NRL urged to become more committed to World Club Series

Granted, that is rather disingenuous; it was not just any old 160 minutes of blood, sweat and endeavour that lifted the sport’s spirits here at the weekend.

Wigan Warriors’ 22-6 World Club Challenge defeat of NRL champions Cronulla Sharks, following hard on the trail of Warrington Wolves’ epic 27-18 win over Brisbane Broncos was a double of gargantuan proportions.

After years of strife against their antipodean rivals, it sparked not only welcome relief but also some genuine hope for the future. Indeed, Leeds Rhinos’ chief executive Gary Hetherington was quick to underline just how important the World Club Series success was and will be for the future.

“These are the most significant results in the last 20 years of the World Club Challenge competition,” he told The Yorkshire Post.

“Because, although we’ve won it three times at Leeds, Saints have won it twice and Wigan now on four occasions, there’s never been back-to-back results like this over one weekend.

“The manner in which both Wigan and Warrington won, too, was very impressive and really significant for the competition and not least for Super League and rugby league in England.

“They were two terrific games, two really good occasions and two outstanding results.”

Given no Super League side had won a single tie since the World Club Challenge was expanded to the World Club Series three years ago, that is all the more pertinent.

The NRL sides had vanquished them 3-0 in each of the last two years, while no British side had actually lifted the World Club Challenge since Hetherington’s own Leeds side beat Manly in 2012.

It is fair to say, if the hosts had not prospered, the enlarged concept could have been on its knees given many NRL sides had already lost interest, including Melbourne Storm who refused to take up their place to face Challenge Cup winners Hull FC.

However, Super League produced when it mattered most to illustrate the quality and potential of British teams.

“There was huge disappointment from Super League that the full series didn’t materialise as there really ought to be three to define it as such,” Hetherington continued. “As it happened, we won two irrespective of there being a third so we took the series and won it for the first time. That is very significant in itself.

“But I don’t think Super League and our executive could have done any more to get those three matches. They have promoted the World Club Challenge and World Club Series, really backed it, but been let down basically by the apathy from the NRL.

“Some of the clubs have been supportive, none more so than Brisbane Broncos, but there has not been the leadership from the NRL you would like to see.

“That’s been the problem. As far as I’m aware, there was no one actually representing the NRL at the games over the weekend.

“That’s an example of the commitment they have shown to it.”

For Hetherington, it is imperative that the chance to crystallise long-term plans is not lost.

He added: “These two results do show there’s a future for a meaningful competition between Super League and NRL clubs.

“It’s up to our executive and the NRL to resume dialogue now and see how it can be developed. It needs a plan progressing it for five years ideally and whether it entails the World Club Series just once every two, who knows.

“We have to keep the World Club Challenge every season as we have done for the last 18 years.

“That adds to the incentive for all clubs to be in Super League and there is no doubt there is a real incentive for it here. But there is also the ultimate challenge for Super League clubs – and that’s winning it in Australia.

“That doesn’t necessarily have to be on someone’s home ground; Australia have been very successful in taking events elsewhere like Test matches to Perth. Now there’s been a series defeat to show English clubs can compete you’d want places bidding to stage as host cities.”

Hetherington believes successwith the brand of football Warrington played, ironically against a Brisbane side led by England coach Wayne Bennett, is a pointer towards how the national team can tackle the World Cup this year.

“If you’re going to be better than Australia we have to beat them at our game not just by trying to get as good as them at the way they do things,” he said.

“Australia were extremely methodical in last year’s Four Nations, but neither England or New Zealand challenged them using their own expertise. For them to more than challenge they have to find a way to beat them and I think Warrington, in particular, displayed just how that could be done.”