The 2013 World Club Challenge (PROBIZ World Club Challenge for sponsorship purposes) was the fourteenth consecutive annual
World Club Challenge
The World Club Challenge is an annual rugby league competition between the winners of the Australasian National Rugby League (NRL) and the European Super League, for the de facto club world championship of the sport. The first such match was pl ...
and was contested by
Super League XVII
The 2012 Super League season (known as the ''Stobart Super League XVII'') was the 17th season of rugby league football since the Super League format was introduced in 1996. Fourteen teams competed for the League Leaders' Shield over 27 rounds (in ...
champions,
Leeds Rhinos
The Leeds Rhinos are a professional rugby league club in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The club was formed in 1870 as Leeds St John's and play in the Super League, the top tier of English rugby league. They have played home matches at Headin ...
and
2012 NRL Premiers, the
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. ...
. It took place on Friday 22 February at 8pm GMT (Saturday 23 February 7:00am AEDST). Melbourne prevailed after a hard-fought contest 18-14.
Background
2013's match was third time ever that these two clubs have played each other, with Leeds having won the
2008 World Club Challenge
The 2008 Carnegie World Club Challenge was contested between Super League XII champions, the Leeds Rhinos and National Rugby League season 2007 premiers, the Melbourne Storm. For the fifth consecutive year the English home team defeated their ...
, and Melbourne winning, and subsequently being stripped of, the
2010 World Club Challenge
The 2010 World Club Challenge (known as the Gillette World Club Challenge due to sponsorship by Gillette Fusion) was a rugby league tournament contested by Super League XIV champions, Leeds Rhinos, and 2009 NRL Premiers the Melbourne Storm. Thi ...
title.
On 19 February the World Club Challenge was officially announced as a sellout with all 20,400 tickets sold. In addition the referees for the match were also announced, with Ben Thaler to take charge of the game.
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds finished
Super League XVII
The 2012 Super League season (known as the ''Stobart Super League XVII'') was the 17th season of rugby league football since the Super League format was introduced in 1996. Fourteen teams competed for the League Leaders' Shield over 27 rounds (in ...
's regular season in 5th place and went on to defeat 2nd-placed
Warrington Wolves
The Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league club based in Warrington, England, that competes in the Super League. They play rugby at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2004.
Founded as Warrington ...
26-18 in the
grand final
Primarily in Australian sports, a grand final (sometimes colloquially abbreviated to "grannie") is a game that decides a sports league's premiership (or championship) winning team, i.e. the conclusive game of a finals (or play-off) series. S ...
, qualifying the Rhinos for their second World Club Challenge in succession and 6th overall.
Melbourne Storm
The Storm finished the
2012 NRL season
The 2012 NRL season was the 105th season of professional rugby league club competition in Australia, and the first run by the newly formed Australian Rugby League Commission. The main competition, called the 2012 NRL Telstra Premiership due to spon ...
in
2nd place and went on to defeat the 1st-placed
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the NRL Telstra Premiership, as well as competitions facilit ...
14 - 4 in the
grand final
Primarily in Australian sports, a grand final (sometimes colloquially abbreviated to "grannie") is a game that decides a sports league's premiership (or championship) winning team, i.e. the conclusive game of a finals (or play-off) series. S ...
, qualifying Melbourne for their fourth World Club Challenge, and first since 2010.
The Storm unveiled their special one-off jersey designed especially for the World Cup Challenge in December 2012 The design resembles the club’s away jersey with its predominantly white body but also includes the iconic purple V' that continues to represent the club’s Victorian heritage.
On 10 February 2013, the Melbourne Storm announced the 21-man Squad that will make the trip to London for the World Club Challenge, the team is as follows: Kenny Bromwich, Jesse Bromwich, Will Chambers, Cooper Cronk, Brett Finch, Mahe Fonua, Ben Hampton, Tohu Harris, Ryan Hinchcliffe, Ryan Hoffman, Junior Moors, Bryan Norrie, Justin O’Neill, Jason Ryles, Junior Sa’u, Lagi Setu, Billy Slater, Cameron Smith (capt), Siosaia Vave, Sisa Waqa, Gareth Widdop.
On 20 February 2013 the above squad was trimmed to 19 players with the official announcement of the team. Two interchange players were further cut when the final team was announced on the Friday before the game, final teams listed below.
Teams
Match details
First half
The match was a close, hard-fought contest throughout. A slick pass from half back,
Cooper Cronk
Cooper Patrick Cronk (born 5 December 1983) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. An n international and Queensland State of Origin representative , he played most of his club career fo ...
led to fullback
Billy Slater
William Slater (born 18 June 1983), is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. An Australian international and one-time captain of the Queensland State of Origin team, he played his entire ...
scoring the opening try of the match in the 20th minute.
Cameron Smith Cameron Smith may refer to:
* Cameron Smith (rugby league, born 1983), Australian rugby league footballer
* Cameron Smith (rugby league, born 1998), English rugby league footballer
* Cameron Smith (golfer) (born 1993), Australian golfer
* Cammy Smi ...
kicked the conversion, making the score 6-0. A penalty goal soon after, extended the lead to 8-0. A last-tackle attacking raid in the 29th minute put Leeds winger
Ryan Hall over in the left corner.
Kevin Sinfield
Kevin Sinfield (born 12 September 1980) is the defence coach for the England national rugby union team. He is a former professional rugby league footballer, captain and director of rugby for the Leeds Rhinos. Sinfield also represented England ...
converted the goal and soon added another penalty goal to tie the game at 8-8 at half time.
Second half
Storm prop
Jesse Bromwich
Jesse Bromwich (born 3 May 1989) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Dolphins in the National Rugby League and New Zealand at international level.
He played for and captained the Storm, with whom he won ...
trundled up the ball in the 44th minute and beat four defenders to score a try next to the posts, with Smith converting, to lead the game 14-8. A 50-metre movement finished with
Tohu Harris racing into the clear, passing to
Will Chambers
William Chambers (born 26 May 1988) is an Australian professional rugby union footballer who previously played for the LA Giltinis in Major League Rugby (MLR) in the United States. After winning two titles with the Melbourne Storm, he retired ...
with winger
Sisa Waqa
Sisa Waqa (born 29 April 1986) is a Fijian professional rugby footballer who last played for FC Grenoble in French Rugby Union. A Fiji international representative, Waqa primarily plays on the . Waqa previously played for the Sydney Roosters i ...
hemmed in by defence on the right side. Waqa found Chambers in support and the rookie Harris dived over for the try of the match. Down 18-8, Leeds captain, Sinfield kicked to the left, Ryan Hall claimed the ball and passed to
Joel Moon. The centre then passed infield to second rower
Jamie Jones-Buchanan
Jamie Daniel Peter Jones-Buchanan (born 1 August 1981) is an English rugby league coach and former professional player. He was briefly the interim head coach for Leeds in the Super League XXVII season.
A forward, he played for his entire p ...
who scored. With 10 minutes left, the Storm appeared to have wrapped up victory when winger
Mahe Fonua
Mahe Fonua (born 24 December 1992) is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who plays as a or er for Doncaster RLFC in the RFL League 1.
He has previously played for the Melbourne Storm and the Wests Tigers in the NRL and Hull FC in ...
scored, but referee
Ben Thaler
Ben Thaler (born 30 August 1981) is a professional rugby league referee and one of the Rugby Football League's Full Time Match Officials. He officiates in the Super League.
Background
Thaler was born in Normanton, West Yorkshire, England.
C ...
ruled forward the final pass from centre
Justin O'Neill
Justin O'Neill (born 4 April 1991) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played for the Melbourne Storm and North Queensland Cowboys in the NRL and Australia at international level.
He represented the NRL All Stars ...
. Leeds repeatedly attacked Storm's forward line in the final minutes, but failed to capitalise, with Storm winning a close contest 18-14. Storm half back, Cooper Cronk was awarded the Man of the Match.
References
{{NRL 2013
World Club Challenge
The World Club Challenge is an annual rugby league competition between the winners of the Australasian National Rugby League (NRL) and the European Super League, for the de facto club world championship of the sport. The first such match was pl ...
World Club Challenge
The World Club Challenge is an annual rugby league competition between the winners of the Australasian National Rugby League (NRL) and the European Super League, for the de facto club world championship of the sport. The first such match was pl ...
World Club Challenge
Leeds Rhinos matches
Melbourne Storm matches
Sports competitions in Leeds
Rugby league in West Yorkshire