Leeds back bigger Club Challenge

Manly stopped Leeds from becoming the first team to ever retain the trophy

Leeds Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington believes the World Club Challenge should be expanded to incorporate more teams.

Hetherington's idea is backed by his opposite number at Manly, Grant Mayer, and would see the top three teams from Super League and NRL play each other.

"It's an idea that's been spoken about in the last 12 months," Hetherington told the BBC's Super League Show.

"The Australian clubs are keen and we feel our teams would be competitive."

Manly became the first Australian side in five years to lift the World Club Challenge Trophy after beating Leeds 28-20 at Elland Road on Sunday night.

This new innovation would see the best three clubs from the Northern and Southern hemisphere go head-to-head over one weekend.

606: DEBATE Should the World Club Challenge be expanded?

"If you took last year's standings," said Hetherington, "we'd have Wigan v Cronulla on the Friday night, Saturday night would see St Helens against Melbourne. Then it would either be 1-1 or 2-0 in the battle of Super League v NRL.

"Then come the Sunday it would be Leeds v Manly. The winners of that would still be the World Club Challenge champions but we would have also had a mini tournament of Super League against NRL.

Manly's Grant Mayer added: "Both leagues are very strong currently and, as a code, together we need to look at ideas like this one.

"It is important for the entire game for both leagues to do things like this and expand our shores."

You can watch the The Super League Show again on the BBC iPlayer or via the BBC Red Button.

• Nail fungus treatment
• payday loans in arizona