Leeds Rhinos v Melbourne Storm: Rhinos promote plans to expand World Club format

World club challenge: LEEDS RHINOS captain Kevin Sinfield wants the Gillette World Club Challenge to expand to six teams insisting Super League clubs are now ready to compete with their rivals even on Australian soil.

Leeds tackle Melbourne Storm at Elland Road tomorrow night looking to reclaim the title they lost against Manly 12 months ago.

But, instead of the one-off showpiece, Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington is pushing for a larger format in future years incorporating the top three clubs from each hemisphere.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sinfield is an advocate of the proposal which is currently being discussed by some of the game's leading figures in Singapore. "It's a brilliant idea," he said.

"Super League is often written off by NRL teams. That's the nature of it and we just get on with it.

"But this would expand the competition and be innovative, something which the fans would warm too as well.

"We tried back in 1997 with everybody from Super League involved. Our competition was quite a way behind back then but I'm not sure if it is anymore so let's put some of our best sides up against some of theirs and see how we get on.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"If they want to play it in Australia then fine; I'd play it whereever they want."

Sinfield believes it is also a necessary step to advance England's international credentials.

"It would give people opportunity to play at a higher level," he added. "We talk about improving England's chances and there's no better way to do it.

"In Australia they've got State of Origin (New South Wales v Quuensland) but we don't have that over here.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We need something that gives a higher level of competition for our players and that certainly would."

Hetherington has suggested dedicating an entire weekend solely to the World Club Challenge to maximise its pulling power and coverage.

The third-placed clubs from the play-offs would face each other on Friday night, followed by the Grand Final runners-up the next evening before the respective league champions bring a climax to the weekend on the Sunday.

It would operate in a Super League v NRL style with the victors over the three ties being awarded a prize but the winners of the Sunday fixture still dubbed World Club Challenge champions.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

If the format had taken place this year potential clashes would have seen Wigan Warriors v Bulldogs, St Helens v Parramatta Eels and Leeds v Melbourne.

Hetherington – who would like to see it staged in England next year – said all of the NRL chief executives he had spoken to were keen on the idea and believes it can easily be incorporated into the already hectic calendar by playing a full round of fixtures in week one instead of the usual two games.

"In sport there is huge interest in the internationalisation of club sport," said Hetherington.

"In soccer we have it with the Champions League, in rugby union we have the Heineken Cup – all be it European – but this is rugby league's opportunity to develop something for the interest of the game."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He does not envisage the embarrassing results of the ill-conceived World Club Championship more than a decade ago.

"We couldn't compete on equal terms in 1997," he admitted.

"We were hopelessly adrift but now standards have closed and we could be pretty confident of competing.

"We feel the Super League could host it and create some real value. It's a property to be further developed hopefully over the next three years with potential to then offer to the world market.

"I'd like to think other international cities and destinations could be interested in staging the World Club Challenge.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"That's the challenge for the game and hopefully the RFL and NRL could pick up, grasp and explore it rather than leaving the clubs to play a one-off game."

Meanwhile, Australian centre Brett Delaney has recovered from a foot injury in time to feature for Leeds tomorrow bolstering their chances of success.

Sinfield, who led the champions to a hard-fought 11-4 success over the Storm two years ago, said: "They've got an even better squad now and I expect it to be a lot tougher again but I think we're in a good place.

"It's a game we've talked about for a while; it's important for everybody."