What is more important? World Club Challenge or Charity Shield?

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

WCC and I'm pumped that there is a chance it might be played down here for the first time in ages.

Very VERY unlikely. Good luck though, would love to see the SFS filled for it.

 

[Perth Red]

lol at slating ESl off. Ryan Tandy anyone?

 

[Quidgybo]

If we had've just played the WCC last weekend (Oct 16th) at the SFS as a true championship match between the two premiers at the height of their game then we wouldn't have this sort of problem. The sides could then have had their off season and structure their pre-seasons any way they wanted.

And before someone says it wasn't possible because of Four Nations preparations and so forth, this should've been locked into the RL calendar ten months ago as part of the post season international program long before the two teams were known. Spots on the same plane as the English Four Nations squad should have been reserved at least six months ago. And venues in Australia should have been provisionally booked at least five weeks ago based on week 2 home finals rules when the 8 Australian finalists were known.

Finally, while the two club sides were running around last week in a match that one day could be our game's Super Bowl between northern and southern hemisphere conferences, the remainder of the English and New Zealand squads should have played their same warm up matches as XIII selections, just as the Prime Minister's XIII did three weeks against PNG while some of Australia's test squad were still running around in finals matches.

Leigh

 

[Hindyscrack]

Souffs = Charity Shield

Anyone else = WCC

 

[Perth Red]

They shouldhave played it last weekend, in the country that is hosting the 4nations. It would keep the media alive to RL following the GF and leading into the 4nations, players would be in the country they may be playing in for the 4nations, they could market the 4nations and ticket sales on the back of it and it would be a great lead in to the rep season.

Get some decent sponsorship behind it, market the heck out of it, fill a stadium and make it a $1/2million winners prize to the winning club.

Would be massive and ad yet another major TV sales point and game of interest to the calendar. I simply don't understand why it doesn't happen.

Allstars game
SOO
GF
WCC
4nations/WC/Ashes series

What a season of highlights that would be, without even including the regular season!

 

[BunniesMan]

Little respect for English footy? Its not an ordinary league. Its not the same standard as the NRL, but its still pretty damn good. The NRL is just a unique competition in its toughness and eveness.

They steal our players, they have the money to do so, cant be going to badly. By the way, Sam Burgess...

The first World Club Challenge was in 1976
The first Charity Shield was in 1982

So there goes your history point.

And just so you know, the WCC is usually won by the English side. If Sydney FC were to ever beat Man Utd (training run or not) the planet would implode on itself.

It only officially began in 1989.

As for the money, the UK has almost triple the population of Australia. So of course they're cashed up, if we had a population of 180 million, we'd have the resources to steal as many of their players. It's not an indicator of the quality of their league.

Yeah they win most of time, most of the time its played over there, if most games were played here we'd probably win the most.

And Sam Burgess? I know where he came from and how we got him (hopefully a few of his clones follow him over soon). But I did say they produce some quality individual players, I never argued that. My problem is with the league as a whole, not some of its individual talent.

And just so noone thinks I'm being biased. When Souths win a GF, I'm not going to care about the WCC any more then.

 

[Deacon]

And just so noone thinks I'm being biased. When Souths win a GF, I'm not going to care about the WCC any more then.

Hahahahaha Gold, if your ever in the position we are sadly I disagree with that you'll care a f**k load about it

 

[Firey_Dragon]

Charity Shield. I have very little respect for english footy. They produce some good individual players, but as a league it's very ordinary, they're not much good for anything other than stealing our players.

The charity shield has history behind it, it pits the 2 biggest Sydney teams against each other and raises money for charity.

The WCC is like the winner of the English Premier League playing the winner of the A-League (NRL = EPL, English Super League = A-League).

Therefore, all bias aside, Charity shield > WCC.

WCC everyone has little respect for Souths. Charity Shield is just a glorified trial game, taken seriously by only one of the sides. The only thing it has going for it is the charity aspect and getting your fix of footy a few weeks before the season.

 

[Firey_Dragon]

It only officially began in 1989.

As for the money, the UK has almost triple the population of Australia. So of course they're cashed up, if we had a population of 180 million, we'd have the resources to steal as many of their players. It's not an indicator of the quality of their league.

Yeah they win most of time, most of the time its played over there, if most games were played here we'd probably win the most.

And Sam Burgess? I know where he came from and how we got him (hopefully a few of his clones follow him over soon). But I did say they produce some quality individual players, I never argued that. My problem is with the league as a whole, not some of its individual talent.

And just so noone thinks I'm being biased. When Souths win a GF, I'm not going to care about the WCC any more then.

That has little to do with it. It's due more to training schedules, the ESL starts earlier, so they are further through their pre-season. Most aussie teams when the WCC comes around have barely touched a ball in their pre-season training.

 

[slammingsam]

I want a serious answer - how is it taken seriously by one of the sides ? Surely it cant be the fact we carry 7-8 man benches and have all those players on in the second half of the match just like the Dragons would ?..

So much immaturity.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

The Charity shield is a great idea for two reasons - it raises money for charities and it allows the russelltoes to believe that they're still relevant, at least for a day, thus providing another charitable service.

 

[Firey_Dragon]

I want a serious answer - how is it taken seriously by one of the sides ? Surely it cant be the fact we carry 7-8 man benches and have all those players on in the second half of the match just like the Dragons would ?..

So much immaturity.

I think it's more the fact that Souths fans carry on like they've won a grand final after they win it. It's more or less seen as another trial by most dragons fans.

The funny thing about the CS is whoever usually wins it has a pretty ordinary season.

 

[Brutus]

Anyone with half a brain would choose the WCC.

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

Well? Opinions and rationale please (therefore ruling out Haynetrain).

World cup challenge IMO proves that your the best team in both comps and am always a tad suprised that more teams dont take it seriously....

However you can understand it as when teams seem to do well in, they seem to suck for the first half of the season.

 

[johns_reds]

WCC by a mile.

I think NRL should restructure the charity shield, in english football it is the winner of the fa cup vs the winner of the premier league, if the same side won both then they have 1st vs 2nd in the league for the shield. NRL should have the winner for the GF vs the minor premierships, if these are the same sides then either have who ever was the loser in the GF or 2nd place in the Minor Premiership.

I know this means Souths won't have GF but at least you might get a bit more interest in the game and maybe raise more money for charity.

 

[***MH***]

TBH, I've been salivating over the idea of St. George v Wigan.

It's one of the matches that should have been played in the early 90's. But with Brisbane dominating at the time, it couldn't happen.

 

[juanfarkall]

WCC without a doubt

TBH any respect I had for 50uffs evaporated back when the drunk and their fans hijacked the "Keep16" rally and started to claim it as a 50uffs support rally.

 

[johns_reds]

what is "keep16" ?

 

[flamin]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...wn-may-be-moved-to-sydney-20101021-16w1a.html

Dragons' jet-lag buster: showdown for crown may be moved to Sydney
Glenn Jackson
October 22, 2010
NRL officials have approached their northern hemisphere counterparts about playing the World Club Challenge in Sydney - lessening the impact of what had appeared a horror travel schedule for St George Illawarra before the defence of their premiership.

The NRL has held talks with officials from the Rugby Football League about shifting the traditional pre-season encounter, to be played against Super League premiers Wigan, and expect an answer within a matter of days.

Having the match played at either ANZ Stadium or the Sydney Football Stadium would allay the Dragons' fears of an early-season meltdown, having already pencilled in a trial in Perth and playing in Auckland and the Gold Coast in the early rounds of the premiership next year.

Advertisement: Story continues below
The traditional Charity Shield against South Sydney - which had been scheduled for the same weekend as the World Club Challenge - had also been under threat as a result of the clash.

''There hasn't been a decision made yet, but there is some interest in playing it in Sydney,'' NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley said.

''We've been talking to the RFL about that. They were reasonably well-advanced with plans to play it in the UK [at Bolton's Reebok Stadium on February 27]. We're still in negotiations.

''The Dragons are open to the idea. We've had some discussions with them. But until we can come to some arrangement with the English, there's not a deal done. We've spoken to them, they're considering it at the moment. We're waiting for them to get back to us.''

The decision will largely come down to whether the RFL sees merit in such a change.

The match is always a significant one on the English rugby league calendar, and was last played in Australia in 1994, before the advent of the NRL competition. It is largely seen as being more beneficial for the English sides, with some Australian premiers treating it as a trial rather than a match to decide the best club team in the world.

But the NRL sees the Dragons' historic win - for the first time in more than three decades - as a chance to grow the encounter in this country. The Dragons would no doubt attract a sizeable crowd, especially going up against a world-renowned club such as Wigan.

 

[MattJ]

The WCC should be held in higher esteem and probably would be if it were treated accordingly.
What should be the 2 best teams from the 2 best strongest comps in the world playing for the title of worlds greatest club, is played during the off season for the NRL and 3 or 4 rounds into the super league season, meaning neither side competing is anywhere near there peak performance levels, and in a lot of cases, players that have retired or moved on dont get to represent so, its not even the same rosters that were the previous years champions.
This plus the fact that it is repeatedly played in England so that the Australian side continually plays an away game make what could be a great institution into a bit of a league sideshow really.

That being said, The C.S is a trial game played with a 7 man bench. It has history and is regarded as the unofficial beginning of the R.L year.
It is a game that raises a lot of money for charity and is an enjoyable tradition.
That being said, it does not deserve to be put ahead of a great concept like the WCC, and if it were my club having to choose one over the other, i would much rather see them competing inthe WCC.

All this sh*t about souths fans taking the CS more seriously that dragons fans and carrying on is garbage, anyone at the last one that saw the dragons score right at the death to tie up the game would have witnessed how bezerk the dragons fans went when they had the chance to kick and win the game. It obviously was a game they were passionate about and they cared wether or not they may have won the game.