RLFANS.COM Celebrating 25 years service to the Rugby League Community!
|
| |
Current LIVE TV Match : Castleford Tigers - Leeds Rhinos LIVE ON SKY SPORTS No Score After 34
| The world of rugby league casts its eyes to the northern hemisphere this weekend as the three game world club series, sponsored by AFEX, comes to Warrington, Wigan and St. Helens.
In a groundbreaking new initiative the cream of Australia will pit themselves against the best that Super League has to offer as Warrington Wolves play St George Illawara Dragons, Wigan Warriors take on Brisbane Broncos and St. Helens go up against the South Sydney Rabbitohs for the World Club Champions title.
Tony Smith has made just one change to the side that narrowly beat Hull FC last weekend as Anthony England replaces Ben Evans at prop. The Wolves are favourites with the bookies (-6 on the handicap coupon) despite the Dragons being the ones with the World Club pedigree having beaten Wigan back in 2011.
There are plenty of familiar names in the St George side, even for those unfamiliar with Australian rugby league, as Heath L'Estrange, Gareth Widdop, Ben Creagh and Benji Marshall are all likely to play a part.
Saturday evening sees Wigan welcome the Brisbane Broncos and again it is the English side who start as narrow favourites (-4 on the coupon). The Warriors will be without their injured skipper Sean O'Loughlin and scrum half Sam Powell who picked up a one game suspension in the win over Huddersfield Giants. Dan Sargison, Taulima Tautai and George Williams are all back in contention.
Brisbane have named a provisional line up but are battling against illness and injury.
Both sides have a decent World Club Challenge history and have won it five times between them (2 for Brisbane and 3 for Wigan) although the last success was eighteen years ago for the Broncos and twenty-one years ago for the Warriors.
Arguably the biggest clash is on Sunday night when the two champion sides meet as Saints take on South Sydney.
Langtree Park plays host as the best of the North meets the best of the South and there will be some monster battles on the field. The bookies think there is very little between them but they have given the home side a four point start on the coupon, slightly favouring Russell Crowe's visiting side.
Both George and Thomas Burgess are likely to play for the Rabbitohs and Isaac Luke will start at hooker with Greg Inglis at full-back. Kieron Cunningham is likely to stick with the same seventeen that won last weekend as his side look to secure their third World Club title, their first since 2007.
We are in for a fantastic weekends rugby as two the two hemispheres collide.
|
Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Thu 19th Feb 2015 7:09 PM | Views : 10559 | Replies : 11 | BACK TO STORIES |
|
|
RLFANS Match Centre
Matches on TV
Table 'boards.stats_fixtures' doesn't exist |
|