Slippery Morris
First Grade
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By Brendan Bradford
Published on Oct. 10, 2016
While 11 NRL clubs have declined offers to play in the World Club Series in February next year, the Dragons are still open to making the trip.
MORE: Penrith re-sign utility l Wayne Bennett names England Four Nations squad
Sporting News columnist Dean ‘Bulldog’ Richie reports in the Daily Telegraph that the Eels, Knights, Rabbitohs, Sea Eagles, Storm, Raiders, Broncos, Cowboys, Bulldogs, Panthers and Titans have all rejected a $400,000 offer to appear in the annual two-match series.
The 2016 series saw the Cowboys beat Leeds, while the Broncos and Dragons defeated Wigan and St Helens respectively.
With a packed pre-season and the Auckland Nines to start 2017, clubs from Down Under are reluctant to make the long trip.
Except for the Dragons, who are still keen on the pay-day.
“We are locked into 2017, not thinking we would encounter such a circumstance,’’ Dragons CEO Peter Doust told News Corp.
“We would love to go and have always seen it as fantastic for the brand of the Dragons overseas, because we are well-known overseas. It’s a great opportunity to propagate the game.
“We were very much involved in the original expansion of the World Club Challenge.
“We are contracted into arrangements like most clubs are for 2017, but I would still consider it if it was in the interests of the game and see what arrangements we could come to.
“It puts our club brand in the international market.”
With fans unhappy at the reappointment of coach Paul McGregor – and a host of other off-field issues – it will be interesting to see how Doust’s stance goes down in Dragons territory.
LINK: http://www.nospam47.com/au/league/news/doust-open-to-world-club-series/1fa65k80670fz10hl5zr3jvg1j
Published on Oct. 10, 2016
While 11 NRL clubs have declined offers to play in the World Club Series in February next year, the Dragons are still open to making the trip.
MORE: Penrith re-sign utility l Wayne Bennett names England Four Nations squad
Sporting News columnist Dean ‘Bulldog’ Richie reports in the Daily Telegraph that the Eels, Knights, Rabbitohs, Sea Eagles, Storm, Raiders, Broncos, Cowboys, Bulldogs, Panthers and Titans have all rejected a $400,000 offer to appear in the annual two-match series.
The 2016 series saw the Cowboys beat Leeds, while the Broncos and Dragons defeated Wigan and St Helens respectively.
With a packed pre-season and the Auckland Nines to start 2017, clubs from Down Under are reluctant to make the long trip.
Except for the Dragons, who are still keen on the pay-day.
“We are locked into 2017, not thinking we would encounter such a circumstance,’’ Dragons CEO Peter Doust told News Corp.
“We would love to go and have always seen it as fantastic for the brand of the Dragons overseas, because we are well-known overseas. It’s a great opportunity to propagate the game.
“We were very much involved in the original expansion of the World Club Challenge.
“We are contracted into arrangements like most clubs are for 2017, but I would still consider it if it was in the interests of the game and see what arrangements we could come to.
“It puts our club brand in the international market.”
With fans unhappy at the reappointment of coach Paul McGregor – and a host of other off-field issues – it will be interesting to see how Doust’s stance goes down in Dragons territory.
LINK: http://www.nospam47.com/au/league/news/doust-open-to-world-club-series/1fa65k80670fz10hl5zr3jvg1j
