Not fussed for the trophy, or title. Prize money would be fine.

Record books:

2008 - Leeds Rhinos
2009 - Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
2010 - Leeds Rhinos vs. Melbourne Storm (Result void due to Salary Cap Breach)
2011 - St. George Illawarra Dragons

Simples.

Bradford should be stripped as 2005 champions also.

I read that article to say that they have been stripped of the title not that Leeds will now be formally recognised at WCC 2010. Quite rightly too, blank year for me... but the Leeds squad players at the time should get the £50k prize money (I understand Gary promised them it at the time) from Melbourne.

Why??

Because they didn't play in it? thats harsh?

I don't agree.

For mine: I can only assume that my managers are paid higher wages than myself where i work.
I just happen to know of the wage that one of my friends at work receives, as it popped up in a discussion.
I personally don't make a habit of asking about colleague's wages, even ones who i am very good friends with.

Why couldn't this be the same in sport?

I'm not sure, three time World Club Champions has a nice ring to it and allows Leeds to join Wigan and Bradford in that particular club.

Yes, but they would lord-it over us with, you haven't "really" won three like we have. I will wait to join that club, when we can say we have actually won 4 "really" and have those bragging rights!

Me neither. They must have known something wasn't quite right. The cars, houses and lifestyle that comes to the high earners...All those big names in the dressing room and nobody seriously thought 'Well I'm getting paid a hefty wedge...that leaves all these other super stars sharing the rest, are they mugs '

Very good point mate

Although we will never be deemed as world club champions that year

Surely we can now safely say that we again lost a trophy to a salary cap cheating side can we not?

Are we the first SL club to have been shafted in winning a GF and also WCC by both SL and NRL cheating sides?

I don't know about you, but I definitely remember Bradford beating us at Old Trafford in 2005.

Aren't the respective salary caps different anyway? Hard to tell with the huge change in exchange rate in recent years- While there seem to be pages and pages of conditions and accounting nuances, the raw figures are 4.3m AUD for NRL and 1.6m GBP for superleague. Exchange rate in 2010 was about 2.2 dollars to the pound, meaning the superleague cap was 3.52m AUD. Now, the exchange rate is a woefull 1.6 dollars to the pound, so the SL cap would be the equivalent of 2.56m AUD.

This shows two things for me A) It's hard to compare caps and therefore determine whether the WCC is on a level playing field and B) with rumours the new NRL TV deal will put the cap up to 7Million, how on earth can the superleague team compete in the WCC?

Does make you wonder where the WCC is heading. Its no suprise that the NRL teams have tightened their grip on the trophy in the last few years - despite their lack of match fitness and the winter conditions in which they quickly have to adapt - as the NRL [iis[/i continually improving, an increased salary cap will no doubt enhance this trend. SL on the other hand I'm not so sure. It is certainly the most competitive season we've had for a long time, but I dont think it is down to an increase in overall standards - more to do with injuries (as discussed in another thread) and the reality of what is a very restrictive cap.

It would be nice for the WCC to become a prominent end of season fixture, but if we can't beat a half fit NRL team in our own back yard then I dread to think what would happen if the event were staged in, say, Sydney (in October)

It's a contest between a RFL and a NRL representative as determined by becoming their Champion club the previous season. The only relevant part to me is whether they are playing within the rules set by their respective governing bodies, not whether those rules are harmonised first before it becomes a fair contest. That particular contest already has many inequalities built in. Timing, venue, travel, preparation etc. so just add permitted cap spend into that mix.

In this case it appears one pretty much played within their governing bodies rules while the other rorted theirs for all they were worth.