Just wonderin if the RFL are thinkin of changing the world club challenge, i heard a while ago that its gonna change to 4 teams from SL vs 4 teams from NRL,
have i dreamt that or will it change to that when the current contract runs out?

apoligies if its already been mentioned

AFAIW they're still going to be the same format of Leeds v Winner of NRL.

Or hopefully they'll go for an English team with a better record of success at that level?

Well then they might aswell go with the same winner: The winner of the NRL.

If only we could all play a half-hearted Newcastle Knights and Wests Tigers team

Or you could take a small patched up squad without your first-choice props and beat an awesome sht-hot Brisbane team on their own patch.

Ok, gone off topic a bit here, do you not think SL's top 4 could hold thier own against NRL's top 4?

Clan-destine - Just before the WCC Gary Heatherington said that he was talking to other clubs and the RFL and NRL boards about the top three of each league playing each other over one weekend. He said he'd discussed it a couple of seasons back, but no one was keen. Apparently, there has been a little change of heart. I think his idea is that it would be like the Magic weekend; that the three matches would take place in one stadium, intially in England, but then taken to other countries after a few years once it has developed a profile. He suggested eventually taking it to Dubai. He sees it as a way of developing the international brand of the game, tap into new internationalised sponsorships and markets and to also further enhance the development of British clubs and talent.

Its an interesting idea and potentially could work. Certainly with three clubs taking on the Aussies in somewhere like City of Manchester stadium we're looking at packing the place out. It also opens the contest up to other clubs to participate (watching Leeds gets mourngy when they lose to the Aussies gets dull - watching Hudds have a crack could be interesting).

On the other hand it trivialises the contest in a way as there's no real final - its just three exhibition games. Also, would three drubbings against the Aussies in a row be very watchable? I'd like to think that a team like Hudds, with their lack of comparative ego, would fair better than the likes of Leeds. Then there's the idea of selling the fixture to different countries. Blue sky thinking is all well and good, but suggesting somewhere like Dubai sounds like Gary's had a couple too many shandies.

I suppose moving the fixture to America for one season and incorporating this new fangled professional American elite league that's meant to come into fruitition this season could be good.

No is the short answer. Maybe a few years back, before the cap moved the talent around, our top four would have been in a stronger position, but not now. As it is, there are far many players in our top four sides who wouldn't get near an NRL outfit.

cheers chorlton, in a neutral country i think the SL clubs can hold thier own, it wouldnt be a white wash i dont think, i really doubt it will happen though

Its a shame more SL/NRL clubs don't get the opportunity to play each other, but its probably down to the number of games they already play.

Perhaps reducing the number of clubs, or even replacing the play-offs in both leagues would make room for it.

Get rid of it Full stop, it ruins the start of the SL season.

Every year we hear murmurings of change for the WCC and nothing ever comes of it.

If we are to take RL to a wider global audience it seems an obvious way to boost the international game.

Perhaps instead of just expanding the comp to include more NRL SL teams we should expand it globally like the FIFA Club World Cup.

It could also be used as a catalyst for growing pro leagues in other countries.

Perhaps a seeded 8 team tournement could work. It may look like this

1 Top NRL TEAM
2 Top SL TEAM
3 NZ WARRIORS
4 CATALANS
5 EURO CHAMP Qualifying comp winners of leagues outside SL & NL
6 ASIA PACIFIC CHAMP Qualifying comp winners of leagues outside NRL
7 AMERICA/Africa CHAMP Qualifying comp winners of leagues
8 Host country or split 7

Then just playoff 1v8 and so on Winners to semis Losers go to plate comp semis

4 games Weekend 4 semis Midweek 2 finals Weekend

I know people will talk of blow outs etc but we may just encourage and find some new talents and fans and apart from the first round the semis and finals should be close.

We have to start somewhere and it would connect the club game worldwide.

We should concentrate on getting 25,000 for tests between England, Australia and New Zealand before messing with the WCC. The international game should be priority cos these are the games the outsiders look at.

Move it to be part of the build up to the 4 nations. Then both teams can play in which ever country the 4N is in within a couple of weeks of the winning their respective Grand Finals.

It certainly has to be moved to the end of the season, it's utterly untenable as it is. Every season it ruins the BIG Grand launch of SL. The NRL would NEVER allow their showcase Big kick off to be fragmented because of the WCC.