I thought it was the kit man - maybe they've gone on their hols together.

The bitterness on here is neither edifying nor accurately directed.

Neither Wigan nor Saints deserve to be in the World Club Series. But at the start of the season the RFL made it clear that if one club won the double then the Grand Final losers would be included. They also made it quite clear that if one club won the treble then they, the RFL, would choose the third team to take part. All the clubs and their fans knew this before the season started.

If three different clubs had won the three pieces of silverware on offer then unless those clubs included Wigan and Saints, then Wigan and Saints wouldn't have been included.

If Huddersfield had won one piece of silverware on offer then they would have automatically been included. That the RFL haven't chosen Huddersfield on this occasion may well be because last season the club wasn't prepared or couldn't afford to stump up the bond that was in operation last year. I am sure all the clubs will have been made aware of the RFL's reasoning behind choosing Saints. But the inclusion of Saints is as disconnected to the first choice criteria as the inclusion of Wigan is because the first choice of the RFL and the clubs was for the winners of the silverware to be involved just as the winners of the silverware from down under are involved.

Maybe next season Huddersfield will win silverware and thus be automatically included in the World Club Series. In the meantime, don't berate Saints or Saints' fans for a decision which will have had nothing to do with them. The RFL had to choose a third club because Leeds did the treble. They chose one.

Incidentally, there was no bond this year. Blake Solly confirmed that on Twitter.

Nobody is berating Saints or Saints fans, the RFL are to blame, they had no basis for picking Saints given the previous seasons precedent when the losing play off semi finalist whom finished highest in the table was picked.
If you really think it fair that Saints were selected then you probably agree with Ganson going into the Belle Vue refs room at half time and screaming at Tim Roby and demanding he penalise Wakefield at the ruck.

Wigan qualified for the WCS by being Grand Finalists. They also qualified by finishing 2nd in Superleague. I know some Saints fans find this hard to accept but Wigan legitimately qualified for the tournament, Saints didn't. For some bizarre reason the RFL couldn't be d coming up with another qualifying criteria and decided on some "selection process" which included the bizarre caveat of a team being "committed to the WCS". Given only 3 clubs have played in it that is a rather narrow criteria that excludes a large section of Superleague. They could have had the CCup runners up, the team who finished 3rd or the team with the best record in the Super 8's like any other professional sport would do. No instead Saints get picked because 1) they've played in it before, 2) they had a better record in this years Challenge Cup (except they didn't, they had the same record we had ie they lost to Leeds. Just because they played them 3 rounds later shouldn't have a bearing on it) 3) they had a better record in the Superleague (except they didn't). The reality is Saints were picked because they are seen as a big club. It wouldn't matter if we finished 3rd or Castleford or Widnes, they would always pick Saints, even had they finished 8th and don't kid yourself it would be any different.

It's a terrible decision but unfortunately typical of the half-assed, amatuerish, small-minded, chip-on-the-shoulder, way this game is run. And is precisely part of the reason we can't attract more fans.

It's pathetic.

You can add sponsors to that comment aswell. I am a sponsor myself, only because I have followed RL since my Dad started taking me in the late 60's. I have taken various business owners/potential sponsors to various events in an attempt to get them involved with sponsorship and every single person has said they did want their name associated with a Mickey Mouse organisation like the RFL and this decision just strengthens their decision. From the England coaches team selection, the current standard of refereeing, right through to the way the sport is managed it's a complete amateurish shambles.

Saints or Huddersfield was a no brainer.

Saints everytime.

Poor old huddersfield.

What's the England coaches team selection got to do with anything?

Let me guess, not enough huddersfield players selected, amirite?

Poor Einstein !

Stuck for something to do on a Sunday afternoon now seasons over --so thought hed click the link to the Giants forum!!-bless him!

"hammerite":- a well known tradename for antirust treatment (which it would appear is exactly what flexi needs-and soon!

And that attitude is the attitude of the people running the game, and the reason the game will never grow as the governing body have decided that there's only ever going to be 3 teams that matter to them!!
People wonder why it's the same teams all the time ... Well the RFL have proved that it's because those are the teams they WANT to be doing well. Can you imagine a soccer team not being allowed to play in Europe because the FA don't deem them attractive or big enough ?

Except they haven't decided there's only 3 teams that matter to them. It's just due to leeds winning everything, they were left with a problem. Being as huddersfield turned it down last year, and the no doubt larger attendance saints would produce, they've gone with saints.

Maybe if huddersfield hadn't done their usual playoff choking act they'd have qualified on merit, but instead you blame the big bad RFL rather than yourselves. A lack of personal responsibility is a losers attitude, which is typical of huddersfield.

Maybe rather than blaming the RFL, you use this as motivation for next season. To drive you on, to make sure you actually have some success and then qualify for it on merit.

Why should the size of a potential crowd have any bearing on who is selected though ? again, another reason to keep it with the status quo, let's keep the top clubs at the top and geive them even more chances to earn more money/exposure etc....

and we didn't turn it down, we weren't offered a crack, just like this year !

the club arent interested unless they actually win the grand final and thats coming from the very top in ken davy

i dont agree.

It should've been Catalan if they were picking a club.

Lack of ambition more like. They way the Club is being run and the lack of marketing is a worry. Have we peaked and are not prepared to speculate due to poor crowds . Will be interesting how many season tickets are sold.

lack of marketing is down to poor finances.

poor finances due to poor crowds

any idea's on how to boost the crowds significantly to what we need to just break even? never mind to make a profit in order to improve marketing etc

vicious circle.