Rhinos may get chance to challenge Sea Eagles in Sydney

NRL champions Manly Sea Eagles want to host the 2012 World Club Challenge in Sydney next year and are hopeful the new Super League victors will agree.

England has been the venue for each of the dozen contests since the competition was resurrected in 2000.

Brisbane Broncos were the last Australian club to welcome an English opponent in 1994 when Wigan defeated them at Suncorp Stadium in front of 54,220 fans but logistic reasons have meant there has been no such meeting since.

However, Rhinos chief executive Hetherintgon told the Yorkshire Post: “We’re delighted they want to do this and, if it can be arranged, we’d love to do so.

“I’ve spoken to some players already and they are up for attacking it. We’ve won the title twice in Leeds but realise the ultimate challenge would be to go and do what Wigan did in 1994 and beat them in their own backyard.”

“The NRL have always been a bit dubious about staging it there depending on who wins their final.

“But now that Manly have done so – a big Sydney club – they seem confident of being able to make a real big occasion of it.

“We’ve always said it would be more desirable to play the World Club Challenge in both hemispheres.

“It will need us to alter our fixtures; possibly play on a Wednesday night here, then fly out, play the Challenge the following Friday, returning to Super League the Sunday after, leaving one fixture to be played later in the season like Wigan and Cas’ this year.

“But we would love to be able to do it and we’ll see what they suggest.”