Saying Saints should be in the WCC because of former glory is like saying Nottingham Forest should be in the Champions League for winning the European cup.

I also noticed that SL clubs have to foot the bill as well if they wish to participate. Why the hell should they? That money could have better use than for a glorified friendly series which will only remind us how far away SL is from NRL stand not just once but three times.

To be honest, it's easy for Lenegan he is preaching to the choir. There's nothing difficult about getting 20k in to the DW to watch Wigan v Brisbane.

The current WCS is a massively wasted opportunity and follows the games current example of doing nothing more than squeezing an extra couple of pounds from the same people.

When Wigan are selling out the CoM and Saints Anfield or Goodison and leeds sell out Elland Road we will have something to be proud of. Something that will get us noticed. As it is, about the same amount who watch the dead rubber RU game v Uruguay will watch all three games and RL will moan about how unfair it is that nobody cares

Huddersfield didn't meet the criteria, saints did, saints, can also afford to pay for the privilege of hosting it, Huddersfield can't, saints will also be able to attract enough support to make the game financially viable ,Huddersfield won't.

No it isn't.Nottingham Forest played and won the European Cup 35 years ago and have done didly squat since Clough left years ago.Saints are last years champions, and are the most successful team of the SL era as well as having every bit as successful a season as Huddersfield. I really don't get the uproar on here

quite right!
let's hope the players take that string from around their neck come 12 months time

but then Wigan have had 20 years of success, 20 years of producing world class players, 20 years of constantly having big crowds, 20 years of having enough money to market those kind of events.
Huddersfield haven't!

one is a big, successful, global brand in terms of the sport, the other is a relatively small club which has come back from the brink of going bust numerous times, to slowly build up to where they are now, Ken Davy's attitude is that he is not prepared to risk undoing all the hard work he and the club have done the last 20 years for one game.

That is the attitude your whole club should be hopefully taking. You have one more big hurdle to get over, pussy footing around in exhibition games isn't going to help you achieve that goal. Plus, it will be far sweeter playing in those games the following year having won a GF or CC

exactly!

as much as i would have liked to see us in the WCS, in reality they are nothing more than friendly games, the attitude of the club is the same, we will play in it when it is the champions v champions

...and, it appears, don't actually want to.


If you want to be a big club, sooner or later you have to step up and perform. The club has the overall best league record in the competition over the last three years, finishing 1st, 3rd and 3rd. If they don't step up now, when will they?

The attitude of the club is appalling. If they don't step up and take control of their own destiny and choose instead to stay as a timid, little club then they'll never be champions.

The attitude of the club, when offered a match against the Roosters should be "Yes. Anytime, anyplace. We'll take them on right now if you like"

I agree with what you say if (and I am glad we did not get asked ) after the drubbing at wembley Rovers were asked I bet we would not turn it down full house would be great the beating would not be

In the summer of 1987 Maurice Lindsay boarded a plane to Sydney and persuaded Manly to travel across for the World Club Challenge. Wigan's average was just over 13k, Lindsay had to ensure Manly's expenses were covered, sort out a trophy and arrange a big sponsor (Fosters) to pay out a substancial prize fund. He also sorted out Channel Nine in Australia to beam back live to Australia.

This wasn't a RFL event it was a Wigan event. Lindsay took a massive risk but reaped the rewards with a 37,500 gate.

If Davy wants to feast at the kings table they need to act like a big club and take the odd risk rather than wait for someone to hand it to them.

Sort of agree. I suppose a few things will go through Ken's head when making a decision to put the money into it.

1. Will it increase our fan base?
2. Will it help with our big game mentality?
3. Will he or even the club profit from it?

There's no evidence to suggest that any of these would be answered YES.

Obviously as us fans see it, it's disappointing. We feel the club should be rewarded. If we'd of got the league leaders or got to a final we probably would of been picked and would of been able to afford it.
We need to do better in 2016 and give the RFL no choice.

Do you really think that Saints will treat their game against the Roosters as a friendly? What a superb marketing opportunity for them!

40 years anniversary since the Inaugural Grand Final between the two clubs.

If I was McManus I'd be scrambling around the archives looking for a copy of the match (surely it was filmed in 1976). Plan a anniversary meal at the stadium with past players from both clubs, invite sponsors, local businesses and supporters to attend, merchandise at the game, sell copies of the 1976 game on dvd, presentation on the pitch where past players form guard of honour, retro kits on the night to match the kits worn in 1976.


It's a marketeers dream! Think big get bigger returns.

but as i've said Steve, we didn't meet the criteria this time to play in the WCS so not sure how that can be the club not stepping up.
im pretty sure the club, and the fans, want to step up but it hasn't happened yet because we aren't good enough yet, there are 9 other clubs i'm sure would want to step up to where we are but it has to be earned and we haven't done that ..yet!

Couldn't agree more.A great opportunity on a silver platter.

if the giants were to host a game, to just break even, not to make any profit, but just to get the bond money back, we would be looking at a minimum gate of 15 or 16,000, now considering Huddersfield have only had 1 attendance over 15,000 in over 40 years, does anyone really believe that we could suddenly pull in that sort of crowd for a glorified friendly?
we had our biggest home game for a generation 2 weeks ago and there were less than 7,000 home supporters there, when we won the LLS there was only 8,000 there.
it would take a massive effort, probably well out of our reach to do that.
that money £180k would be better off spent on our playing or coaching staff or our facilities.

hopefully as SL champions next year we will take on the challenge



even in 1987, wigan were a big name in the sport and as they were averaging 13k that is still twice as much as what we can realistically attract on a regular basis, so again, comparing Wigan to Huddersfield is baffling

I said I wanted Huddersfield to be the third team due to the fairness of league position but I do understand why Saints have been chosen; the attendance will be a lot better at Saints, more money will be made, game will probably be more competitive and it would be a better game in terms of exposure and growing the series of course, which is the most important thing here I think.

Champions or not next year you would still have to fund it. Would you?

i would say yes, but i don't make decisions.

at the moment i don't think the club can justify spending, what little money we have available, on nothing more than a friendly, athough a very prestigious friendly, if it was a WCC on the line it would be different.

The Leeds Rhinos v the North Queensland Cowboys is going to be 100% excitement after this years grand finals.

The most one-sided game will be Sydney Roosters vs St. Helens. The Sydney Roosters will hammer St Helens, but they would have hammered Huddersfield just as badly. Nevertheless the thrashing to be meted out will create a bad feeling in the stomachs of all English viewers bar Wigan fans.

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Still for me the Giants blow hot and cold.
When they are good they are very good. When they are bad they are awful