2020 World Club Challenge Explained

Year:2020
Betfred World Club Challenge
Home:St Helens
Away:Sydney Roosters
Home League:Super League
Away League:NRL
Home Abbr:STH
Away Abbr:SYD
Home Half1:6
Home Half2:6
Home Total:12
Away Half1:8
Away Half2:12
Away Total:20
Date:22 February 2020
Stadium:Totally Wicked Stadium
Location:St Helens
Mom Title:Man of the Match
Referee: Chris Kendall
Attendance:16,108
Network: Nine Network
Network2: Sky Sports
Network3: Māori Television
Tournaments:World Club Challenge
Last:2019
Next:2023

The 2020 Betfred World Club Challenge was the 28th staging of the World Club Challenge. It featured Super League champions St Helens R.F.C., and NRL winners Sydney Roosters.

This was the third time these two teams had met in the World Club Challenge, with Sydney claiming a 25–2 victory in the inaugural World Club Challenge in 1976, and a 38–0 victory in 2003. Victory over St Helens means Sydney now have a record 5 titles, and become the only team to retain their title, as well as maintaining their 100% record in the World Club Challenge.

Background

St Helens R.F.C.

St Helens finished 1st in the regular season, to earn a home tie against 2nd place Wigan Warriors in the semi-finals. Saints dominated the first half by scoring 4 tries inside 20 minutes, before Wigan hit back with 1 of their own.

Saints were irresistible in the first half, and led 26–6 with tries from Theo Fages, Kevin Naiqama, Luke Thompson, and Jonny Lomax.

Wigan knew they had a job to do in the 2nd half, but this was not to be, as Saints Zeb Taia's score and a Mark Percival double extended the lead to send Saints to their first grand final in 5 years.

This was also Justin Holbrook's final game for Saints at the Totally Wicked Stadium, without losing a single home game all season.

Saints then defeated Salford 23–6 in the grand final, making them champions and qualifying them for the World Club Challenge.

He left at the end of the season to take on the vacant coaching role at Gold Coast Titans and was replaced by Kristian Woolf for the 2020 Season.[1] [2]

Sydney Roosters

The Roosters finished the 2019 NRL season in second place with 36 points. In their first game of the finals, they defeated the South Sydney Rabbitohs 30–6 at home, earning themselves a one week break. They then played the Melbourne Storm, again at home, and they won that match 14–6, putting them in the Grand Final. They went on to defeat the Canberra Raiders 14–8, claiming the 2019 premiership and qualifying them for the World Club Challenge.

Match details

St HelensPositionSydney Roosters
22Jack Welsby1James Tedesco
2Tommy Makinson2Daniel Tupou
3Kevin Naiqama3Angus Crichton
20James Bentley4Joseph Manu
21Matthew Costello5Brett Morris
6Jonny Lomax6Luke Keary
7Theo Fages7Kyle Flanagan
8Alex Walmsley8Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
9James Roby9Jake Friend
10Luke Thompson10Sio Siua Taukeiaho
11Zeb Taia11Sitili Tupouniua
12Dominique Peyroux12Mitchell Aubusson
15Morgan Knowles13Victor Radley
13Louie McCarthy-ScarsbrookInterchange14Sam Verrills
15Matty LeesInterchange15Isaac Liu
18Joseph PauloInterchange16Nat Butcher
19Aaron SmithInterchange17Lindsay Collins
Kristian WoolfCoachTrent Robinson

Notes and References

  1. News: Super League: St Helens 40–10 Wigan Warriors - Saints into Grand Final. BBC Sport . September 27, 2019.
  2. Web site: Woolf confirmed as new St Helens coach. September 10, 2019. National Rugby League.