Next week’s World Club Challenge will be played entirely under Super League rules, Brisbane coach Michael Maguire revealed as the Broncos touched down in London.
Flight EK29 from Dubai was delayed by 45 minutes and star fullback Reece Walsh was one of the last to emerge from immigration at Heathrow after tracking down a missing bag as drizzling rain and single digit temperatures greeted the NRL champions.
Speaking to NRL.com in the arrivals hall, Maguire said he was not in a position to discuss the decision of prop Payne Haas who announced on Sunday he had signed a three-year contract with South Sydney, commencing in 2027.
But he was happy to detail the Broncos’ bid for a third world title and the first since 1997.
With the NRL introducing several rule variations this year, there has been confusion over what laws would be enforced at MKM Stadium next Thursday night, local time.
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“It’s the rules they have over here, not all the new ones they’re putting in the NRL” Maguire said.
“We would probably have liked to trial a few of them but at the end of the day, rules are rules and we’re here in England.”
That means no two-point field goals, a green card for faking injuries, 17-man squads, six-agains under the English interpretation and other smaller differences - although ruck speed in Super League this year is intended to mirror that of the NRL.
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Maguire said to his knowledge no referee had been nominated for the match but “I’d imagine it’s going to be an English ref".
The first part of the Broncos’ campaign will be hosted at the Lensbury, a luxury complex in Teddington favoured by elite sports teams.
The opposed session against the London Broncos has been pencilled in for Saturday, although Jason Demetriou’s Championship side was hit by so many injuries during their Challenge Cup game against Bradford on Sunday that they finished with 12 men.
“I don’t know if we’ll have a team to train with them - some of their reggies (reserves) might have to jump in with us!” said Demetriou. “It’s pretty much going to be dictated by Madge [Maguire] and his team and what they need.
“We’re just looking forward to getting down there and mixing with some of those guys and again, it’s about awareness for our club and a bit of content for our club as well to keep moving forward and for people to understand what’s going on in London
“We’ll sit down with Madge and see what he wants us to do but the main thing will be helping them prep for the World Club Challenge.”
The squad moves north after Saturday’s session and will be based at a country resort outside Hull with a golf course attached. The Broncos and Robins host a media conference at in the north-east port city on Sunday morning.
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Maguire indicated he’d follow NRL protocol by naming a complete match day squad with starting side defined at the start of the week, rather than delay naming his starting 13 until 90 minutes before kick-off which is the Super League protocol.
“No, I’ll name my 17,” he said.
Maguire coached Wigan to Super League and Challenge Cup success and his assistant Trent Barrett was Super League players’ player and Rugby League Writers' Association player of the year in 2007 when he was with the Cherry and Whites.
Asked to sum up his approach to the WCC, Maguire said: “It’s an opportunity to spend some time together in a different part of the world.
“When the opportunity came about I thought ‘we’ve got to do it with the group of players we’ve got’.
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“The bonding side, they can do every day. But the footy side, it’s not often you get to travel to the other side of the world like we’re doing.
"A few of the staff and myself have been involved in these sorts of games. They’re very special. You’ve got to make sure you put a good performance out. We’re rolling straight into Round 1 so that’s important in itself.
“It’s a really important opportunity to get a trophy. They can put their names up in lights. I think it’s pretty even, teams winning and losing this one, between the Australians and England and I also know how much this game means to the people over here.
“For our players in years to come to be able to look back and know they achieved (being in) this game is a really important thing too.”
