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Wigan and Hull FC preseason in Australia


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According to the Daily Telegraph Wigan and Hull FC will play a pre-season double header in Australia at ANZ Stadium.

Wigan will play South Sydney Rabbitohs with Hull FC playing St. George Illawara Dragons.

 

 

Dean Ritchie, EXCLUSIVE, The Daily Telegraph 19th July 2017

THE NRL season is poised to kick off next year with a spectacular international double-header in front of a huge crowd at ANZ Stadium.

Plans are well advanced for South Sydney and St George Illawarra to play two English Super League teams — Wigan and Hull FC — on the same day in the pre-season.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal Souths would confront Wigan while the Dragons would play Hull on February 16 in an exhibition extravaganza which should attract at least 40,000 fans.

It is understood the traditional pre-season Charity Shield between the Rabbitohs and Dragons would be played a week later.
With the Nines and indigenous All Stars matches off the agenda in 2018 due to the World Cup crowding the off-season calendar, this double-header could serve as an unofficial start to the NRL year ahead.

The Daily Telegraph has been the told Souths and the Dragons are just awaiting final confirmation from England before the matches are officially announced.

The NRL isn’t contributing financially to the planned matches but Wigan and Hull would pay their own way with gate receipts and corporate sponsorship to cover their costs.

The double-header — which would be the first at the Olympic venue since 2004 — would create enormous interest from fans starved of footy over the summer and enjoy considerable commercial success.

Rugby league has never engaged two English teams to help kickstart a season.

It is unknown whether the World Club Series — which incorporated the annual World Club Challenge — would now continue being played during the off-season in England.

Wigan officials were recently in Sydney to hold discussions surrounding their match against Souths.

The two games would give South Sydney’s Burgess brothers — Sam, George and Thomas — and Dragons five-eighth Gareth Widdop a chance to play against Old English mates.

One well-placed source said: “It will be a great way to promote international rugby league after the World Cup. Hull FC are also expected to make the trip. 

“Souths and the Dragons have strong and traditional supporter bases. Both also play games out of ANZ Stadium.

“It be interesting to see how many English fans make the journey out to get some sun, surf and footy.”

Wigan and Hull have indicated they would be sending their strongest possible sides to Australia.

Souths have a strong Super League connection with Michael Maguire having coached Wigan in 2010 and 2011, winning a Super League title and the Challenge Cup.

Rabbitohs general manager of football Shane Richardson launched Gateshead Thunder and was also the successful chief executive of Hull while Souths CEO Blake Solly was previously Super League general manager.

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We'll woop 'em!

*cough, cough...*

With Halloween coming up I decided to go to my local fancy dress shop to see if I could get a Dracula costume. After a few minutes the assistant handed me a Hull KR shirt asking "Is this suitable?", I replied "I think you may have misheard me, I said I wanted to look like a count."
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Looking forward to it already. :) 

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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1 minute ago, Scubby said:

Great news. I love games like these. Seems a bit presumptuous or a conflict with the WCS? Is it one or the other? The date seems very close to the normal WCS dates.

This would be my concern. Surely the World Club Series needs to be organised first and this fitted around it. Not the other way round. We don't even know who's in the WCC yet 

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3 minutes ago, Spidey said:

This would be my concern. Surely the World Club Series needs to be organised first and this fitted around it. Not the other way round. We don't even know who's in the WCC yet 

This is the first I've see of this but it looks like the clubs just got on with it and sorted it themselves. Not like RL lol.

Or are they inviting themselves to the WCS by default?

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3 minutes ago, Scubby said:

This is the first I've see of this but it looks like the clubs just got on with it and sorted it themselves. Not like RL lol.

Or are they inviting themselves to the WCS by default?

Other teams will be miffed if this is the case when they actually finish above them in the league or win a trophy. 

If the RFL had any balls they shouldn't sanction the matches

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Unless this replaces the WCC, don't forget Hull FC were expected to play in it this year after winning the cup but there were only two NRL teams from the top 8 interested so only two SL clubs could be involved.and for some reason they chose Wire as hubcap winners and GF runners up. Perhaps it's a sweetener for Hull FC? :huh:

If it's to be held at the Olympic venue in Sydney I'll probably not be able to go but I'd be perfectly happy to go if they held it in Melbourne instead...

With Halloween coming up I decided to go to my local fancy dress shop to see if I could get a Dracula costume. After a few minutes the assistant handed me a Hull KR shirt asking "Is this suitable?", I replied "I think you may have misheard me, I said I wanted to look like a count."
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1 minute ago, Spidey said:

Other teams will be miffed if this is the case when they actually finish above them in the league or win a trophy. 

If the RFL had any balls they shouldn't sanction the matches

Not sanctioning the event didn't stop Rocky going to Russia to fight Ivan Drago. 

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3 minutes ago, Spidey said:

Other teams will be miffed if this is the case when they actually finish above them in the league or win a trophy. 

A bit like Hull FC last year then?!?! :angry:

With Halloween coming up I decided to go to my local fancy dress shop to see if I could get a Dracula costume. After a few minutes the assistant handed me a Hull KR shirt asking "Is this suitable?", I replied "I think you may have misheard me, I said I wanted to look like a count."
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3 minutes ago, Old Frightful said:

A bit like Hull FC last year then?!?! :angry:

Yep. When setting up this concept there should have been contractual obligations that SL & NRL clubs had to stick to. For the NRL to only send two teams was shoddy. 

Similarly when Warrington effectively bought their place the other year instead of Huddersfield taking part

If we can't do it properly what's the point 

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2 hours ago, Spidey said:

This would be my concern. Surely the World Club Series needs to be organised first and this fitted around it. Not the other way round. We don't even know who's in the WCC yet 

Can't see Souths or dragons getting near it this year. Obviously Wigan and Hull don't think they'll be in it either. 

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2 hours ago, Spidey said:

Other teams will be miffed if this is the case when they actually finish above them in the league or win a trophy. 

If the RFL had any balls they shouldn't sanction the matches

I'm not sure the RFL have any jurisdiction over off season friendly matches to be fair 

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1 hour ago, DoubleD said:

I'm not sure the RFL have any jurisdiction over off season friendly matches to be fair 

They do.

Visit my photography site www.padge.smugmug.com

Radio 5 Live: Saturday 14 April 2007

Dave Whelan "In Wigan rugby will always be king"

 

This country's wealth was created by men in overalls, it was destroyed by men in suits.

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Great news and I'll be there for sure to watch this live. Very interesting start to 2018 for Souths playing Wigan, St merge then flying over to America to play Parramatta in round one I believe, Its a shame we have a very ordinary side coached by one hell of a stubborn man though.

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4 hours ago, Spidey said:

Yep. When setting up this concept there should have been contractual obligations that SL & NRL clubs had to stick to. For the NRL to only send two teams was shoddy. 

Similarly when Warrington effectively bought their place the other year instead of Huddersfield taking part

If we can't do it properly what's the point 

It was Saints who bought their way in.

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4 hours ago, Old Frightful said:

Unless this replaces the WCC, don't forget Hull FC were expected to play in it this year after winning the cup but there were only two NRL teams from the top 8 interested so only two SL clubs could be involved.and for some reason they chose Wire as hubcap winners and GF runners up. Perhaps it's a sweetener for Hull FC? :huh:

If it's to be held at the Olympic venue in Sydney I'll probably not be able to go but I'd be perfectly happy to go if they held it in Melbourne instead...

The SL qualifying has deemed to be a higher ranking than the qualification through the cup so it was natural for Wire to get the 2nd place ahead of the Cup Winners. Remember the furore when there was a risk of HKR could have finished 10th or so yet qualified through the cup and been in this?

It was pee poor that the NRL didnt send 3 teams, but ultimately no team has ever played in the WCS via the Challenge Cup. Wire would have qualified under each year's qualification system as they won the LLS (2016 and 2017 qualifying system) and finished 2nd in SL (2015 system).

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Just now, DoubleD said:

Do you have proof of that?

Its in the operational rules.

Visit my photography site www.padge.smugmug.com

Radio 5 Live: Saturday 14 April 2007

Dave Whelan "In Wigan rugby will always be king"

 

This country's wealth was created by men in overalls, it was destroyed by men in suits.

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7 hours ago, Tre Cool said:

40k? Really?

Wigan are a well known club over hear so they'll draw plenty of interest add to that Souths have over 30,000 members & The dragons also have a large fan base so 40k is very achievable.

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