BY CURTIS WOODWARD

@woodward_curtis

It has been years since an Englishman argued the Super League was the NRL’s equivalent and actually meant it. It’s been longer still since anyone else believed them.

The NRL is one of the closest, most intense competitions in the world. On any given weekend, any team can triumph. Super League is a little different. The top sides don’t have to be at their very best each round and the gulf in quality from the top clubs to the bottom is obvious.

In recent seasons, Super League has bled their top talent to the NRL.

England’s best and brightest are challenging themselves on the biggest club stage in rugby league.

But finally, Super League fans might have something to pump out their chest and cheer about.

While the North Queensland Cowboys just recently confirmed superstar Valentine Holmes was headed home from his NFL adventure, there isn’t much else to get excited about in the NRL, compared to Super League, anyway.

Latrell Mitchell’s next contract has flooded websites and newspapers alike but we’re still talking about 2021 here.

You mean, we’ve spent all this time talking about Latrell and he’s still at the Roosters in 2020?

‘We have no ill feeling towards Latrell’: Wests Tigers officially withdraw offer for Roosters superstar

Channel Nine’s Danny Weidler reported on Wednesday night that Kangaroos flyer Josh Addo-Carr was ready to walk out on the Melbourne Storm and return to Sydney. Club unknown.

Super League on the other hand have three aces in Sonny Bill Williams, James Maloney and Gareth Widdop.

SBW was recently announced as Toronto’s new $10 million man and will lead the Wolfpack in their inaugural Super League campaign. The two-time NRL premiership-winner and former All Black has agreed to a two-year deal in Canada.

Josh Addo-Carr wants to come back to Sydney? We look at the possible destinations for a flying fox

Experts compared his addition to the Super League to when David Beckham signed with the LA Galaxy. Others called him the ‘LeBron of rugby’.

Maloney and Widdop’s week-to-week class will be missed in the NRL – most noticeably by the teams they leave behind in Australia. Maloney is a born winner. He wins everywhere he goes…’Jimmy Wins!’

A homesick Widdop has never played in the Super League. In fact, the St George Illawarra great hasn’t lived in the United Kingdom since he was 15. He joins the Warrington Wolves and will make an immediate impact.

It would be a shock to nobody if Warrington, Catalans and Toronto aren’t the top three sides on the table at the end of the Super League season.

Their gain is the NRL’s loss.

@woodward_curtis