www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/29069637 Top 3 from SL Souths, Brisbane + a.n.other from NRL

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/29069637 Top 3 from SL Souths, Brisbane + a.n.other from NRL

Not officially top 3.

2 Grand finalists and highest ranked 3rd team.

It's a step in the right direction but I do think it takes a massive amount of integrity away from it that two of the NRL teams are simply opting in to playing without any qualification process. League leaders and grand finalists from both is the way it should be IMO.

NRL GF runner up V SL GF runner up (Fri)
NRL Minor premiers V SL league leaders (Sat)
NRL Champions V SL Champions (Sun)

I think they will pic teams with decent stadiums which will count out Cas unless the win the grand final (I'm not having a dig Cas fans I'd love to see you playing in it) so think it will be Wigan saints wire or Leeds maybe hudds

What if the minor premiers / league leaders are champions or runners up?

If Cas finish top they will have no choice but to pick them.

I'm just saying if the RFL do have a choice they won't.

The three teams are the Grand Finalists, regardless of finishing position.

The third team is the highest placed in the regular season not making the GF, i.e. if GF is 2nd v 3rd, then team winning LLS will be in.

If GF is 1st v 3rd, then 2nd will be 3rd team.

They don't. And they can just move it to a neutral venue, i.e. have Cas v whoever at Headingley and have Leeds (if they are involved) at Elland Rd.

Unless Cas get to use a better stadium for their fixtures, like Belle Vue for instance, with the added advantage of still being in Wakefield!

That hubcap is looking very worth while now.

Only way to guarantee a spot in the WCC.

I must of miss read I thought it was champions and 2 others like the NRL

Yep.
As mentioned it's not exactly the way I'd like it to be but I think it's still a good move and the possibility of being involved excites me already!

The Broncos have to win at Melbourne tonight to and hope another result doesn't go against them (Warriors winning by 8 points more than them on Sunday night) just to get 8th spot......I don't see why the NRL couldn't insist their G-finalists and best placed other take part....or is this a way of getting teams to fight hard for 8th spot?

Makes Saints' wretched performance even more frustrating. Not sure about the timing of the announcement though, I'm sure some teams would have had more of a go at finishing top had they known about this at the start of the season.

Yes but if it works it will make it better to finish top every season and they should make the tickets cheaper to try to fill the grounds

am i right in thinking that leeds' loss last night in the play offs rules them out of the world club championship next february?

The criteria was supposed to be Grand Finalists plus the highest placed non-finalist. So if they stick to that Leeds won't be included. Saints are guaranteed a spot, if they reach the GF then so will Wigan, if it's a Wigan v Saints GF then Hudds would be the third team.

Challenge Cup winners to be awarded a WCC game instead?

The difference between 4k-5k turning up at Huddersfield or 18k-20k turning up at Headingley?

No brainer, unless you want to kill off the concept with reference to the acute embarrassment of empty stadia.

This expanded WCC format didn't have Whipping Boy SL Rabble participation in mind when it was conceived anyhow.

The Rhinos, although very well supported (apart from 7k for their play off defeat), appear to have joined the "Whipping Boy SL Rabble"

Although an expanded WCC is a great idea, it is designed mainly as a cash generation exercise, rather than proving the World Club Champions.

Well if it's a cash generating exercise we have to hope huddersfield don't qualify.

It'll end up losing money.

As I alluded to on the Leeds forum, GH didn't get where he is today by organising events for irrelevant toe-rag SL clubs who can't even buy a decent home attendance unless admission costs a fiver via wowcher or groupon, or Ken Davy gives them away on a Sunday afternoon in lieu of a 3pm kick off.

Leeds V Brisbane it is then.

Everyone knows it makes sense.

It wouldn't surprise me if Leeds end up being involved. If it's true that the SL club have to foot the bill to bring the NRL team over (£185,000 has been mentioned), then would Hudds be up for that? If it ends up Wigan, Saints and Warrington then those three will definitely go for it, and probably so would Catalans. If Cas or Hudds qualified I could see them giving it up as an expense they could do without and be unlikely to recoup. I could be wrong, but like I say, I wouldn't be surprised if Leeds are one of the 3 teams involved.

Exactly!

Huddersfield couldn't even come close to generating £185k if that's just the break-even figure.

An 18k attendance at Headingley based on an average of say £20 per ticket produces £360k in revenue. Huddersfield would struggle to reach £100k from ticket sales. Castleford would do better, but not much better.

As ever RLs gone into something potentially great half-cocked. Selecting teams based on nothing immediately makes it a non-competition. Shame.