'Love to play': Wigan boss backs Nathan Cleary's call for World Club Challenge shake-up
Updated . First published
English champions Wigan want to travel to play the World Club Challenge during next season's NRL Magic Round, following a social media post by Nathan Cleary calling for the game to be moved.
The 2025 edition between the NRL and Super League premiership winners was in doubt after both winning sides - the Panthers and the Wigan Warriors - expressed a reluctance to travel to play the pre-season match given both are a part of next year's Las Vegas event.
The Panthers will play the Sharks and the Warriors will play the Warrington Wolves, both in regular fixtures in their respective competitions.
READ MORE: Clubs lining up to lure NRL 'colossus' away
READ MORE: Socceroos nightmare as own goal denies historic win
READ MORE: Eagles scolded as three-club deal rocks trade period
On Instagram on Monday night, Cleary called for the game to be played at Magic Round in Brisbane next year as an alternative.
"Would love to be able to play the WCC at Magic Round next year," Cleary said on Instagram.
Cleary and his Panthers qualified for the 2025 World Club challenge by beating the Storm in last weekend's NRL grand final. Getty
Wigan chief executive Kris Radlinski saw Cleary's post, and told The Sydney Morning Herald his club was willing to fly to Australia in the middle of the Super League season to play the match.
"I did see Nathan's comments, and if there's a way we can make this work, we'd love to play at Magic Round," said Radlinski.
"I went to that weekend a few years ago, it was a wonderful festival.
"We want the game to go ahead, since we've won the grand final, I've sent a note to the NRL and to Penrith to see what are the chances of it happening.
"It wouldn't be ideal for us, but you have to make choices. We played Penrith at the start of this year, and that meant we had to postpone a Super League game, and later in the season we played three games in nine days. But we got it done. The bigger picture means you're a world champion."
Wigan Warriors skipper Liam Farrell lifts the World Club Challenge trophy beating the Panthers in February. Getty
The idea also has the backing of Peter V'landys.
"I like innovation and anything that comes out of left field," the ARLC boss told the Herald.
"I'm very impressed Nathan Cleary has thought of this. If it can happen, it will happen. There's a bit of logistical work to be done, and a bit of planning to do, but we'll investigate it."
Hosting the match at Magic Round could give the event an extra game if the Panthers were given the NRL bye that weekend.
However, that would likely require an extra bye elsewhere in the competition owing to the fact they didn't actually get a week off.
After their 9-2 win over Hull KR on Sunday morning (AEDT), Warriors captain Liam Farrell said the club "100 per cent" wanted to play the World Club Challenge, and hoped to work with the Panthers and the NRL to find a date that works.
"If there was a way of doing it, we'd definitely be up for it," he said.
"We have got a very rich history in it and if both teams can get it on, then it'd be great to have another match-up against them again because it was a very special game against them last time.
"I think they're (Penrith) just looking at their calendar year and how many games they've got to play and looking after player welfare – I think that's the most important thing – and they've got players playing internationals at the end of the year and turning around trying to play in a World Club Challenge as well as a game in Las Vegas will be a bit too much I think."
Speaking on Nine's Today on Tuesday morning, Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said Magic Round was a slim chance, but Las Vegas could be a better option.
"Both sides are playing (in Las Vegas), but playing in their own competition ... it'd be pretty cool if we could have lined that one up," he said.
