Phil Gould joked that Penrith “should be able to declare by half-time”, but St Helens are backing themselves to do the unthinkable and win Saturday’s World Club Challenge.
To prove how serious the Super League champions are about toppling the NRL premiers, they left their base at picturesque Manly beach to spend the week at Sydney Olympic Park, where there are less distractions, to prepare for the game of their lives.
St Helens coach Paul Wellens made the conscious decision to allow his players to spend the first week of their tour on the northern beaches as a reward for their fourth Super League title. But now it is down to business, with the biggest luxury on offer is a vanilla latte from the local Gloria Jeans.
Most of the squad passed on having a beer after their win over St George Illawarra on the weekend.
Wigan were the last English team to win a World Club Challenge on Australian soil when they defeated Brisbane in 1994.
Wellens ignored the wild predictions from respected judges like Gould. “We’ll let other people talk about the what-ifs and what might happen on the weekend, but we’ve come here because we want to perform well, and we want to win a game,” he told the Herald after training on Tuesday.
St Helens players stroll along manly promenade shortly after their arrival in Australia earlier this month.Credit:Flavio Brancaleone
“We wouldn’t have come all this way if we didn’t think we were a chance of doing that. Penrith are a fantastic team. What they have achieved the past couple of years has been remarkable, and we’ll pay them the utmost respect by turning up on the weekend and giving them our best game.
“We’ve disrupted our own Super League season to come out here. We’ll have to catch up our round-one game, but this was too good an opportunity to pass up. A few people over here may have questioned if we had an appetite for coming out, but we’re here now, and we’re playing to win on the weekend.”
James Roby will play his 523rd game for St Helens, lock forward Morgan Knowles is considered one of the best players in the Super League, and 21-year-old halfback Lewis Dodd has already caught the interest of several NRL clubs.
The battle between Dodd and opposite number Nathan Cleary will be one Dodd remembers for a long time, and Wellens backed his young No.7 to hold his own.
Bookies have set the line at 18.5 for St Helens, who have won the past four Super League titles. Wellens enters his first year in the hotseat following the success of popular Dolphins assistant and Tongan coach Kristian Woolf.
Penrith have rolled out their big guns, except the injured Liam Martin and Dylan Edwards. Belmore-bound Stephen Crichton will start at fullback.
In other trial news, Luke Keary was not named for the Roosters’ final trial against Manly, but the club remain hopeful he will play in round one. Club officials said Keary received a knock to the jaw – not a concussion – at training last Friday.
Daly Cherry-Evans will miss the same trial for Manly, but is being rested and in no doubt for round one.
Kalyn Ponga will wear the No.6 for Newcastle against Parramatta whose own big guns, including Mitchell Moses and Dylan Brown, return.
Selwyn Cobbo plays fullback for Brisbane with Reece Walsh picking up a fracture to his eye’s orbital floor, which will not require surgery.
Latrell Mitchell and Tyrell Sloan back up from the Indigenous All Stars to wear the No.1 for South Sydney and St George Illawarra respectively in the Charity Shield.
The NRL informed clubs all games on Saturday would be delayed 50 minutes due to forecast high temperatures. The World Club Challenge will now kick-off at 6.50pm, and the Charity Shield 4.20pm.
The reserve-grade game between Souths and St George Illawarra scheduled for 1pm in Mudgee could be brought forward to the morning or played on another day.
Sharks reward Fitzgibbon with new three-year deal
Cronulla have moved quickly to nail down Craig Fitzgibbon to a three-year extension, which will see him remain in the Shire until at least the end of 2027.
Fitzgibbon, who took the Sharks to the semi-finals in his first year as head coach, was already contracted to the club until the end of 2024.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for us to build on what we started at the Sharks last year,” he said.
Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon.Credit:Getty
“We have outstanding playing talent, backed by a board led by Steve Mace who are supportive of what we are trying to achieve.
“We enjoyed our first season, but our journey has just begun, and we are looking to create an even stronger environment going forward.”
The 45-year-old Fitzgibbon was responsible for luring Nicho Hynes to the Sharks, with the playmaker going on to collect last year’s Dally M award.
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