The World Club Challenge 2022 is unlikely to take place for the second consecutive year.
It means St Helens will miss out on the chance to regain the trophy.
Calls for the game to go ahead in Australia were rejected by the National Rugby League and their champions, the Penrith Panthers.
The Saints said they sent a number of emails to the NRL and Penrith to organise the logistics for the game, but these have gone unanswered.
Saints head coach Kristian Wolff told Fox Sports: “There’s been no official conversation whatsoever other than a couple of throwaway lines in the media.
โBut from our point of view thereโs been no formal approach or discussions about if a game were to be played in Australia, how that would be funded or how it would fit in with the Super League schedule.”
With just over a month before the start of the Super League season, it now looks impossible to fit in the World Club Challenge.
The reigning champions already have multiple pre-season fixtures, including Alex Walmsley’s testimonial.
๐๏ธ ๐ง๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐น๐บ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐ง๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐บ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ฎ๐น!
Get your ticket for @engywalmsley Testimonial ๐ @LeighCenturions on Fri 21 Jan (8pm) in your first chance to see the Champs in action in 2022! ๐ช
Get your ticket NOW ๐#COYS
— St.Helens R.F.C. (@Saints1890) January 4, 2022
The Saints will hope to be back in the World Club Challenge conversation next year with an unprecedented fourth Grand Final victory in a row.
(Image credit: robhollandemu on Wikimedia Commons)
