Revamped World Club Challenge

[Bomber]

Just an idea on a revamped World Club Challenge

Held over two weeks at two stadiums (e.g. Suncorp and Telstra, or Old Trafford and Headingley).

Qualifiers:
NRL Premiers
NRL Runners-up
ESL Premiers
ESL Runners-up
Highest placed NRL Preliminary Finalist
ESL Preliminary Finalist

Group them into two groups of three teams - I'm going to use the 2005 winners as an example

Group A
Wests Tigers
Parramatta Eels
Leeds Rhinos

Group B
North Queensland
Bradford Bulls
St Helens

Each team plays the other one in their pool once (two games). Games played in the space of a week. The winners of the pool make the final.

The competition could be expanded to include domestic premiers from other nations.

Just a thought.

 

[freeridermx]

but what happen if the two aussie teams win or the two poms it will not look good.
but i do like your idea but dont think it will because of that reason .

 

[screeny]

Sooner or later the Aussies will want to host it, but I reckon keep it at one game.

When's the last time any Aussies won in an int'l comp in the sport? WCC yesterday won by English, Orara 7s last week won by Lebanese, Tri Nations won by NZ.....it's all getting a bit embarrassing.

The ANZAC test on May 5 will hopefully see this trend continue.

 

[Bomber]

Forgot to add in the original post, the comp (whether it's one game or a tournament) should be held in October-November, using their players for the season just gone, thus avoiding the accusation that it's just a 'pre-season' game.

 

[joshreading]

It should be played the week or two after the grandfinal. Make it an event that people want to watch. They are the two best in the world after all.

I think a World Club challenge at Telstra Stadium for the Tigers after their grandfinal win would have gotten a big crowd. Alternate it between Europe and here and play it at the home or near by of the champions.

 

[colonel_123]

It should be played the week or two after the grandfinal. Make it an event that people want to watch. They are the two best in the world after all.

I think a World Club challenge at Telstra Stadium for the Tigers after their grandfinal win would have gotten a big crowd. Alternate it between Europe and here and play it at the home or near by of the champions.

Firstly, the Superleague grandfinal is two weeks after the NRL grandfinal. If you hold the match three weeks after the NRL grandfinal, a week after the Superleague grandfinal you start bumping up against the International rep calendar.

I believe the International rep season, which is only now just getting its feet back on the ground, is far more important to rugby league development then what is essentially an exhibition match and it shouldn't be moved around to accomodate the WCC.

Secondly, the WCC used to be played immediately after the grandfinal. The Australian teams would travel to England, still hung over from a week of celebrating their grandfinal victory. They couldn't care less about the WCC after just winning the grandfinal and would get hammered by the English side.

 

[joshreading]

There has been talk of moving the NRL and Super League GF's into alignment as should ALL major representative events between them.

The truth of the matter is that culture doesn't change until you give it reason. If you make the World Club Challenge the week after, EVERY year. On that weekend you should also have minor internationals to bring in the 'international Season'. Australia should play PNG or a combined Pac side (say in Newcastle) with out the Grandfinal players as England should play Russia etc.

This would also ensure that if players don't play well in the WCC they will miss out on selection in the Australian side.

 

[The Electric Horseman]

If they weren't already involved, I was thinking that instead of having the Highest placed NRL Preliminary Finalist, use the New Zealand Warriors and instead of the ESL Preliminary Finalist, use Les Catalans.

 

[screeny]

I say leave this multinational concept to the international stage, the Tri- and from 2009 the Quad-Nations.

 

[bender]

First of all, not having the two seasons in line is ridiculous. Hopefully it wouldnt be too hard to arrange.

I think there is no doubt that the world Club Championship should be played the week after the ground final. Anything else is ridiculous and an insult to two great sides that have earned an enormous honour earned by both sides. The after season WCC meant plenty to the Broncos and plenty to Wigan. It would mean plenty to the next big team to win, and it should strive to become the pinnacle of the club game.

Third, i think there is an enormous opportunity to expand the competition. I think we need to strive to include other nations. The champoins of New Zealand, France, PNG should meet in a tournament to play as the undercard to the WCC. Eventually the goal would be to have developing countries like Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Fiji, Tonga etc to strive towards attending the event. In the long term, it could eventually become a superbowl type arrangement.

 

[Green Machine]

I also would like to see both Grand Finals played on the same weekend. By playing both Grand Finals on the same weekend would not only allow the WCC to be played a fortnight later, but it would also enhance the Tri Nations Tournament which could start a week later. The WCC and the Tri Nations should be played in the same hemisphere and rotated each season, with a World Cup every fourth year. By doing this, you would get rid of the ridiculous situation where the Kiwis can’t use players involved in the Super League Grand Final.

Any club competition involving Super League/NRL Grand Finalists, Catalan and the Warriors is just plain ridiculous for numerous reasons.

By playing the WCC a fortnight after the Grand Finals allows each side plenty of time to prepare and makes it a real contest, not a uneven preseason trial like it is now.