IAN Millward wants Britain's best teams taking on Australia's finest in a revised rugby league World Club Challenge play-off series spectacular.

The Saints coach would welcome starting a new season with a knockout event involving the leading Super League clubs and the top sides from the NRL.

Millward wants to expand the WCC's current format that just involves the British Super League champions playing the Aussie Grand Final winners in a one-off clash.

Millward told M.E.N.Sport: "A competition between, say, the leading three clubs from Britain and the top three in Australia would be a truly spectacular event.

"I am sure it would have tremendous appeal for all concerned. It would certainly be an intense competition. With the right kind of planning, it could all be over in four weeks and be ideal in readiness for the new season."
Millward wants to retain the British- Aussie final challenge at the end of the event but believes more matches are viable.

Millward's immediate priority is Saturday's clash with Warrington. Challenge Cup winners Saints are expected to be at full-strength.

Millward says: "I guess Warrington will want to get stuck into big Nick Fozzard bearing in mind he'll be facing his old club.

"Nick played very well against Wigan last week. Keith Mason is also doing everything asked of him alongside Nick in the front row. He's poossibly been our most consistent player for last four or five games."

Welcome return

John Stankevitch is also pressing for a first-team recall after nine months on the sidelines with a serious career-threatening shoulder injury.

He says: "It's been a long road and a nightmare at times but I never doubted I'd pull on a Saints shirt again. A few reports claiming I was finished were upsetting. My shoulder was in bad way - I was told the damage was similar to having come off a motormike at 70mph and being slammed into a tree.

"The injury has been a bad one but I have worked hard to get back and must now bide my time waiting for a chance to get in there again when an opportunity arises."

Tweet