World Club Series new trophy and news

[RoosTah]

Damn... kind pissed I missed all of these. Didn't even realise they were on this weekend. Will have to catch the replays.

St Helens clearly weren't up to the task though were they? That's almost the exact scoreline we gave them when we spanked them in '03.

 

[rabbitohs95]

Damn... kind pissed I missed all of these. Didn't even realise they were on this weekend. Will have to catch the replays.

St Helens clearly weren't up to the task though were they? That's almost the exact scoreline we gave them when we spanked them in '03.

Just goes to show how much the NRL should've advertised these games. Barely anything said about it and yet they showcase great exhibition matches, as well as the crowning of the world champions for gods sake.

 

[DC_fan]

In terms of the position our game holds in the UK and the exposure that having a side like Souths (with Crowe, Inglis, Burgii brothers) come over, along with big clubs like Broncos and saints is great for their game.

US is dominanted by
1. NFL
2. NBA
3. MLB
4. NHL
and then smaller, but popular sports like soccer

AUS is dominated by
1. AFL
2. NRL
3. Cricket
=4. Rugby Union
=4. Soccer

So the comparison holds up in that an NRL team in status in Australia is similar in status (in perspective) to an NBA team in the US.

Conversely, Rugby league is a minority sport in the UK
1. Soccer
(Daylight)
2. Rugby Union
3. Cricket

With rugby league being much further down the list, a sport that is mainly popular in regional towns, desperate for publicity. Similar to basketball in Australia, which is way down the list, traditionally strong in Townsville, Cairns, Wollongong, Adelaide, Perth...smaller markets, desperate for attention and media.

In that way, the comparison holds up fine.

SD, I am not saying that a game played between teams from the NBA and NBL here in Australia would not be good for Basketball here. Fans would expect a blowout because of the difference in standard between the two competitions. But that's not what this discussion is about.

This morning we had Rugby Leagues World Club Championship game played. It is promoted as a prestigious competition with the top teams representing the top two club competitions in the world playing each other. You would expect that such a game would be a lot closer then it turned out to be. St Helens was never in the game and it wasn't just that they allowed Souths to score 39 points, its more so they didn't score any points themselves. Maybe no one expected them to win, but gee I think most people expected them to put up a better effort then that. So does the result show us the huge gap in standard between Australia and England competitions.

For mine the result does damage the game in the England.

 

[sensesmaybenumbed]

they have already started building it..

Ah, I see they've gotten council approval for the bandwagon wing, which funnily enough is nearly 60% of the building.

 

[wittyfan]

I still truly believe in the WCC!!!

 

[muzby]

they have already started building it..

and if you're quick, you can pick up their old one here:

 

[rabbitohs95]

Ah, I see they've gotten council approval for the bandwagon wing, which funnily enough is nearly 60% of the building.

30,000 members 'bandwagoning' :sarcasm::lol::roll:

 

[RoosTah]

Just goes to show how much the NRL should've advertised these games. Barely anything said about it and yet they showcase great exhibition matches, as well as the crowning of the world champions for gods sake.

Same thing happened last year when we spanked Wigan - the NRL did nothing, but the game still scored 30k+ to the match. Took them by surprise by all accounts. Sadly, with England just not showing much in the way of competition in the big ones they're not likely to change their outlook though.

 

[Pierced Soul]

The NRL and the ESL are supposed to be the top two league competitions in the world, so the thrashing we saw this morning in a game between each of those respective competitions top teams says very little for the English competition. It should not have been a blow out and in my opinion damages the image of the ESL.

we've had grand finals and origins blow out so thats not a fair comparison. your argument would be that the gf damaged league...

Damn... kind pissed I missed all of these. Didn't even realise they were on this weekend. Will have to catch the replays.

wonderful promotion again form nein and the NRL who dont want you to know anything that doesnt directly involve the nrl comp

 

[sensesmaybenumbed]

30,000 members 'bandwagoning' :sarcasm::lol::roll:

Their pets too, until the RSPCA got involved....

 

[LeedsStorm]

Here we go again. "Damage to the British game, gap is widening, everything favours the poms etc etc". Same words are spoken every year, even in the event of a uk team win (because the convict side wasn't trying (too early, too cold, too muddy blah blah blah). Does anyone really care? Does an NRL team win stop people going to games in the uk? Course not. The comps are hardly competing with each other for fans. Aside from a bit of extra cash for the coffers, I don't see what this fixture really offers in its present format. The respective salary caps for starters, are hugely different.

 

[Saint Doc]

SD, I am not saying that a game played between teams from the NBA and NBL here in Australia would not be good for Basketball here. Fans would expect a blowout because of the difference in standard between the two competitions. But that's not what this discussion is about.

This morning we had Rugby Leagues World Club Championship game played. It is promoted as a prestigious competition with the top teams representing the top two club competitions in the world playing each other. You would expect that such a game would be a lot closer then it turned out to be. St Helens was never in the game and it wasn't just that they allowed Souths to score 39 points, its more so they didn't score any points themselves. Maybe no one expected them to win, but gee I think most people expected them to put up a better effort then that. So does the result show us the huge gap in standard between Australia and England competitions.

For mine the result does damage the game in the England.

My point is that the benefit of awareness and media attention outweighs any negative from the result. Superleague don't think they're better than the NRL. Sure they'd have liked this morning to be closer, but they aren't under false illusions.

It's better to be talked about than to not be talked about at all.

Whilst a little younger in cheek, there is some seriousness to this tweet:

@NoHelmetsReq: You know something big is happening when there's a pic of @SSFCRABBITOHS on the back page of @waitrose Weekend paper.

You don't see this kind of coverage in the paper in UK often

It's the first sellout in Langtree Park history.


The crowds were great:
@GaryCarter_1979: Also Wolves got 2,000 more fans than their opening game, Wigan 8,000 more and Saints 6,000 more.


If you think English rugby league would have been better off WITHOUT the media attention of 3 of the biggest rugby league clubs in the world arriving, doing interviews, visiting schools, attracting crowds etc then you really don't understand the borderline dire state the game is in over there. They need the exposure, the money, the media attention.

 

[DC_fan]

My point is that the benefit of awareness and media attention outweighs any negative from the result. Superleague don't think they're better than the NRL. Sure they'd have liked this morning to be closer, but they aren't under false illusions.

It's better to be talked about than to not be talked about at all.

Whilst a little younger in cheek, there is some seriousness to this tweet:

@NoHelmetsReq: You know something big is happening when there's a pic of @SSFCRABBITOHS on the back page of @waitrose Weekend paper.

You don't see this kind of coverage in the paper in UK often

It's the first sellout in Langtree Park history.


The crowds were great:
@GaryCarter_1979: Also Wolves got 2,000 more fans than their opening game, Wigan 8,000 more and Saints 6,000 more.


If you think English rugby league would have been better off WITHOUT the media attention of 3 of the biggest rugby league clubs in the world arriving, doing interviews, visiting schools, attracting crowds etc then you really don't understand the borderline dire state the game is in over there. They need the exposure, the money, the media attention.

We will just have to wait and see how this years ESL season pans out to answer the question.

 

[Evil Homer]

It doesn't 'damage the sport' :lol:

The WCS was definitely a good thing, it's just a pity that Souths came up against a powderpuff St Helens that in reality are far from a legitimate champion team.

 

[bottle]

It's not basketball, it's not NFL.
It's Rugby League, and it has a very limited scope.
The ESL needs to be seen to be getting stronger, not weaker, or the sport will struggle even more in the UK.
Having visiting NRL sides smash ESL sides might be a delightful spectacle for a limited time, but it will wear thin very quickly.
I want the game to be strong everywhere it can be.
Hopefully this is a blip. The games have been more competitive in most of the previous years.
I maintain that if ESL sides get towelled up by NRL sides on an ongoing basis it is a worry for the ESL.

 

[Saint Doc]

Can't be good for the ESL.

I maintain that if ESL sides get towelled up by NRL sides on an ongoing basis it is a worry for the ESL.

Your revised statement makes more sense than your original one!

And as for rugby league in England needing "to be seen to be getting stronger", I would argue that the bigger battle is for rugby league "to be seen" at all. And these events, like the World Cup, like the Challenge Cup, like the Grand a Final, give it a brief moment of attention in an otherwise soccer obsessed nation

 

[oikee]

It is not a good thing when your best team who spanked a rival 56 to nil only a week ago then gets a spanking by a glorified Sydney team.

Because lets be honest, without iInglis or the Burgess boys, that is all the South Sydney bunnies are, a Sydney team playing in a Sydney comp.

Having the top 3 Sydney teams play superleague top 3 with only glorify the spankings.

Our code is being hammered from pillar to post.
Players poached by all other codes, being laughed at by Eddie Mcguire, and now after the Sharks drug saga and disgrace, we have the Titans next up to further rub salt into the codes eyes and wounds.
We dont learn, our administrators are second rate, our code is going down the toilet curve faster than a Dennis Lillee bouncer.

 

[Kiwi]

My point is that the benefit of awareness and media attention outweighs any negative from the result. Superleague don't think they're better than the NRL. Sure they'd have liked this morning to be closer, but they aren't under false illusions.

It's better to be talked about than to not be talked about at all.

Whilst a little younger in cheek, there is some seriousness to this tweet:

@NoHelmetsReq: You know something big is happening when there's a pic of @SSFCRABBITOHS on the back page of @waitrose Weekend paper.

You don't see this kind of coverage in the paper in UK often

It's the first sellout in Langtree Park history.


The crowds were great:
@GaryCarter_1979: Also Wolves got 2,000 more fans than their opening game, Wigan 8,000 more and Saints 6,000 more.


If you think English rugby league would have been better off WITHOUT the media attention of 3 of the biggest rugby league clubs in the world arriving, doing interviews, visiting schools, attracting crowds etc then you really don't understand the borderline dire state the game is in over there. They need the exposure, the money, the media attention.

This is why it needed to be t two biggest names in league in South (hhad they not won ) and the Broncos who went, and why the Dragons were next cab off the rank. I don't care what people say, other than our premiers we had to send the most popular, successful and we'll known teams to make this work, and clearly it did.

 

[Kiwi]

they have already started building it..

Where will they put any trophies? Once you fill that with their fans egos and swelled heads there won't be any room for anything, in fact one would hope that was just phase 1 of construction.

Have south fans not learned from past fans of winning teams? I know it's been a while, but I'm sure like every other dynasty of the last 10 years or so this one will be approximately a year long.

 

[oikee]

The torso rule is killing our code.
We also need only one ref and the captains challenge to be introduced so we are at least taken serious by the Americans.

I will give you one fact about the torso rule and why it is nothing but a pile of bullocks.
You can supposedly score a try with your torso. Yet if the ball hits your torso and bounces off, it is not classed as a knock-on. ?
This rule is a dinosaur rule that our code is still played under, dinosaur rules.