Leeds ready to travel should Melbourne want home tie

The Rhinos earned the right to defend their world crown after beating Warrington 26-18 in Saturday night’s Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford.

The clash with the Storm, who beat Canterbury Bulldogs in last Sunday’s NRL Grand Final, will be a repeat of the 2008 and 2010 World Club Challenges which were both staged at Elland Road in front of crowds of 33,204 and 27,697. The Super League champions hosted Manly Sea Eagles at Headingley earlier this year, where a full house of 21,062 witnessed Leeds achieve their second world title with a 26-12 victory, and club chief executive Gary Hetherington is anticipating home advantage once more.

He said: “We’re going to be entertaining without doubt one of the best rugby league teams of all time in the Melbourne Storm and it’s going to be great to bring them to Headingley and stage the match on our new pitch which we will have in place in the next six weeks.”

Leeds will start work tomorrow on laying a new £1m pitch which will include undersoil heating to remove any threat to the match from an English winter.

The annual clash of the champions has been staged in England every year since it was revived in 2000 – Brisbane were the last Australian team to host it when they lost to Wigan in 1995 – and Super League teams have won eight of the 13 contests so far.

Hetherington is on a joint working party looking at revamping the World Club Challenge and he insists alternate or neutral venues remain likely in the future.

“There has been a lot of work done on that,” he said. “There is no doubt that we will be working towards expanding the World Club Championship and playing it in alternate hemispheres as well.

“For next year the plan was to play it in England but it could be subject to change if the NRL wish to stage it. We’re ready to go and have always been ready to go. The ball is very much in their court.

“When we were asked last year if we were prepared to go to Sydney to play Manly, to a man everybody said ‘yes’. Our attitude is that we’ve always been prepared to go to Australia for what would be the ultimate challenge. It’s an NRL and SLE competition – it’s not within our gift to say where we’re playing – but, as far as we’re concerned, we’re able and willing to get on a plane and play it in Melbourne.

“Whether it’s at Headingley or Melbourne, we’re really looking forward to flying the flag for Super League and for British rugby league.”

Hetherington hailed his Leeds captain Kevin Sinfield as an “immortal” after demonstrating exceptional skill and bravery to lead his side to a record-breaking sixth Super League title.

The veteran stand-off picked himself up after an horrific clash of heads with Warrington hooker Michael Monaghan early in the second half to guide the Rhinos to a 26-18 victory. It was the club’s sixth Grand Final success.

“He never ceases to amaze,” said Hetherington. “I think Kevin will go down as one of the immortals of the sport.

“His achievements are quite remarkable. He’s a great personality and epitomises everything about the Leeds Rhinos team.”

Sinfield’s display earned him the Harry Sunderland trophy as the Man of the Match.