2008 World Club Challenge

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2008 (2008) World Club Challenge  ()
Leeds elland road stadium.jpg
Elland Road hosted the match
Leeds Rhinos Melbourne Storm
(Super League)(National Rugby League)
114
12Total
LEE Rhinoscolours.svg 8311
MEL Melbourne colours.svg 404
Date29 February 2008
Stadium Elland Road
LocationLeeds, United Kingdom
Man of the Match Kevin Sinfield Rhinoscolours.svg
Referee Ashley Klein
Attendance33,204
Broadcast partners
Broadcasters
Commentators
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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 Australian counterparts.

Contents

Qualification

Leeds Rhinos

Leeds Rhinos qualified through being the 2007 Super League champions, defeating St. Helens 33–6 in the Grand Final.

Melbourne Storm

Melbourne Storm clinched the 2007 National Rugby League title in a 34–8 belting of Manly, earning them a place in the World Club Challenge.

Melbourne played a warm-up game against National League One team Halifax. [1]

Teams

Melbourne's squad included 11 members of the 2007 premiership team, but were missing captain Cameron Smith who had stayed in Australia to be present for the birth of his first child. [2]

Team details
Leeds RhinosPositionMelbourne Storm
NameNumberNumberName
Brent Webb 1 FB 1 Billy Slater
Lee Smith 5 WG 2 Steve Turner
Clinton Toopi 3 CE 3 Will Chambers
Keith Senior 4 CE 4 Israel Folau
Scott Donald 2 WG 5 Anthony Quinn
Danny McGuire 6 SO/FE 9 Matt Geyer
Rob Burrow 7 SH/HB 7 Cooper Cronk (c)
Kylie Leuluai 8 PR 8 Jeff Lima
Matt Diskin 9 HK 11 Jeremy Smith
Jamie Peacock 10 PF 10 Brett White
Jamie Jones-Buchanan 11 SR 14 Antonio Kaufusi
Gareth Ellis 12 SR 12 Ryan Hoffman
Kevin Sinfield (c)13 LF/LK 13 Dallas Johnson
Ali Lauitiiti 14 IN 6 Russell Aitken
Ryan Bailey 16 IN 15 Adam Blair
Nick Scruton 17 IN 16 Sika Manu
Carl Ablett 19 IN 17 Sam Tagataese
Flag of New Zealand.svg Brian McClennan Coach Flag of Australia (converted).svg Craig Bellamy
[2]

Match details

2008 World Club Challenge
29 February 2008
20:00 GMT (UTC+0)
Leeds Rhinos Rhinoscolours.svg 11 – 4 Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne Storm
Tries:1
Donald Ru ball.svg 38'
Goals:3
Sinfield Rugby penalty.svg pen 11', 39', pen 60'(3/3)
Drop goals:1
Sinfield Rugby penalty.svg 68'
1st: 8 – 4
2nd: 3 – 0
Report
Tries:1
Hoffman Ru ball.svg 16'
Goals:0/1
Turner (0/1)
Elland Road, Leeds
Attendance: 33,204
Referee: Ashley Klein Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Player of the Match: Kevin Sinfield Rhinoscolours.svg

Summary

The match was played in cold and windy conditions, four rounds into the 2008 Super League competition and one week before the start of the 2008 NRL season. 33,204 spectators turned out at Elland Road, in Leeds for a hard-fought, low-scoring match in which each side scored a try apiece, with Leeds ultimately coming out winners, due largely to the goal kicking of Kevin Sinfield. The win meant the English champions side defeated their Australian counterparts for the fifth consecutive year.

First half

Kevin Sinfield opened the scoring for Leeds, converting a penalty goal from directly in front of the posts, but Melbourne would score the first try with acting captain Cooper Cronk sending Ryan Hoffman over the line in the 16th minute to take a 4–2 lead. [2] [3] Steve Turner could not add the conversion in the blustery conditions.

Danny McGuire would leave the field in the half due to a shoulder injury, [3] however in his absence, Leeds would take a half time lead when Brent Webb floated a pass to Scott Donald to score a try in the corner. Sinfield's conversion from the sideline giving Leeds a 8–4 lead. [2]

Second half

Heavy rain greeted the players upon the resumption. Turner would not return for Melbourne after half time due to concussion. Clinton Toopi would then join McGuire on the sidelines through injury for Leeds, with Toopi suffering an arm injury. [3] A biting allegation against Leeds winger Lee Smith was a minor controversy midway through the second half, but despite immediately reporting the incident to the touch judge, Melbourne's Will Chambers refused to file an official complaint at full time. [2]

In a battle of attrition, defence won out as the half progressed, with Melbourne unable to find a way through the Leeds line. [4] Chambers came close to a late try in the 78th minute, but his foot found the touch line before he could ground the ball. [4] In the end Sinfield's penalty goal in the 60th minute and drop goal 12 minutes from full time, were the only points in the second half. [2]

See also

World Club Challenge

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References

  1. ↑ "Quins to warm up Storm". Sky Sports. 12 November 2009. Archived from the original on 7 January 2010. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Middleton, David. 2008 Official Rugby League Annual. Sydney: News Magazines. p. 34.
  3. 1 2 3 Wilson, Andy (1 March 2008). "Rhinos top of the world as brave Burrow rides storm". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  4. 1 2 "World Club Challenge". BBC Sport. BBC. 29 February 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
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