Looks like the NRL have made the decision www.theroar.com.au/2016/06/17/ru ... challenge/

Looks like the NRL have made the decision www.theroar.com.au/2016/06/17/ru ... challenge/

Money to the game? Not really. I doubt Barrow or Doncaster will have benefitted from it.

Fans? Yes there has been a huge uprise in attendances across the game (not).

Profile? Anyone outside of RL will have no idea what the WCC is.

The original gimmick was fine. No need to make it even more daft and embarrassing for English RL.

3 days in a row we got proper coverage on both BBC and Sky News. We only get that for a World Cup.

Shame that the logistics are too complicated to have the winners v winners in October, the closed season, with comings and goings are no true reflection of the winning sides.

Barrow and Doncaster don't encompass the length and breadth of the game
over 60,000 people watched those three games.

combined viewing figures of nearly a million live and hundreds of thousands watched highlights.

or just make English RL less embarrassing.

Going back to the original concept "World Club Challenge".
So let's create a challenge to find the best club side in the world and not just play fixtures between "random English (European) club sides and any Australian club sides that can be bothered to come.

For once, we should do the thing properly, which will add kudos to the games and perhaps allow us to sell the "concept" properly.

There is enough fudge and making thins up as we go in the sport, without adding to it.

Also, I agree that these games should take place at the end of the season, which would make them more relevant (in terms of club personnel etc).
This would mean moving our International fixtures either to mid season or playing then jus before or after the WCC, which again, would impact on the length of the season for a number of players.

If the sport is seen to do things well, the profile will improve. However, if we cant even manage to get the other main RL playing nation on board with these things, how the hell can we expect the non RL public to get on board.