Peacock calls for World Club Challenge to embrace more teams

The England captain became the first player to earn four World Club titles after playing a pivotal part in Leeds’s epic 26-12 win over Australian premiers Manly Sea Eagles on Friday night.

But he feels the one-off annual contest between the Super League champions and their southern hemisphere counterparts now needs to be enhanced.

RFL chief executive Nigel Wood has revealed he is keen to follow up Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington’s idea of pitching three of this nation’s best against the Australians’ three finest and will bring the subject to the table at the next meeting of the International Federation.

David Gallop, chief executive of the new Australian Rugby League Commission, said he would listen to any proposal and there is genuine hope there could be a way forward after years of indifference from the Australian game.

Peacock said: “It is a good idea if we played three games over one weekend – we need to do something different.

“Having a real elite competition is the way to go forward. All other sports seem to have leagues where other countries meet the best.

“We’d be keen to do it and I’m sure Heinz would like to be a part of that after what they got on Friday. That was a great game which lived up to expectations. I imagine it was good to watch but it was great to play in.”

Peacock will travel to London tomorrow to collect his MBE from Her Majesty the Queen.

“I’m getting the train with my mum and dad and my wife and will be picking it (the MBE) up on Wednesday,” he said.

“It’s a special week and good to go down there on the back of a win like we just had; it was a great effort.”

Peacock led an amazing defensive effort from Leeds as Manly tried desperately to take control of the game after half-time but the determined hosts held them off and finished with aplomb.

“That’s the way we do it,” he said.

“We had to dig in on our own line against St Helens in the Grand Final and then came away stronger at the end and it was pretty similar on Friday.

“We’re never beaten in any game. Manly came to play but all the young lads stood up – some of them were exceptional – and it was just a fantastic win.

“I thought the crowd was great and it was a real special night at Headingley, one that will go down in the history books.”

On the plans for expansion, Wood said: “We’ve got four, five, six clubs that are the match of the sides in the NRL.

“The NRL has recently made some changes to its governance structure and no doubt once they’ve had a chance to settle in, international club rugby league might be an area they may now want to look at.”

Leeds’s Jamie Jones-Buchanan had a minor knee operation following an injury sustained against Manly and will miss next Sunday’s game at Widnes but could return at Castleford on March 2.