To me it always seems disappointing that the NRL champions fly across the world to play one game, and at the same time we're also perennially bemoaning the lack of competitive international fixtures for our national side. I think I'd save the plans for eight team competitions in Las Vegas (and what would casual observers stumbling out of a Cher extravaganza have made of that game last night?) and try and interest the NRL champions (or perhaps a composite of more than one NRL team while they are over here) in a match against an England side.

Understand what you are saying Lefty, the "Origin" series hasn't been around for over 10 years. I think it would be a good game, SL has evolved since then. I do understand why people don't want it back, but we need something.

This WCS weekend has been good, I've really enjoyed it, even though the last game was a blow out. However, people say it's not credible because the NRL didn't send their top 3 teams over. Russell Crowe had the idea of expanding it further, and taking it to Las Vegas over two days. It's a good system, it just needs tinkering slightly. Maybe have the two ref rule; one English, one Australian. I don't know. I just don't think it should die on it's a**e simply because St Helens got tanked in the main game.

Wigan had chances to beat Brisbane, we had chances to beat St George. It wasn't the complete nightmare weekend that some people claim it is.

Lancs v Yorks won't work

Market it slightly different and involve the French in some way.

I work for a bank, in Liverpool. This morning the South African Directors/Senior Bods were up from London and all spent the morning discussing the Series, with plenty of Scousers joining in the conversation. In three years of working there, that is the second time that has happened, the previous occasion being the RLWC Semi Final. With the office staff it's football, whilst the guys from Head Office talk Union and Cricket.

Never in a million years would Wire v Wigan at Old Trafford interest my colleagues, even if it was the greatest match in sporting history. I think the importance of these flashy, international events cannot be overstated. A weekend of so called "meaningless friendlies" has generated a ridiculous amount of positive publicity for the game.

At work we have heavily sponsored RU, cricket and horse racing. If we can make this Series an annual event, with big TV audiences I think they'd jump at being sponsors, as would other blue chips. But never, in a million years would an investment bank want to be seen sponsoring Lacashire v Yorkshire.

I agree that the positives accrued by the games played in this year's WCC vastly outweigh the negatives.

(I also agree about how this forum has changed over the years) :-/

This looks like good news; Apparently the NRL clubs have taken a very positive view of the interest shown in the series over here and are excited about the prospects for advertising. So next year we might possibly see an enlarged WCC with four teams each. www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 3msju.html

This looks like good news; Apparently the NRL clubs have taken a very positive view of the interest shown in the series over here and are excited about the prospects for advertising. So next year we might possibly see an enlarged WCC with four teams each. www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 3msju.html

No doubt their fans will whinge like hell about it.

4 teams from the nrl and 4 from Sl. Played over two weeks the 2 winners from week one play in the final.The week after for the right to be crowned champs. Easy and alternative the years one in england then one in Australia.

If the NRL was prepared to begin a week or two earlier, a weekend could be put aside later in the (our) summer to have a big event, along the lines of (and instead of) Magic Weekend, but involving Aussie teams against SL ones - maybe not all of them, perhaps the top 8 from SL against whichever 8 NRL sides are up for it. Saturday/Sunday, Old Trafford or Etihad or Elland Road or wherever, May bank holiday weekend, four games each day. Would be great - staged alternate years Northern and Southern hemispheres. Pipe-dream though, I'm sure.

Your average NRL fan is foaming at the mouth at playing just 1 game against the vastly inferior SL, risking injury and burn out and most of all the lack of opportunity for them to follow their team on the other side of the planet.

Perth needs a rugby team too and this WCS just ruins it all blah blah blah.

Perth has been tried before. It's ARL territory. You of all of us know how difficult it has been in London.

Being Devil's Advocate for a moment, put yourself in the position of an Aussie fan concerning all this WCS business..... Its the equivalent of a challenge between the Scottish Premier League and English Premier League in football - You would have the Scottish fans foaming at the mouth at the chance to stick one up their superior rival, whilst also getting the chance to finally see some decent quality footballers parading their stuff in Scotland... The English fans though would be simply shrugging their shoulders and asking what's the point.

Its the same for the Aussies with this - What exactly is in it for them?..... The truth is, we need this whole thing a lot more than the Aussies do and so, to a certain extent, I can understand their reluctance to any expansion of this.

Personally, I think it was a roaring success, with everybody involved getting something positive from the whole thing - The Aussie sides got a decent, competitive hit out, the English teams got valuable experience of some high quality, intense rugby, and the fans got to see some decent rugby.

Fans sat at home in Sydney though quite possibly just shrugged their shoulders and asked what's the point....

Why cant we just go with Great Britain v Australia/New Zealand series at a given point between Feb and Nov each with alternate home advantage?