Return of the World Club Challenge

[legend]

I'd love to see this re-introduced with the top eight sides from each competition pooled into four divisions and played in the pre-season similar to the NAB Cup in the AFL.

Split the teams up and send half the NRL sides to the U.K. and half the ESL sides to Australia and send the games to regional Australia and you'd get massive interest in every game.

The teams that missed out on the finals the previous year play trials against each other in regional locations with no prize money on offer. Would be a great incentive to play for on top of making the finals each year.

I'd love to see Bradford v Melbourne, St Helens v North Qld, Warriors v Leeds etc as a pre-cursor to the NRL and IMO, you'd get great tv ratings and excellent prize money to make the concept worth while.

 

[Timmah]

I love the idea, but if it was ever put to the coaches etc:

"The season's already too long, our players are too overworked... blah blah blah".

 

[Ewan McGrady's Lovechild]

Won't happen IMO.

The clubs, players and administrators complain about the amount of games now.

 

[Tom Shines]

I think a pre-season knockout comp, much like the NAB Cup, has merit. Whether you invite English club sides or not is a different matter.
Even if its only the top eight that play in it at the start of the season — the top two are only going to be playing three games (which is about the amount of trials they have anyway), and send them out to the regionals.
Offer some prozemoney and perhaps points and there you go.

 

[Y2Eel]

Won't happen IMO.

The clubs, players and administrators complain about the amount of games now.

Most clubs play 3 trials with a pre season comp The max they would have to play is 4 if they play it knock out style and make the final..

 

[The Engineers Room]

I think top 4 is better. we send 3 and 4 over and they send their 3 and 4. The winners progress then a final.

So it would be:

ESL1 v NRL4 @ GB (a)
ESL2 v NRL3 @ GB (b)
NRL1 v GB4 @ Aus (c)
NRL2 v GB3 @ Aus (d)

Winner a v Winner b @ GB (e)
Winner c v Winner d @ Aus (f)

Final
Winner e v Winner f

So there are at most 3 really hard trial games. The teams that get knocked out could play each other in trials.

 

[legend]

Or a plate, cup and trophy scenario similar to the sevens concept.

 

[lockyno1]

Enough footy as it is. Players are risking burnout as it is.

 

[ozbash]

bring back the AMCO Cup !

i,d rather see international tours than a WCC.

Players are risking burnout as it is.

rubbish locky...

 

[Blake Dean]

bring back the AMCO Cup !

i,d rather see international tours than a WCC.

Players are risking burnout as it is.

rubbish locky...

You need surgery, immediately.

 

[lockyno1]

bring back the AMCO Cup !

i,d rather see international tours than a WCC.

Players are risking burnout as it is.

rubbish locky...

I suggest you look at how many matches Lockyer played last year...

30 NRL matches incl GF
3 SOO's

+6 tests as well

And you want to add more to that? Fair dinkum that is enough footy as it is!

 

[ozbash]

ok, 39 games in 52 weeks.

39 games x 80 mins = 3120 mins div by 60 mins = 53.5 hours of footy a year.

i work more hours a week.

pro atheletes mate, should be able to hack it....

 

[lockyno1]

More than enough and thanfully coaches/players association will see it this way. 39 games a year is plenty!

 

[Marshall_magic]

I suggest you look at how many matches Lockyer played last year...

30 NRL matches incl GF
3 SOO's

+6 tests as well

And you want to add more to that? Fair dinkum that is enough footy as it is!

Lockyer missed NRL games in lead up to SOO fool

 

[whatsdoing1982]

ok, 39 games in 52 weeks.

39 games x 80 mins = 3120 mins div by 60 mins = 53.5 hours of footy a year.

i work more hours a week.

pro atheletes mate, should be able to hack it....

Hopefully your work doesn't leave your body sore for days after. Then trying to train the 3 times a day for 6 days a week aswell.

 

[yobbo84]

I'd like to see Souths vs Bradford, the oldest team still playing in each competition.

 

[NK Arsenal]

Make it an U20s WCC instead IMO.

 

[The Engineers Room]

If they are playing trials anyway, how does this add to the work load.

 

[macavity]

we dont play each other twice in the NRL anyway.

so shorten the NRL season by a couple of games.

stand-alone weekends for SOO while we are at it.

this is an excellent idea legend - and one that could really revive internationals too.

 

[lockyno1]

Lockyer missed NRL games in lead up to SOO fool

So he still played upwards of 35 matches last year. That is more than enough. I'd rather see my players having a rest if they can so they have the best chance to win the comp.