I will put my hands up and admit to being a bit cynical when the plans for an expanded World Series were first announced last September.

Maybe that outlook was influenced by a belief that this was the Aussies simply throwing us a bone after the proposed Great Britain tour to the Southern Hemisphere was canned because their players ‘needed a rest’.

However, the sold out notices being posted outside Langtree Park for the battle of the champions clash against South Sydney Rabbitohs shows it pays not to be too cynical, well not about rugby league anyway.

It is very tempting – as a Saints fan – to diminish the other two encounters as mere side shows and jokingly dismiss the clash between Warrington and St George Illawarra as a friendly between the 1955 British champs versus the 2010 NRL Premiers.

But the bottom line – as Super League enters its 20th year – is our game does not have enough competitions. And more than that, league has nothing to really match the international club competitions of football and rugby union.

Expanding the World Club Challenge is a logical step – and at a time when it is hard to make the wider media notice our game it is essential to keep innovating and looking for platforms to showcase our elite players.

You have to take your hats off to the clubs who have jumped in head first. If this year is a success you can guarantee every club will want in next year.

The battle for qualification next year adds that little bit more interest to the back end of the domestic season.

It is, however, unfortunate that the three English qualifiers all come from the same pocket of south Lancashire. Somehow, despite the urging from Messrs Lenagan, Rush and Moran to back Britain against the ‘Roos I really cannot see that many following the party line.

It would take a pretty big buy-in to the new comp for those fierce club rivalries to melt into thin air and can still see blocks of Wiganers cheering Melbourne Storm in Saints’ dismal WCC clash at what was the JJB.

And of course the only time Saints fans have backed Wigan was when they played Bath in the cross code games.

But aside from that, it seems for once we have come up with an eye-catching initiative to start the year with a spark and give British players the chance to go head to head with the biggest names in the rugby league world.

Let’s hope clubs give it the time to establish itself for the greater good of the game.