Trent Robinson is putting into place the building blocks for a hat-trick of NRL premierships as his Sydney Roosters side prepare for a record fifth World Club Challenge triumph.
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The Roosters face Super League champions St Helens at the Totally Wicked Stadium (kick-off 0630 Sunday AEDT) in a repeat of the first ever match-up between the best club sides in Australia and England 44 years ago.
Jack Gibson's Eastern Suburbs side - as Roosters were known then - prevailed 25-2 at the SCG that day, the first of four world's-best titles claimed by the club.
The Roosters have never been beaten in this competition and their last encounter with Saints, in 2003, saw them stroll to a 38-0 win in Bolton.
Robinson's side overcame Wigan last year 20-8 and the foundations for 2019's NRL success were forged in a camp in northern France ahead of that fixture.
This year saw Robinson take his players to Barcelona for a lively practice match with Super League side Catalan Dragons ahead of what he hopes will be an equally successful campaign in 2020.
The three-time premiership winning coach insists the World Club Challenge concept deserves more respect from the sport's governing bodies.
For the second successive year officials from the two competing clubs have liaised to organise the fixture, with Robinson saying: "It comes down to the Super League and the NRL to take it to the next level.
"There is only so much the Roosters and St Helens can do to promote the match.
"This game should have been sold out months ago, but once again it takes until the week of the match for people to start talking about it.
"This match plays such an important part in setting up your season and offering an experience that is quite unique for these players.
"Some of these guys have never been to Europe before. We went to Paris last year, Barcelona this year.
"It's about giving them life experience and it's added value to our group and our club."
Robinson will give a debut to young halfback Kyle Flanagan against St Helens following his arrival from Cronulla in the off-season.
The 21-year-old has huge shoes to fill following the retirement of Cooper Cronk but Robinson does not want him to try and emulate the Queensland and Kangaroos great.
"We're not looking for a clone of Cooper Cronk," he said. "We recruited him because we feel he has great characteristics to be a great half.
"The year starts on Saturday night for us and we want to play our best footy and keep getting better and better."
Australian Associated Press
