There were suggestions that the opening two games of this year’s World Club Series, in anticipation of Sunday’s World Club Challenge between St Helens and South Sydney Rabbitohs, would be nothing more than glorified friendlies. If that was the case, these two sides clearly didn’t get the memo, as St George kicked off the newly-expanded competition with a classy and hard-fought win in a game of the highest quality.
Intensity, skill and passion from both teams was present in abundance, and it was only the guile of the imperious Benji Marshall that proved to be the difference between two very impressive sides. St George ultimately claimed the first bragging rights for the NRL, with Super League now needing to win the two remaining games of the series to secure glory.
“I thought the physicality of the game was brilliant, and to win after just one trial game was very, very good from us,” said the St George coach, Paul McGregor. The Warrington coach, Tony Smith, conceded that “it was the right result, they deserved to win”. He argued that despite some sloppiness there was little between the two sides in what turned out to be Warrington’s first competitive defeat of the new season.
The first 40 minutes showed how even the teams were: two tries each, and all of extreme quality. After Tyson Frizell crossed courtesy of a sublime ball by Marshall, Gareth O’Brien scored a wonderful solo try to level it up. St George then edged back in front when Joel Thompson touched down Gareth Widdop’s pinpoint kick, before Ryan Atkins produced a moment of magic to dance his way over the line for Warrington’s second. O’Brien missed the conversion, though, to leave St George 12-10 to the good.
The intensity was eye-watering, but it led to some tempestuous and tasty tackles. The vociferous Warrington crowd were incensed when Eto Nabuli caught Kevin Penny high – and equally sowhen Marshall copped O’Brien with a late one. On both occasions, though, the referee, Ben Thaler, kept his cards in his pocket.
The second-half produced just eight points; six of them came for St George to seal the win. After O’Brien had levelled it with a goal from a penalty conceded by Marshall, St George provided the telling blow when Marshall’s banana kick bamboozled the Wolves defence – but not full-back Josh Dugan, who touched down.
Warrington Wheeler; Evans, Monaghan, Atkins, Penny; O’Brien, Myler; Sims, Clark, Hill, Currie, Laithwaite, Westwood.
Interchange Bridge, Harrison, Higham, England.
St George Dugan; Nabuli, Nielsen, Farrell, Nightingale; Widdop, Marshall; O’Brien, Rein, Ah Mau, Frizell, Thompson, Creagh.
Interchange Merrin, De Belin, Marketo, Rose.
Referee B Thaler (Wakefield)
