Going into the weekend's matches in Warrington and Wigan, the entire concept was seen as being in jeopardy with Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington accusing the NRL of apathy towards the games.

"It's one of the things we've got to nail down over the coming weeks … because what we can't do is go into the season with it being unclear about who's playing," Super League chief commercial officer Roger Draper told Fairfax Media.

"Discussions have already taken place during the Four Nations with the NRL and we need to pick up on those.

"We'll obviously have some more discussions during the World Club Series matches and take it from there.

"We need consistency and we need continuity and it's also got to be clear to the fans what it's all about.

"We've got to have a good discussion with the NRL now about where we go with the competition," Draper said.

"… Whether it's over in this country, whether it's in Australia, whether now with global sport it goes elsewhere with a promoter, like Dubai, Hong Kong.

"That's up to ourselves and the NRL to get our heads together to see where it's going in the future."

Super League remains confident that the main match – the World Club Challenge – will remain on the calendar.

"It's 'the game that sells it'," said general manager Mark Foster. "International sport, no matter what people's views are, cuts through. That Wigan game against Cronulla will be a great game and it will be a great event because it will be a full house at the DW [stadium], as it has been for the last two or three years for the World Club Challenge.

"It isn't locked in to be here [Britain] at all. We said Super League would take the lead on it – we're obviously working with the NRL – and that's meant playing it in the UK so Sky can show it and Dacia, as sponsors of it, can get the exposure over here.

"We've taken the onus for selling the commercial partnerships that are connected to it. That's why it's been in the UK, but like Roger says, the global sporting world is getting ever more connected, so if it's played in Australia, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong … as long as it's a great event."

Draper and Foster know good on-field performances from northern hemisphere teams are needed.

"I think the results do have an impact because obviously the Super League clubs haven't fared that well," Draper said. "So if you're a Super League club, you're thinking, 'this isn't good for the image and reputation of Super League.'

"And if you're an NRL club, you're thinking 'why bother when we keep hammering them?' So we've got to raise our standards over here to make sure that it is competitive."

Draper said sending teams to the NRL Nines had never been seriously considered and nor had holding a Super League equivalent, despite both being widely mooted.