28th September 2009 Rugby Leaguer & League Express a71 www.totalrl.com 3
RFL BOSS HAILS
CLUB CALL
IMPACT
By PHIL CAPLAN
RFL Chief Executive Nigel Wood has
hailed the introduction of the ‘Club Call’
element introduced into the 2009 Super
League play-offs, as he watched
defending Champions Leeds Rhinos pick
the Catalans Dragons as their opponents
in Friday’s first qualifying semi-final.
Widely acknowledged as the architect of the
innovation, he professed delight at the way the
interest surrounding it had captivated those
present in the Lewis Jones Suite at Headingley
Carnegie stadium, and watching on Sky and the
BBC.
“It was excellent,” said Wood.
“In every aspect it must be considered a
success. We’ve had a good event here, and
reached parts of the media that we wouldn’t
ordinarily have done. It was well conducted, and
the entire panel spoke really well. The processes
St Helens chairman Eamonn McManus, Wigan coach Brian Noble, Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington and
worked, and we have every right to be satisfied.”
Catalans general manager Christophe Levy form the top table at Sunday’s historic Club Call announcement
Asked whether, if he had been put in Leeds
boss Gary Hetherington’s shoes, he would have
made the same choice, he was coy.
RHINOS REJECTED GIANTS'
“It doesn’t really matter what I think, but there
is a certain logic, although you could argue the
choice either way, which is part of the attraction
of this system. For the last 48 hours in particular,
as the sides have become known, people have
been speculating as to what the right outcome
ADVICE TO AVOID DRAGONS
would be, and now Friday night will answer
that.”
What, perhaps, is more important is that the
sides who do eventually contest the Old Trafford
Grand Final will have both played a high-
intensity game the week before, whereas under
By PHIL CAPLAN very difficult. We’ve got such a His strong recommendation was logistics or the possibly tiring
previous play-off formats one side has had a
good, close friendship with the ‘keep away from the Catalans’, but schedule.
week’s rest before the big game, yielding
LEEDS chief executive Gary
Dragons that we thought we’d do we’ve not heeded that and decided “It is a bit tough finding planes,
decidedly mixed results.
“That was one of the main reasons for
Hetherington warmed to the
our bit for Anglo-French relations.” to entertain them.” but we will do it again this week, no
Hetherington revealed in front of Hetherington’s opposite number, problem about that,” he said.
changing the format,” added Wood.
task of unveiling which side
the cameras that the strategy was to Dragons’ General Manager “It is a little difficult for the
“The expansion to a top eight was not just
the Rhinos would play in the
always play the lowest ranked side, Christophe Levy, played down the players and staff, being so long
about introducing ‘Club Call’, it was to put some
Super League qualifying semi- but that the decision was that of fact that, by being chosen, coach away from their families. But that is
depth into the play-offs and balance into the
final at Headingley Carnegie head coach Brian McClennan, and Kevin Walters’ team talk had been why we are in Super League, to play
competition. It ensures, for instance, that if all
Stadium on Friday when
the discussion in earnest did not start done for him, as the Frenchmen had these kinds of games.”
matches went to form, then one versus two
hosting the inaugural ‘Club
until half-an-hour before Club Call been slighted.
wouldn’t happen until the Grand Final.”
Call’ on Sunday afternoon.
was broadcast. “Not at all, we are very proud first
In a move believed to be the first
“We are looking at the best route of all to be playing at Leeds in a
in sport, the reality TV style format
that we think will take us to the semi final,” commented Levy. VOTE IN OUR READERS' POLL
Grand Final,” he confirmed. “We are only four years old; we
had him holding a room full of fans
“We want to put a great spectacle are the babies, and to be competing
and media, and a watching public
Do you regard the Club-Call concept, used for the first time in this
on for the public, but the only with any of the clubs left is an
live on Sky Sports News and BBC’s
consideration was what gives us the honour, but still we will come here
season's Super League play-offs, as:
Super League Show, on tenterhooks,
best chance of getting through to to win.”
1. A great innovation that works well exactly as it is.
while he revealed the reasons
Old Trafford, and that was what “We know they are the
2. A good innovation that could be modified by giving the top club the
behind choosing the Catalans
made it so hard to call. It was a Champions. We finished eighth, and
chance to select any of the other three remaining teams (including St
Dragons as the Rhinos’ opponents.
fascinating conversation between it is a big challenge, as we have
Helens, this year) as its semi-final opponent.
“It was a really tough choice,” he
myself and Brian, but ultimately the never beaten them here – although
3. A gimmick that isn't needed.
said afterwards.
decision was made on the basis of we did in Perpignan. We had not
4. Alright, because as long as there are play-offs I'm happy with whatever
“We were hoping that one of the
where the teams ranked.” won at St Helens before, but did that
format the RFL wants to introduce.
two teams would be full of injuries
Hetherington also revealed that three weeks ago, so why not Leeds.”
5. Unsatisfactory, because play-offs of any sort to determine the Champions
and suspensions, and without one or
the Rhinos had turned down advice The biggest downside for the
are a waste of time - the Champions should be the club finishing first in
two key players, but that was not the about who to pick. Catalans is the need to travel back to
the table.
case. Both the Catalans and Wigan “Brian had been in contact with England for a fourth consecutive
are coming into the semi-finals Nathan Brown, whose Huddersfield week on a short turnaround. But
Vote online at www.totalrl.com
extremely strongly, so that made it side lost to the Dragons on Friday. Levy appears unfazed by either the
By GARETH WALKER becoming the first club to reach the
Grand Final, so it was important that
Fax boss hails “multi-million pound” win
HALIFAX chief executive
we did so as soon as possible.”
Graham Clay has hailed the
Clay is now hoping for a boost in
out, and we will be in at the end of
side’s Thursday night win over
supporter numbers, both in terms of
January.
the Grand Final itself, and at The Shay
Featherstone – and believes it
“We know the stadium will exceed
next season.
could be worth millions to the
minimum standards. We will have a
“A lot of people have been saying
capacity of 15,000, with 5,000 seats,
club.
that there is a lot of dormant support in
of which 3,500 will be in the new
Fax booked their place in the the town, because the club hasn’t been
stand. It’s great to see everything
Championship Grand Final by beating to a major final in 19 years.
falling into place, both on and off the
Featherstone 36-30 – thereby ticking “Now we’re hoping this will re-
field.”
the box that allows them to apply for a ignite people, and I would urge
Fans can buy Grand Final tickets
2012 Super League licence. anyone with any connection to the
from the club office and at Harvey’s
“I said last week that the game was club to come out and support us.”
department store in the town centre.
potentially a multi-million pound one Next season will see a massive
Fax also used Thursday night to
for us, and if we are successful in our improvement at The Shay, as the main
announce that sought-after Australian
Super League application then that stand will finally be completed some
Shad Royston has penned a new one-
will certainly be the case,” Clay said. ten years after construction first
year deal with the club.
“It is huge for the club that we’ve began. “We were very keen to retain Shad
ticked that box, but obviously we want “The stand is now 80 percent because his form has been
to win the Grand Final now. completed, and 13 December is the outstanding,” Clay added.
“Widnes had already ticked the box official handover date,” confirmed “The fact that a number of Super
Halifax players celebrate Dave
by winning the Northern Rail Cup, Clay. League clubs were linked with him
Larder’s opening try in Thursday’s
while Barrow had done so by “We then have six weeks to fit it shows how good he is.” * See Grand Final previews, pages 12 & 13
win over Featherstone
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