St Helens against Rabbitohs the jewel in expanded World Club Series

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/feb/19/world-club-series-st-helens-rabbitohs-super-league

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With rugby league’s new era having had an enterprising and successful start on the field, the latest test for the game takes place this weekend.

First staged in 1976, and an annual fixture since 2000, the World Club Challenge pits the champions of Australia’s NRL and the Super League together in a one-game battle. However this year the competition has been expanded, with six sides competing in the World Club Series.

The contest for the World Club Challenge remains; this year St Helens take on South Sydney Rabbitohs on Sunday evening. In the precursors to that game, Warrington Wolves and Wigan Warriors will play the NRL’s St George Illawarra Dragons and Brisbane Broncos, respectively, over the same weekend to create a three-match series between England and Australia.

It is the first time an expansion of the World Club Challenge has been attempted since the ill-fated 1997 edition. That year, 22 sides took part in matches on both sides of the world, with the event making a staggering financial loss in an Australian-dominated competition.

But rugby league seems in a much better state now to expand tentatively what has been a one-game competition. In essence the games on Friday and Saturday before the World Club Challenge are friendlies but there is a trophy on the line for the league that wins the most games out of the three.

It all starts at Warrington’s Halliwell Jones Stadium, as the Wolves take on a St George side littered with talent, most notably the New Zealand international Benji Marshall, who returned to the 13-man code last year following an unsuccessful spell in rugby union. With Warrington having won their opening two Super League games in impressive fashion, there is a strong argument to suggest the Wolves could kick off the World Club Series with a win for Super League.

All roads lead to Langtree Park on Sunday and the game that has a legitimate prize at the end of it. Coincidentally, it was both clubs’ greatest rivals who contested the match last year, with South Sydney’s city rivals, Sydney Roosters, overcoming Wigan Warriors in Sydney to be crowned world champions.

“We’re all looking forward to the game,” said Keiron Cunningham, the St Helens coach, who played in the World Club Challenge for the club. “This is one of the biggest events in the history of St Helens, especially at our home ground. It should be incredible.”

There are lots of subplots and dynamics to the series but none more so than the presence of Russell Crowe, the owner of the Rabbitohs, at the game on Sunday. He will be flanked by Sam Burgess, the man who inspired Souths to a first title in 43 years last year before switching to rugby union with Bath.

And with Langtree Park long since sold out, Warrington’s Halliwell Jones Stadium virtually a sellout, and Wigan selling almost 18,000 tickets to date, there is no doubting that if the games are competitive, rugby league could again have broken new ground with an exciting concept.