View source for 2001 World Club Challenge

{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox rugby league football match
|year         = 2001
|title        = World Club Challenge
|image        = Bolton macron wanderers stadium.jpg <!-- Confirm logo -->
|imagesize    = 250px
|caption      = The [[Reebok Stadium]] hosted the match
|alt          = 
|home        = [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]]
|away        = [[Brisbane Broncos]]
|home_league = [[Super League|SL]]
|away_league = [[National Rugby League|NRL]]
|home_abbr   = ST H {{leagueicon|St Helens|16}}
|away_abbr   = BRI {{leagueicon|Brisbane|16}}
|home_half1   = 6
|home_half2   = 14
|home_total   = 20
|away_half1   = 12
|away_half2   = 6
|away_total   = 18
|date         = 26 January 2001
|stadium      = [[Reebok Stadium]]
|location     = [[Bolton]], [[England]]
|MoM_title    = [[Man of the Match]]
|MoM          = [[Sean Long]] {{leagueicon|St Helens|16}}
|anthem_title = 
|anthem       = 
|anthem2_title=
|anthem2      =
|referee      = [[Stuart Cummings]] {{flagicon|ENG}}
|attendance   = 16,041
|network      = {{Flagicon|GBR}} [[Sky Sports]] 
|network2     = <!-- {{Flagicon|AUS}} confirm broadcaster -->
|commentators = [[Eddie Hemmings (rugby league)|Eddie Hemmings]]
|commentators2= [[Mike Stephenson]]
|commentators3= 
|tournaments  = [[World Club Challenge]]
|last         = [[2000 World Club Challenge|2000]]
|next         = [[2002 World Club Challenge|2002]]
}}
The '''2001 [[World Club Challenge]]''' was contested between [[Super League V]] champions, [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]] and [[2000 NRL season]] premiers, the [[Brisbane Broncos]].<ref>[http://www.superleague.co.uk/wcc_2001.php?rid=321 2001 World Club Challenge at superleague.co.uk]</ref> The Broncos made the trip to England to play St Helens before the start of the 2001 NRL and Super League seasons and were beaten by two late [[drop goal]]s (known as a field goal in Australia, but not to be confused with the archaic [[Field goal (rugby)#Rugby league|field goal]]) from the home side in the final minutes.

==Background==
===St Helens===
{{details|2000 Super League Grand Final}}
The [[2000 Super League Grand Final]] was the conclusive and championship-deciding match of [[Super League V]]. It was contested by [[Wigan Warriors]] who had finished the regular season in 1s place, and [[St Helens R.F.C.]] who had finished in 2nd place, after both teams had played their way through the finals series. St Helens had played in the [[2000 World Club Challenge|previous World Club Challenge]], suffering a comprehensive defeat at the hands of the [[Melbourne Storm]].

===Brisbane Broncos===
{{details|2000 NRL Grand Final}}
The [[2000 NRL grand final]] was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the [[2000 NRL season]]. It was contested by the [[Brisbane Broncos]], who had finished the regular season in 1st place, and the [[Sydney Roosters]], who had finished in 2nd place, after both teams played their way through the finals series. Prior to the previous World Club Challenge, the Broncos had contested the three preceding it, winning twice.

==Teams==

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|{{Football kit
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{| width="100%"
|valign="top" width="50%"|
{| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
|-
!width="25"| !!width="25"|
|-
|FB ||'''1'''||[[Paul Wellens]]
|-
|RW ||'''2'''||[[Sean Hoppe]]
|-
|RC ||'''3'''||[[Kevin Iro]]
|-
|LC ||'''4'''||[[Paul Newlove]]
|-
|LW ||'''5'''||[[Anthony Sullivan (rugby)|Anthony Sullivan]]
|-
|SO ||'''20'''||[[Tommy Martyn]]
|-
|SH ||'''7'''||[[Sean Long]]
|-
|PR ||'''10'''||[[David Fairleigh]]
|-
|HK ||'''9'''||[[Keiron Cunningham]]
|-
|PR ||'''12'''||[[Sonny Nickle]]
|-
|SR ||'''11'''||[[Chris Joynt]] ([[Captain (sports)|c]])
|-
|SR ||'''8'''||[[Peter Shiels]]
|-
|LF ||'''13'''||[[Paul Sculthorpe]]
|-
|colspan=3|'''Substitutions:'''
|-
|IC ||'''15'''||[[Tim Jonkers]]
|-
|IC ||'''16'''||[[Vila Matautia]]
|-
|IC ||'''18'''||[[John Stankevitch]]
|-
|IC ||'''19'''||[[Anthony Stewart (rugby league)|Anthony Stewart]]
|-
|colspan=3|'''Coach:'''
|-
|colspan="4"|{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Ian Millward]]
|}
|valign="top" width="50%"|
{| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"
|-
!width="25"| !!width="25"|
|-
|FB ||'''1'''||[[Darren Lockyer]]
|-
|LW ||'''2'''||[[Lote Tuqiri (rugby, born 1979)|Lote Tuqiri]]
|-
|RC ||'''3'''||[[Stuart Kelly (rugby league)|Stuart Kelly]]
|-
|LC ||'''4'''||[[Michael De Vere]]
|-
|RW ||'''5'''||[[Wendell Sailor]]
|-
|FE ||'''6'''||[[Shaun Berrigan]]
|-
|HB ||'''7'''||[[Scott Prince]]
|-
|PR ||'''8'''||[[Shane Webcke]]
|-
|HK ||'''9'''||[[Luke Priddis]]
|-
|PR ||'''10'''||[[Petero Civoniceva]]
|-
|SR ||'''11'''||[[Gorden Tallis]] ([[Captain (sports)|c]])
|-
|SR ||'''12'''||[[Dane Carlaw]]
|-
|LK ||'''13'''||[[Phillip Lee (rugby league)|Phillip Lee]]
|-
|colspan=3|'''Substitutions:'''
|-
|IC ||'''14'''||[[Shane Walker (rugby league born 1978)|Shane Walker]]
|-
|IC ||'''15'''||[[Ashley Harrison]]
|-
|IC ||'''16'''||[[Brad Meyers]]
|-
|IC ||'''17'''||[[Chris Walker (rugby league)|Chris Walker]]
|-
|colspan=3|'''Coach:'''
|-
|colspan="4"|{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Wayne Bennett (rugby league)|Wayne Bennett]]
|}
|}

==Match details==
The match was played in wintery conditions on the night of Friday the 26th of January at [[Reebok Stadium]] in [[Bolton, England]] before a crowd of 16,041. The Broncos players wore black armbands in memory of the club's co-founder [[Paul Morgan (rugby league, died 2001)|Paul "Porky" Morgan]] who had died from a heart attack the previous day.

{{rugbyleaguebox
| bg = #eeeeee
| date       = 26 January 2001
| team1      = [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]] {{leagueicon|St Helens|16}}
| score      = 20 – 18
| report     = [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/super_league/leeds/7906869.stm (Report)]
| team2      = {{leagueicon|Brisbane|16}} [[Brisbane Broncos]]
| points1    = '''Tries:''' <br> [[Chris Joynt]] <br> [[Sean Long]] <br> [[Paul Sculthorpe]] <br> '''Goals:''' <br> Sean Long (3) <br> '''Field Goals:''' <br> Sean Long (1) <br> Paul Sculthorpe (1)
| points2    = '''Tries:''' <br> [[Shaun Berrigan]] <br> [[Phillip Lee (rugby league)|Phillip Lee]] <br> [[Brad Meyers]] <br> '''Goals:''' <br> [[Michael De Vere]] (3)
| stadium    = [[Reebok Stadium]], [[Bolton]]
| attendance = 16,041
| referee    = [[Stuart Cummings]] {{flagicon|ENG}}
| manofmatch = [[Sean Long]] {{leagueicon|St Helens|16}}
}}

===First half===
The first try of the match was scored by the Broncos from close to the Saints' try-line when Shaun Berrigan, playing at [[Rugby league positions#Stand-off|five-eighth]], burrowed over from dummy half. St. Helens answered with a try from their loose forward, Paul Sculthorpe. This was followed by the Brisbane lock, Phillip Lee scoring at the other end. The half-time score was 6 - 12 in favour of the Broncos.

===Second half===
Brisbane were again the first to score in the second half through Brad Meyers, giving the visitors a good lead. But a converted try from Saints' [[Rugby league positions#Scrum half|scrum-half]], Sean Long put the home team back in it at 18 - 12. The scores were then levelled when St. Helens centre, Paul Newlove ran around Wendell Sailor and dashed downfield, passing back inside to his captain, Chris Joynt to score. In the final minutes of the match the Saints managed to wear down the clock without conceding any points as try-scorers Sculthorpe and Long kicked a drop/field goal each, leaving the score at the final siren at 20 - 18.
{{-}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://rugbyleagueproject.com/competitions/World_Club_Challenge_2001.html 2001 World Club Challenge at rugbyleagueproject.com]
*[http://www.rlphotos.com/2001WCC/index.htm 2001 World Club Challenge at rlphotos.com]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/6380851.stm 2001 World Club Challenge by Chris Joynt]

{{World Club Challenge}}
{{St Helens - 2001 World Club Challenge winners}}
{{St Helens RLFC}}
{{2001 in rugby league}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:World Club Challenge}}
[[Category:World Club Challenge|2001]]
[[Category:Brisbane Broncos matches]]
[[Category:St Helens R.F.C. matches]]
[[Category:2001 in English rugby league]]
[[Category:2001 in Australian rugby league]]