I think Super League stands to gain a great deal from it.

We haven't had the opportunity to see our non-champions play against the NRL and its highlighting how far behind our game is compared to theirs. It's showing that we need to up the ante, up the salary cap, find greater investment, put more focus on training and developing the Youth, find out how to train half backs in this country and implement a strategy to catch the NRL up.

We need to wake up and strive to improve from the top down in Super League, not from the middle up. And unless we keep playing these NRL sides we will just keep forgetting how far behind our league is.

It needs to keep happening annually and I hope it does even if it's just as a reminder of how hard we need to keep working to improve.

That was not a potentially dangerous tackle! He tackled the back of the knees where the joint bends, the same as opening a door isn't bad for a door's hinges!

they can't do any worse though? at least if AN other team get walloped then you could use the old, "it's to be expected", saints are one of the sports top teams, do we really need to put them to the sword every year?

There is no format of this were we dont get results with a 26 point differential. Its really not a big deal. It is in fact exactly the same result as when the roosters knocked the bulldogs out of the play offs last year, nobody is arguing to scrap the NRL playoffs or that canterbury shouldnt be involved.

Only in RL would we see the same people arguing that we shouldnt have more games between SL sides and NRL sides AND that more games between SL sides and championship sides will be the silver bullet that solves all our problems.

interesting fact, there will likely be two 20k+ attendances in these three games, there were zero 20k attendances in the super 8s or play offs and the middle 8's attendances arent even worth comparing to even the lowest wcs attendances.

This is exactly right AND it is even the worst case scenario, which highlights the utter nonsense of arguments against the WCS. At the very worst it shows us where we are and stops those deluding themselves that the SC doesnt have an effect, that the lack of prioritisation for youth development doesnt have an effect, that the lack of investment in training facilities doesnt have an effect, that all the things the NRL do, that we dont, doesnt have an effect.

This is exactly right AND it is even the worst case scenario, which highlights the utter nonsense of arguments against the WCS. At the very worst it shows us where we are and stops those deluding themselves that the SC doesnt have an effect, that the lack of prioritisation for youth development doesnt have an effect, that the lack of investment in training facilities doesnt have an effect, that all the things the NRL do, that we dont, doesnt have an effect.

While I agree crowds have been relatively good, you have to wonder if the games continue to be walk overs how much longer crowds will hold up, for example I can't see Saints fans rushing to buy tickets next year if they make it given the drubbings they've had.

If we are to continue with the format maybe Champions, Cup Winners (Grand Final runner up if they are the same) and a volunteer/invited guest will keep things fresh, for example Hull, Huuds, Catalan or Cas might fancy a crack at it and it gets a whole new fan base involved in the idea.

On the plus side, Saints were significantly better than they were last week and you could argue that Salford are better than the Roosters



The one certainty with these game is that, the English clubs need to be at the top of their game to have any chance and Leeds are some way off their best at the moment.

Wigan have the best chance of restoring some pride , Leeds, who are a shadow of last seasons side could get done by 50 points.
The main event will be nothing more than a training exercise for The Cowboys.

the format should be changed. it needs to be bigger and make more sense.

But there will be walkovers, and there will be comfortable victories, but the facts are that whilst Saints we smashed by souths, 38-12 is a regular result, its not a huge defeat and the other two games we had were veryclose.

I called for one invited team as soon as the expanded WCS was announced. Think Catalan vs an NRL team would be amazing for Rugby league in Europe.

All this talk of scrapping it because the results have not been great is silly. The NRL teams love coming over. The clubs are making money from this but as usual some fans think because super league is losing in individual matches that we should just abolish it.

Madness!

exactly.The RFU don't scrap the winter tests against the SH teams who come over and more often than not wipe the floor with the NH.

This is just the problem with RL especially over here.we don't stick with anything, few bad results and people want change or things axing before it has a chance to blossom.

It is bad for the door if someone uses a crowbar to shove the hinges in one direction whilst someone else pulls the door in another.

The hit at the knees, when combined with one or two tacklers holding the body IS dangerous. If he wants to take him down then he needs to hit the thigh or higher to avoid the ball carrier being bent back over his own lower legs.

Agree with Smokey, BuckleyStreetWire and Biff Tannen on the series. We have to stick with it. Much like with the international game, we need more of these games not less. Both for exposure and improving our game on the pitch.

As an example, Leeds were featured on BBC one this morning. We barely get that much coverage on Grand Final day.

We have to stick with it, and improve our mentality to the level of the Aussies if we want to win.

There is definitely some merit in playing each other (Aussie v England) but, somehow it needs to have a more meaningful finale and to improve it's credibility, there has to be a defined winner at the end. Plus, play at the end of the season after the respective Grand Finals.
This would of course impact on the international fixtures so, perhaps go every 2 years, alternating with the 4 nations.

Absolutely correct!

We had Great Britain, now we don't
We had a top5 play-offs, then 6, then 8, now 4
We had promotion and relegation, then we had the licensing system, now we have p+r again
We had a World Cup then decided for some reason that a historical game going back 150 years doesn't need a World Cup and now we have the World Cup back again

And how long will any of these last as they are?

I think we've suffered as a sport because we're always chopping and changing and never sticking with anything. The World Club Series is a brilliant idea and should keep being an annual event; the Magic Weekend is brilliant and should remain; the new league system with the two leagues of 12 splitting down into the Super 8s should remain; the top 4 play-offs for the GF and the Million Pound Game should remain; we must always have a World Cup!...and let's stick with all this for decades to come so everybody in the world knows exactly what to expect with our sport.

There are still things we need to improve on: we need to bring back Great Britain, we need to sack off "I've got a try"/"I've got no try", we need to unify the laws of the game worldwide, we need to sort the scums out from being the joke that they are, we need to increase the salary cap... (I know it's ironic that I'm moaning about too much change and then asking for change by for me these things are a must) but once we've sorted these things out, stick with them all for decades to come.

Also the more games we play against NRL sides - unlike merely watching it on tele on Premier Sports where you can't get a full picture of what's going on - going and watching or even better playing against the Aussies will teach our coaches an awful lot and these things, even if only little things, should be implemented from week-to-week and then they are fed down the leagues over time, always improving our sport here.

Look at Argentina in rugby union (sorry to bring in that code!) - they were getting trounced in the early years of them being in the SH Four Nations (or whatever it's called) and now they're competitive in that and in all round international games. That would never have happened had they not been allowed to join that Four Nations tournament, or at least nowhere near as quickly.

We will improve as a league and sport in this country right down the leagues and to youth level the more we play the NRL teams.

I agree with that, though I don't see it needing to have too much of an impact on the international scene. Simply play the series in whichever country is hosting the internationals that year. So for 2015 play it say 2 weeks after the SL Grand Final. The Aussie teams fly over in time. Whichever of their players were playing for NZ can stay and join up with the NZ team, the rest fly home.

It's time the regular league made way for things like this and internationals.

Yes I agree let's keep a league system that's a lot more flawed than any other system we've ever had.

The NRL teams are just relentless. Batter you up the middle with low percentage plays making very few mistakes and then at the perfect time swing it wide and score.

bad decision for me. that's a no try

Agreed, but if we're relying on a millimetre of field to get us out of awful defensive reads then we're in trouble.

.....


Awful for Mickey Mac. Doesn't bode well for us both in this game and the domestic comp.

As I was saying, I'd scrap this nonsense.

Wigan's most important player has just broken his leg playing a meaningless friendly.

The NRL is light years ahead of us - I don't need my nose rubbed in it.

Pointless games arranged for Sky TV.
Come on Wigan give 'em a game (Leigh fan)

They are not altogether pointless. How can people improve unless they play better teams? If we could get to a stage of competing these games could be as big as state of origin.

500% better than last night, shame about McIllorum, but ultimatley thats sport