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Press Association - Super League came under fire on two fronts on Wednesday in the build-up to the Carnegie World Club Challenge between Leeds Rhinos and Australian champions Manly Sea Eagles. Manly chief executive Grant Mayer, the man who spearheaded Catalans Dragons' entry into Super League in 2006, labelled the English competition "second tier" , a view echoed by one of Australia's leading coaches.

Mayer, who flew into England with the Sea Eagles squad on Tuesday, told the Australian Rugby League Week magazine: "Super League, to me, is still very much a second-tier competition which is for NRL players coming to the end of their careers."

The Sea Eagles take on a Leeds side at Elland Road on March 1 without star forward Gareth Ellis, who has joined West Tigers but was on Wednesday warned he could struggle to adjust to the National Rugby League.

Tigers coach Tim Sheen took a swipe at playing standards in Super League by claiming Ellis needs re-educating in some of the game's basics.

While he believes Ellis will eventually emerge as a top-class NRL second rower, Sheens is content to bring the Englishman on slowly.

"You can see why England is behind us," he said. "The decision-making in defence isn't always the best thing.

"There are things Gareth is learning that I don't think he has ever learnt. There has been a lot of back to basics."