, TV rights,sponsorship and ticket sales...Much like how the RFL,ARLC &NZRL owned and ran the 4 nations..

Also I see no problem whatsoever in a world club championship final being a grand final replay..Infact it'll help sell it imo