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Thread: World Club Challenge

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    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk The Wee Waa Womble's Avatar
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    Default World Club Challenge

    https://www.saintsrlfc.com/2022/11/1...lub-challenge/

    Saturday 18th February live on Channel 4. Excellent news!
    Forwards win games. The backs decide by how much.

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    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk Blobbynator's Avatar
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    https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2022...-of-2023-draw/

    St George also confirmed they'll play us in a friendly the week before. Exciting start to the season for us.
    Quote Originally Posted by Despondent Dave
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    Got A Season Ticket BigTuna's Avatar
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    Looking forward to this, and good to have an NRL warm up first. Thought the Dolphins might have put their hat in the ring for the warm up, a chance to get themselves a scalp before the season starts over there.
    I ate a tuna sandwich on my first day!

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    In The West Stand Ralph Fridge's Avatar
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    What time do the coaches leave?

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    In The South Stand warringtonsaint's Avatar
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    And being broadcast by Channel 4 too, excellent!
    "The great fallacy is that the game is first and last about winning. It is nothing of the kind. The game is about glory, it is about doing things in style and with a flourish, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom." Danny Blanchflower.
    Might have been written by a footballer about football - but never a truer word............

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    hope they don't beat us by too many

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    Got A Season Ticket BigTuna's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by warringtonsaint View Post
    And being broadcast by Channel 4 too, excellent!
    Yeah really good, just a shame it's such an early start for the casual viewer that might not be up a just switch it on by chance.
    I ate a tuna sandwich on my first day!

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    In The South Stand 49er's Avatar
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    Probably in the minority but was wishing this wasn’t going to happen. We have nothing to gain and lots to lose. If we win it will because they aren’t playing a full team (as led to believe). If we win it’s v a 2nd string team. We I’ll be fatigued for start of season and possibly pick up injuries. We need to stop trying to compare the two comps. It’s pointless. I hope this doesn’t come back to bite us /Wello in the arse.
    I will also not accept if we have a few loses at start of season anyone from the club saying ‘well it’s because we went to Australia’.
    Happy to be proved wrong but I worry this will not help Wellens or our chance of winning a 5th title.
    Humans are more concerned with having than being.

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    Quote Originally Posted by 49er View Post
    Probably in the minority but was wishing this wasn’t going to happen. We have nothing to gain and lots to lose. If we win it will because they aren’t playing a full team (as led to believe). If we win it’s v a 2nd string team. We I’ll be fatigued for start of season and possibly pick up injuries. We need to stop trying to compare the two comps. It’s pointless. I hope this doesn’t come back to bite us /Wello in the arse.
    I will also not accept if we have a few loses at start of season anyone from the club saying ‘well it’s because we went to Australia’.
    Happy to be proved wrong but I worry this will not help Wellens or our chance of winning a 5th title.
    Perhaps you are in a minority but I agree with you. it is likely to be a lose, lose exercise for the reason you state so well. Nothing really beneficial can come of it. I would less bothered if it didn't entail a 26,000 mile round trip but even then I would not be in favour of it. If we actually win against their best team, so what? If we pick up major injuries or if we lose how will it affect morale going into the season? Will it make the club substantially more financial viable? What exactly will we gain; win or lose?

    As you say we can't compare the comps since theirs has so much more money in it, it isn't comparing like with like

    The real issue is to get a properly meaningful competition in the northern hemisphere rather than this sideshow in my opinion. If we lose a few matches as a result at the start of the season we probably have enough to come back into the pointless regular season existing comp we have here, unless we sustain serious injuries to half backs again. Injuries are part of the game but why risk them for no good reason?

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    In The South Stand 49er's Avatar
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    Agree totally
    Humans are more concerned with having than being.

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    Quote Originally Posted by 49er View Post
    Probably in the minority but was wishing this wasn’t going to happen. We have nothing to gain and lots to lose. If we win it will because they aren’t playing a full team (as led to believe). If we win it’s v a 2nd string team. We I’ll be fatigued for start of season and possibly pick up injuries. We need to stop trying to compare the two comps. It’s pointless. I hope this doesn’t come back to bite us /Wello in the arse.
    I will also not accept if we have a few loses at start of season anyone from the club saying ‘well it’s because we went to Australia’.
    Happy to be proved wrong but I worry this will not help Wellens or our chance of winning a 5th title.
    Nah - worrying about failure is not what this team is about.

    Get out there and give it your all, then come back and win number 5.

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    We play twenty-seven weekly rounds and each year we throw a couple of games with weakened squads, a couple of defeats early shouldn’t be too catastrophic to put chances of finishing in the top four due to the sheer number of dead games we play each calendar year.

    We win, great, we’ve become the first side to win over there in a generation or two and can come back with another pot to clean. We lose, it’s to a quality team and we can come home and crack on with the season. You can’t be scared of injuries, they could happen in a massive game (Dodd v Wigan) or in a comfortable win (Grace v Whitehaven).

    I’m just gutted I won’t be able to go.
    St Helens Rugby League Football Club

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    WARNING! PIE EATER!

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    For those of you who can, get yourselves over there. WIN Stadium is a superb venue. The Steelers Leagues club made us very welcome when we went in 2018. Penrith Sports complex is amazing but the stadium isn't the best.
    We stayed in Woolongong for the 1st game and then into Sydney for the 2nd.
    Then we moved onto Perth for five days before travelling home.
    You may never get another chance, do it.

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    Got A Season Ticket BigTuna's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by FearTheVee View Post
    Nah - worrying about failure is not what this team is about.

    Get out there and give it your all, then come back and win number 5.
    This.

    Too much negativity with RL in this country. Lets go over there, put in a performance and show them we aren't walkovers, and make them sit up and take notice of SL for a change.
    I ate a tuna sandwich on my first day!

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    There's no way this group are thinking about it being lose lose, they'll be 100% focused on getting over there and ripping in.

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    **NEWS UPDATE**

    Hopoate has pulled out due to probable injury?

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    In The West Stand Dux's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 49er View Post
    Probably in the minority but was wishing this wasn’t going to happen. We have nothing to gain and lots to lose. If we win it will because they aren’t playing a full team (as led to believe). If we win it’s v a 2nd string team. We I’ll be fatigued for start of season and possibly pick up injuries. We need to stop trying to compare the two comps. It’s pointless. I hope this doesn’t come back to bite us /Wello in the arse.
    I will also not accept if we have a few loses at start of season anyone from the club saying ‘well it’s because we went to Australia’.
    Happy to be proved wrong but I worry this will not help Wellens or our chance of winning a 5th title.
    You don't know that they're going to put out a weakened side. If they put a full strength side out and we beat them then it'll go down as one of the club's greatest achievements, IMO. Even if they don't field a full line-up, we can still go there and make a statement. As long as it's financially viable, I'm all in.

    I personally don't care if people think we've won because our opponents are understrength or not giving it everything. For me it's not about comparing comps (obviously the NRL is miles ahead); it's about two great teams from the two great heartlands of the game earning the right to play each other by being the best in their respective competitions. It's not SL vs NRL, it's Saints vs Penrith.

    We may well take a hit in form early in the season, but sadly the structure of the league means that this will be completely inconsequential.

  18. #18
    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk STIDDY's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 49er View Post
    Probably in the minority but was wishing this wasn’t going to happen. We have nothing to gain and lots to lose. If we win it will because they aren’t playing a full team (as led to believe). If we win it’s v a 2nd string team. We I’ll be fatigued for start of season and possibly pick up injuries. We need to stop trying to compare the two comps. It’s pointless. I hope this doesn’t come back to bite us /Wello in the arse.
    I will also not accept if we have a few loses at start of season anyone from the club saying ‘well it’s because we went to Australia’.
    Happy to be proved wrong but I worry this will not help Wellens or our chance of winning a 5th title.
    I,m kind of warming to it now, its the clubs 150th anniversary year so something like this endorses how a great club we have been and still are.

    My biggest worry is picking up injuries to our pivotal players and having to go through the season with half of our first choice backline. It will create a period of fatique in Superleague, but we can recover towards the business end of the season, also we are history makers can we win superleague again from 6th place.

    An interesting one is what if Ritson has a good pre season with us and settles in very quickly, could he make an appearance in a World Club Challenge having been a championship player 4 months before. Is that history making as well.

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    Quote Originally Posted by STIDDY View Post
    I,m kind of warming to it now, its the clubs 150th anniversary year so something like this endorses how a great club we have been and still are.

    My biggest worry is picking up injuries to our pivotal players and having to go through the season with half of our first choice backline. It will create a period of fatique in Superleague, but we can recover towards the business end of the season, also we are history makers can we win superleague again from 6th place.

    An interesting one is what if Ritson has a good pre season with us and settles in very quickly, could he make an appearance in a World Club Challenge having been a championship player 4 months before. Is that history making as well.
    Injuries can happen any time - I know we had rough year with them last year, but as others have said, picking up an injury in the WCC is just as likely as picking up an injury playing Leigh as a warm up game, we just have to accept what will be will be in that regard.

    With regards to fatigue, I would play the kids against Castleford and treat Leeds at home as our real season opener (as it should have been anyway). That should give us enough time to get over any jet lag or problems and worst case puts us 2 games behind our rivals.

    As for the WCC itself, we have the opportunity to be the first English team to beat an NRL team in Australia in the SL era - I don't care if its a Penrith second string or warm up game or anything else - its still another accolade for this team to collect. If we don't win, no one expects us to anyway as we would be wooden spooners if you listen to the majority of SL fans.

  20. #20
    Starting A Programme Collection NSL's Avatar
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    Can't believe any negativity towards this fixture. What an opportunity for the players, been denied to them for whatever reason over the last three years. Can't wait, wish I could go.


    Quote Originally Posted by STIDDY View Post
    An interesting one is what if Ritson has a good pre season with us and settles in very quickly, could he make an appearance in a World Club Challenge having been a championship player 4 months before. Is that history making as well.
    I think I remember this already being done when Wigan last played one and Joe Bullock was involved.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ralph Fridge View Post
    What time do the coaches leave?
    The human ones or the charabangs��

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    Fantastic news, getting the club out there and raising it's profile. It should be a great experience for the lads too. I just hope it doesn't mean we lose a few of them if they're impressed by what they see, but that's an everpresent risk anyway.

    I just I was rich enough at the moment to do the week there. Is anyone on here going? If so, would they mind documenting it a bit on here perhaps?

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    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk Belgian Saint's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dux View Post
    You don't know that they're going to put out a weakened side. If they put a full strength side out and we beat them then it'll go down as one of the club's greatest achievements, IMO. Even if they don't field a full line-up, we can still go there and make a statement. As long as it's financially viable, I'm all in.

    I personally don't care if people think we've won because our opponents are understrength or not giving it everything. For me it's not about comparing comps (obviously the NRL is miles ahead); it's about two great teams from the two great heartlands of the game earning the right to play each other by being the best in their respective competitions. It's not SL vs NRL, it's Saints vs Penrith.

    We may well take a hit in form early in the season, but sadly the structure of the league means that this will be completely inconsequential.
    I agree with your post.
    I was on the fence about this at first, but now it’s on I think we have to go for it. We have the luxury of having the same players that won SL last year, something we haven’t always had. If we don’t win it I’m sure this team will give everything and there won’t be much in it. COYS.

  24. #24
    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk Blobbynator's Avatar
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    It's right at the start of the season so I'm fine with it. It's not like we're playing a couple of SL games, having the WCC and then going back to SL. We're having a trial game, the WCC then pur season starts. I imagine Saints will go over and treat it as a warm weather training camp with a final at the end of it. I doubt it will impact our season too much but we shall see. If it does I'm sure we can catch it up later down the line.
    Quote Originally Posted by Despondent Dave
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    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk The Wee Waa Womble's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 49er View Post
    Probably in the minority but was wishing this wasn’t going to happen. We have nothing to gain and lots to lose. If we win it will because they aren’t playing a full team (as led to believe). If we win it’s v a 2nd string team. We I’ll be fatigued for start of season and possibly pick up injuries. We need to stop trying to compare the two comps. It’s pointless. I hope this doesn’t come back to bite us /Wello in the arse.
    I will also not accept if we have a few loses at start of season anyone from the club saying ‘well it’s because we went to Australia’.
    Happy to be proved wrong but I worry this will not help Wellens or our chance of winning a 5th title.
    I don’t think they will put out a weak side, they won’t live down losing to us regardless of the side they field. Having a pre-season game followed by a WCC in Australia is a good way to go into it. Round 2 is v Castleford so field the youngsters again if necessary. It’s a long season, we can afford to give up a win at the start of it.

    The world club challenge is a prestigious event and it’s a chance for the 2 dominant sides in super league and the NRL to go head to head. We need showpieces like this in rugby league if the game is to expand and appeal to a wider audience.
    Forwards win games. The backs decide by how much.

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