World Club Challenge

[Anonymous person]

its basically australias way of saying 'we're sorry we beat you every time we play you in pretty much every sport, so we'll send over a shell of our premiership winning team over just after their offseason with no match practice and a whole host of new players for you to beat'. its ridiculous and will never be taken seriously if it keeps being played when and where it is.

 

[Coxy]

World cup challenge is garbage imo.

I just wished Locky won one so it woudln't be the only achievement he coudln't manage in his career. (not too late)

Well, he did. Albeit the rather unsuccessful format of 1997 when all Aussie Super League teams played UK Super League teams and then had quarter finals, semis and final.

Broncos defeated Hunter Mariners in the final of that comp, with Locky at fullback! haha.

 

[QUEENSLANDER]

World cup challenge is garbage imo.

I just wished Locky won one so it woudln't be the only achievement he coudln't manage in his career. (not too late)

Well, he did. Albeit the rather unsuccessful format of 1997 when all Aussie Super League teams played UK Super League teams and then had quarter finals, semis and final.

Broncos defeated Hunter Mariners in the final of that comp, with Locky at fullback! haha.

That was a pretty cool tournament, would love to see something like that again

 

[Black Philip]

I'd love to see a knockout competition between the super league and NRL. Maybe include the top 4 teams from each comp or something similar.

 

[Coxy]

World cup challenge is garbage imo.

I just wished Locky won one so it woudln't be the only achievement he coudln't manage in his career. (not too late)

Well, he did. Albeit the rather unsuccessful format of 1997 when all Aussie Super League teams played UK Super League teams and then had quarter finals, semis and final.

Broncos defeated Hunter Mariners in the final of that comp, with Locky at fullback! haha.

That was a pretty cool tournament, would love to see something like that again

Yeah, I enjoyed it. But it was hard for anyone to really get excited when most of the time the Australian team massively thrashed the English team. I think only one English team won a game in the whole tournament.

I remember being at the Broncos-Halifax game and the Broncos won 76-0. Even the quarter final the Broncos won something like 64-12 against St Helens.

The concept was good. The execution...not so good. Agree with Scotty, a top 4 of NRL and ESL in a 2-group round robin comp with semis and final might work better.

 

[Jeba]

Even the quarter final the Broncos won something like 64-12 against St Helens.

You know the kids that lead the Broncos onto the field at home games? The kid at that game was me icon_smile

 

[Fozz]

Micky Mouse game.

It always will be even if it's after the grand final. The GF is the culmination of a season so any club game after it will be a anticlimax.

The only way I can see it happening is if the ESL and NRL had their seasons kick off on the same week with the WCC in the week prior as the season launch. Decent prizemoney, decent promotion and it could be a winner.

Of course, I don't see either comp changing their schedule for one game. And it still wouldn't feature the exact teams that won their GFs.

 

[QUEENSLANDER]

does anyone know if this is being broadcasted by fox or 9?

 

[Meat77]

Normally Nine does it but with the winter olympics on I'm not sure if they're doing it

 

[ningnangnong]

Normally Nine does it but with the winter olympics on I'm not sure if they're doing it

It's usually played at like 4 or 5 in the morning our time, so i'd say they'll have it on.

 

[ethos]

I'm pretty sure Fox are showing it live and then Nine have it delayed some other time.

 

[dukey]

I reckon the WCC should be played more like that other football World Championship game, the Superbowl. Let various stadiums and cities bid to host it the year prior, run it two weeks after the premiership games, and really sell it to punters as the World Championship.

 

[Foordy]

IIRC, after we won the 2006 premiership the WCC was going to be played at Lang Park in early Feb, but we had too many players in the Aussie squad (something like 8) we would have had to almost field a reserve grade team since the Aussie reps don't return training till January. So that we could field a near full strength team they moved the game back to late Feb, meaning it would need to be played in England due to the ESL season having already started.

 

[Charmamba]

I reckon the WCC should be played more like that other football World Championship game, the Superbowl. Let various stadiums and cities bid to host it the year prior, run it two weeks after the premiership games, and really sell it to punters as the World Championship.

yes do that!!!

but how about the Cities bid to host both the WCC and the 4Nations.

Week 1- NRL/SL Grand Finals

Week 2 - World Club

Week 3 - 4 Nations/World Cup

 

[dukey]

I was thinking more along the lines of -

Week 1 - Grand Final in NRL and SL

Week 2 - Indigenous All Stars Vs NRL All Stars - minus anyone playing in the WCC of course. Also, this would be the perfect week to have the Tonga V Samoa game that everyone got a fat over and then seemed to forget about after the World Cup.

Week 3 - World Club Challenge. Because the NRL GF will likely always be held in Sydney, this gives Suncorp, Etihad, etc, the opportunity to host a blockbuster club game. Alternate the hosting nation each year - England, then Aus, then England - but beyond that sell it to the highest bidder.


Then take a few weeks off, and if there is an international series scheduled, play it then. But really hype the shit out of the WCC. Instead of something that only the fans of the team playing care about, build it up to be a game of importance. It is after all the World Championship. It deserves more, and will only get more recognition if it's utilised properly, instead of remaining a trial match between two teams loosely related to last year's premiers, playing at 3AM Aus time a million years after their Grand Final victories were relevant.

 

[TLCC]

Storm won 18-10. Pretty crap that nine didn't show it.

Melbourne Storm defeat Leeds Rhinos 18-10 in World Club Challenge


Melbourne Storm have collected their second World Club Challenge title with a late Anthony Quinn try sealing an 18-10 victory over Leeds Rhinos at Elland Road.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,865 ... 14,00.html

 

[Charmamba]

thankfully the missus was nice and setup the foxtel to record this. Ill watch it l8r

 

[Jeba]

Just watching the replay now, crap game. Play the ball is slower than a Stegosaurus.