The general manager of Super League, Blake Solly, has highlighted the recent one-sided nature of the State of Origin matches in making his case for the World Club Series to continue.
North Queensland Cowboys delivered a dominant second-half display at Headingley on Sunday - Johnathan Thurston very much to the fore as the NRL champions ran in 34 unanswered points to thrash Leeds Rhinos 38-4.
An emphatic World Club Challenge victory for the Cowboys followed up comfortable wins for Sydney Roosters and Brisbane Broncos against St Helens and Wigan Warriors respectively, with an aggregate score of 118-28 in favour of NRL sides across the three matches.
Yet although Super League teams are now winless in six World Club Series matches - and the last four World Club Challenges - Solly believes the competition has proven a success and can go from strength to strength in future.
"I think we're probably better than what we showed on the pitch in the three games," said Solly.
"Probably each of the clubs that went into it had some mitigating factors - injuries, probably not the best run of form - but all three certainly tried their best.
"In State of Origin, Queensland have won nine of the last 10, and the last game 52-6, and no one, quite rightly, says Origin should be binned. It's still a great competition.
"Everyone just looks around and says: 'Well, New South Wales have to get better'. And that's what we think at Super League [regarding the World Club Series].
"Speaking to the three clubs that have played in it, the view has been this has been a great experience for us. We've learned an awful lot.
"What we have to do now is work out where we can improve. There's lots of little things we've got to get better at.
"There's no silver bullet solution, so let's spend the next 12 months doing it and come back and be better when we meet NRL competition next year."
