General discussion

[Bulli Tiger]

Would you prefer to watch a 4 Nations Rugby League tornament at seasons end or would you prefer to watch your club team play in a Champions League style competition similar to the Champions League in European football?

I was thinking instead of having the World Club challenge in the pre-season, why not have it at seasons end. My model for a Champions League style competetion would be the top 4 teams from the NRL & English Super League premiership rounds would qualify & then be drawn into 2 pools. The winners of each pool would then qualify for the Final & the winner of the Final be crowned World Club Champion.

I know I would prefer to watch the Wests Tigers play Leeds in a game rather than Australia play Papua New Guinea in a game.

 

[madunit]

the problem with this concept is that the aussie sides are far superior than the pommie sides.

evidence - look at the superleague world club challenge in 1997.

i'd rather watch unknown players from lesser countries on the big stage. Watching PNG and France etc playing test footy is great. We need these 2 countries back and strong in world rugby league. Anything we can do to assist that should be done.

 

[Radical Rat]

Would you prefer to watch a 4 Nations Rugby League tornament at seasons end or would you prefer to watch your club team play in a Champions League style competition similar to the Champions League in European football?

I was thinking instead of having the World Club challenge in the pre-season, why not have it at seasons end. My model for a Champions League style competetion would be the top 4 teams from the NRL & English Super League premiership rounds would qualify & then be drawn into 2 pools. The winners of each pool would then qualify for the Final & the winner of the Final be crowned World Club Champion.

I know I would prefer to watch the Wests Tigers play Leeds in a game rather than Australia play Papua New Guinea in a game.

I like the idea. Problem is when are we gonna make the bloody top 4....

 

[super_coach]

From a fans point a view its sounds good but really the physical demands put on players these days supports a reduction in games not a increase

 

[westie]

We should have both.

NRL season should be heavily cut down and replaced with a cup and champions league. Wigan, Warrington, Sts and Leeds (on form) are all more than capable of winning against our top 4.

The champs league needs to have auto entry for the top Kiwi and French side for international interest and TV deals. So 5 teams in each pool theoretically works.

Other sports survive solely on internationals. If we start getting proper crowds turning up to internationals, our player payment woes disappear instantly. The Kiwis are better than us at full strength (imo) due to our lack of forwards. Apart from the abomination that was last Fridays' game - the Aus - Kiwi tests have been the best matches of the year for the last few years.

England are a total c**k-up and France are off the pace still... but the Poms always beat the Kiwis and would have beaten us if their young halves were any good (again due to us lacking anything resembling a forward pack).

Too many games you ask? Players should be capped at a certain amount of matches every year. This will enable the potential for upsets as key players are rested in the early rounds of the cup.

Just my thoughts...

 

[madunit]

to be honest, I'd prefer to see Kangaroo, Lions and Kiwi tours back again.

Cut em down to say 12 games with 3 tests (if touring France as well, throw in an extra 2 warm up games and 1 test)

year 1 - aus tours england and france
year 2 - nz tours aus
year 3 - eng tours aus and nz
year 4 - nz tours eng and france
start the cycle over again.

 

[N.C.]

Champs league sounds like fun but it's not like the Football where your furthest international rivals are only a four hour flight away. The cost of running such a comp would be prohibitive.

I like the idea of capping the number of games players are allowed to play, but it could get messy with clubs not wanting to rest players, so they end up missing out on a test jersey at the end of the year...

 

[matty-ducati]

season is long enough as it is, by adding a "champions league" system would just take too much out, esp if a key player for the team is injured.

but who cares really we wont be in it bahahaha