View source for 2007 World Club Challenge

{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox rugby league football match
|year         = 2007
|title        = World Club Challenge
|image        = Bolton macron wanderers stadium.jpg <!-- Confirm logo -->
|imagesize    = 250px
|caption      = The [[Reebok Stadium]] hosted the match
|home         = [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]]
|away         = [[Brisbane Broncos]]
|home_league  = [[Super League]]
|away_league  = [[National Rugby League]]
|home_abbr    = ST H {{leagueicon|St Helens|16}}
|away_abbr    = BRI {{leagueicon|Brisbane Broncos|16}}
|home_half1   = 6
|home_half2   = 12
|home_total   = 18

|away_half1   = 8
|away_half2   = 6
|away_total   = 14
|date         = 23 February 2007
|stadium      = [[Reebok Stadium]]
|location     = [[Bolton]], [[England]]
|MoM_title    = [[Man of the Match]]
|MoM          = [[Paul Sculthorpe]] {{leagueicon|St Helens|16}}
|anthem_title = 
|anthem       = 
|anthem2_title=
|anthem2      =
|referee      = Steve Clarke {{flagicon|AUS}}
|attendance   = 23,207
|network      = {{Flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Sky Sports]] 
|network2     = <!-- {{Flagicon|Australia}} confirm broadcaster -->
|commentators = [[Eddie Hemmings (rugby league)|Eddie Hemmings]]
|commentators2= [[Mike Stephenson]]
|commentators3= 
|tournaments  = [[World Club Challenge]]
|last         = [[2006 World Club Challenge|2006]]
|next         = [[2008 World Club Challenge|2008]]
}}
The '''2007 Carnegie [[World Club Challenge]]''' was played between [[Super League XI]] champions, [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]] and [[NRL season 2006|2006 National Rugby League]] premiers, the [[Brisbane Broncos]]. It was a replay of the [[2001 World Club Challenge]], and both clubs' fifth WCC appearance. The match was played on the night of 23 February at [[Reebok Stadium]], Bolton before a crowd of 23,207.

==Background==
===Brisbane Broncos===
{{see|2006 NRL Grand Final}}
On 1 October 2006 the Brisbane Broncos clinched the 2006 National Rugby League title in a 15 - 8 defeat of [[Melbourne Storm]] to earn a place in the new year's World Club Challenge. Already the leading Australian club in number of Challenge appearances, 2007's match would make it the 4th time Brisbane would travel to England for the match (they also hosted the World Club challenge in 1994, making it a total of 5 appearances.

===St Helens===
{{see|2006 Super League Grand Final}}
On 14 October 2006 St Helens qualified for the Challenge after being crowned the 2006 Super League champions, defeating [[Hull F.C.]] 26 - 4 in the Grand Final. They went into the match against the Broncos on the back of consecutive defeats in the early rounds of the 2007 [[Super League XII]] season.<ref>{{cite news 
  | last = yorkshirepost.co.uk
  | title = Stuttering Saints get Kear's backing for World Challenge
  | work = [[Yorkshire Post]]
  | place =UK
  | publisher = Johnston Press Digital Publishing
  | date = 2007-02-20
  | url = http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/rugby-league/Stuttering-Saints-get-Kear39s-backing.2059888.jp
  | access-date = 2010-08-03}}</ref>

==Pre-match==
Brisbane arrived in the United Kingdom with just an 18-man squad for two scheduled matches, the World Club Challenge and a warm-up game.<ref name="griffiths14-02-07">{{cite web|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sports/rugby-league-news/2007/02/14/r-league-crusaders-could-get-broncos-call-91466-18621009/ |title=Crusaders could get Broncos call |last=Griffiths |first=Gareth |date=2007-02-14 |publisher=[[South Wales Echo]] |access-date=8 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009161722/http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sports/rugby-league-news/2007/02/14/r-league-crusaders-could-get-broncos-call-91466-18621009/ |archive-date=9 October 2012 |url-status = live}}</ref> Brisbane played their warm-up match against [[RFL League 1|National League Two]] side [[Crusaders Rugby League|Celtic Crusaders]] at the [[Brewery Field]] in [[Bridgend]] on 15 February 2007, eight days before the world title contest.<ref name="griffiths14-02-07"/><ref name="hadfield16-02-07">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/rugby-league/celtic-crusaders-6-brisbane-broncos-32-crusaders-commitment-fails-to-rein-in-broncos-436550.html |title=Celtic Crusaders 6 Brisbane Broncos 32: Crusaders' commitment fails to rein in Broncos |last=Hadfield |first=Dave |date=2007-02-16 |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |access-date=8 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106103113/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/rugby-league/celtic-crusaders-6-brisbane-broncos-32-crusaders-commitment-fails-to-rein-in-broncos-436550.html |archive-date=6 November 2012 |url-status = live}}</ref> The warm-up watch was titled the ''[[Bulmers]] Original Cider Challenge''.<ref name="griffiths14-02-07"/> During the match, Brisbane players wore a new type of playing kit that allowed them to dry their hands during play using a chamois panel on the back of the shorts.<ref name="griffiths14-02-07"/> Brisbane eventually beat Celtic 32–6 but had first been held scoreless during the opening quarter of the match.<ref name="hadfield16-02-07"/>

As they had brought with them only 18 players, the Broncos were worried about suffering injuries against the Crusaders.<ref name="griffiths14-02-07"/> Brisbane's contingency was two players in Australia ready to fly to Britain should they be needed.<ref name="griffiths14-02-07"/> If more than two injuries were suffered, the Broncos planned to borrow former Brisbane players currently with Celtic Crusaders subject to applying for and receiving the relevant permissions.<ref name="griffiths14-02-07"/>

==Match details==
The Broncos were without three of their [[2006 NRL grand final]]-winning team: star prop forward [[Shane Webcke]] had retired, utility back [[Casey McGuire]] had signed with another club, and [[David Stagg]] was also absent.
{|  style="float:right; font-size:90%; margin-left:1em;"
|- style="background:#f03;"
! align="centre"  style="width:127px; border:2px solid red; background:white; color:red;"|St Helens
!  style="text-align:center; background:#eee; color:black;"|Position
! align="centre"  style="width:127px; border:2px solid gold; background:maroon; color:white;"|Brisbane Broncos
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|1. [[Paul Wellens]]||  style="text-align:center; background:#eee;"|{{Rlp|FB}}|| style="text-align:center;"|1. [[Karmichael Hunt]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|2. [[Ade Gardner]]||  style="text-align:center; background:#eee;"|{{Rlp|WG}}|| style="text-align:center;"|2. [[Darius Boyd]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|3. [[Matthew Gidley]]||  style="text-align:center; background:#eee;"|{{Rlp|CE}}|| style="text-align:center;"|3. [[Brent Tate]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|4. [[Willie Talau]]||  style="text-align:center; background:#eee;"|{{Rlp|CE}}|| style="text-align:center;"|4. [[Justin Hodges]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|5. [[Francis Meli]]||  style="text-align:center; background:#eee;"|{{Rlp|WG}}|| style="text-align:center;"|5. [[Steve Michaels]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|6. [[Leon Pryce]]||  style="text-align:center; background:#eee;"|{{Rlp|SO}}|| style="text-align:center;"|6. [[Darren Lockyer]] (c)
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|7. [[Sean Long]] (c)||  style="text-align:center; background:#eee;"|{{Rlp|SH}}|| style="text-align:center;"|7. [[Shane Perry]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|8. [[Nick Fozzard]]||  style="text-align:center; background:#eee;"|{{Rlp|PR}}|| style="text-align:center;"|8. [[Dane Carlaw]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|14. [[James Roby]]||  style="text-align:center; background:#eee;"|{{Rlp|HK}}|| style="text-align:center;"|9. [[Shaun Berrigan]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|10. [[Jason Cayless]]||  style="text-align:center; background:#eee;"|{{Rlp|PR}}|| style="text-align:center;"|10. [[Petero Civoniceva]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|11. [[Lee Gilmour]]||  style="text-align:center; background:#eee;"|{{Rlp|SR}}|| style="text-align:center;"|11. [[Corey Parker (rugby league)|Corey Parker]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|15. [[Mike Bennett (rugby league)|Mike Bennett]]||  style="text-align:center; background:#eee;"|{{Rlp|SR}}|| style="text-align:center;"|12. [[Brad Thorn]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|12. [[Jon Wilkin]]||  style="text-align:center; background:#eee;"|{{Rlp|LF}}|| style="text-align:center;"|13. [[Tonie Carroll]]
|- style="text-align:center;" 
||13. [[Paul Sculthorpe]]||  style="text-align:center; background:#eee;"|Int.|| style="text-align:center;"|14. [[Sam Thaiday]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|17. [[James Graham (rugby league)|James Graham]]||  style="text-align:center; background:#eee;"|Int.|| style="text-align:center;"|15. [[Greg Eastwood]]
|- style="text-align:center;" 
||18. [[Bryn Hargreaves]]||  style="text-align:center; background:#eee;"|Int.|| style="text-align:center;"|16. [[Ben Hannant]]
|- style="text-align:center;" 
||9. [[Keiron Cunningham]]||  style="text-align:center; background:#eee;"|Int.|| style="text-align:center;"|17. [[Michael Ennis]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|[[Daniel Anderson (rugby league)|Daniel Anderson]]<ref>{{cite news 
  | title = Anderson delighted by Saints win
  | work = BBC Sport
  | place =UK
  | publisher = BBC
  | date =23 February 2007
  | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/6391861.stm
  | access-date = 3 August 2010}}</ref>||  style="text-align:center; background:#eee;"|Coach|| style="text-align:center;"|[[Wayne Bennett (rugby league)|Wayne Bennett]]
|}
The Broncos were the first to score when St. Helens winger Ade Gardner failed to secure a Darren Lockyer cross-field [[Bomb (kick)|bomb]] close to his own try line, providing Brisbane's second-rower Corey Parker with a gift try which he went on to successfully convert. A further two points were added when a Matt Gidley tackle on Shaun Berrigan resulted in Australian referee Steve Clarke awarding a penalty to the Broncos. The Saints hit back though with a movement out wide finished off by Gardner. Paul Sculthorpe successfully adding the extra two saw a half-time scoreline of 8 - 6 in favour of the visitors.

In the second half Brisbane were once again the first to score, with their captain Darren Lockyer kicking across field for winger Darius Boyd to catch the ball and get a try. St. Helens [[Lock (rugby league)|Loose forward]] Sculthorpe then scored a try at the other end which he also converted, levelling the score at 12 all. Another tackling infringement by Gidley brought about a penalty, which the Broncos successfully kicked, giving them a two-point lead going into the final quarter of the match. But in the seventieth minute, from twenty metres out, Sean Long put a high kick across field and Ade Garnder, leaping up over the Brisbane defence, caught the ball and came down with it over the try-line, putting the Saints in front and ensuring a tense final ten minutes. The conversion from Sculthorpe brought the score to 18 - 14 in favour of the English champions, who managed to preserve that scoreline until the final siren.<ref>{{cite news 
  | last = Harlow
  | first = Phil
  | title = St Helens 18-14 Brisbane Broncos
  | work = BBC Sport
  | place =UK
  | publisher = BBC
  | date = 23 February 2007
  | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/6378807.stm
  | access-date = 3 August 2010}}</ref>
{|
|-
| '''St Helens 18''' 
| style="width:30px;"| 
| '''Brisbane 14'''
|-
|3 Tries:<br /><small>Ade Gardner (2)<br />Paul Sculthorpe</small>
| 
|2 Tries:<br /><small>Darius Boyd<br />Corey Parker</small> 
|-
|3 Goals:<br /><small>Paul Sculthorpe (3/3)</small>
| 
|3 Goals:<br /><small>Corey Parker (3/4)</small>
|}

[[Paul Sculthorpe]], [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]] returning from injury was judged to be Man-of-the-Match. The win meant a clean sweep of the trophies for St. Helens, having already won the [[2006 Challenge Cup]] and the [[2006 Super League Grand Final]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080502153723/http://www.superleague.co.uk/wcc_2007.php?rid=321 2007 World Club Challenge at superleague.co.uk]
*[http://rugbyleagueproject.com/matches/World_Club_Challenge_2007/St_Helens-vs-Brisbane_Broncos.html 2007 World Club Challenge at rugbyleagueproject.com]
*[http://www.rlphotos.com/2007specials/WCC1/index.htm 2007 World Club Challenge at rlphotos.com]

{{World Club Challenge}}
{{St Helens - 2007 World Club Challenge winners}}
{{St Helens RLFC}}
{{2007 in rugby league}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:World Club Challenge}}
[[Category:World Club Challenge|2007]]
[[Category:Brisbane Broncos matches]]
[[Category:St Helens R.F.C. matches]]
[[Category:2007 in English rugby league]]
[[Category:2007 in Australian rugby league]]
[[Category:2007 rugby league matches]]