In what is sure to be one of the coldest World Club Challenge’s ever played, the Leeds Rhinos will host the Manly Sea Eagles for the right to be called the World Club Challenge Champions.
After winning last season’s NRL title, the Sea Eagles proceeded to self-destruct at just about every level.
With issues at board level, coach Des Hasler sacked, talk of players leaving and talk of a number of different lawsuits being filed, you could say that the Sea Eagles have had the off season from hell.
In truth, the last thing the club needed right now was to have to pack everyone up and send them over to England for a couple of weeks.
Still, new coach Geoff Toovey now has a great opportunity to get his side away from all of the problems the club is going through and just have them concentrate on football.
The Sea Eagles will go into the game at full strength with the added bonus of having David Williams return from an neck injury that ended his 2011 season.
They take on the Leeds Rhinos who are two weeks into their Super League campaign. The Rhinos have been one of the more dominant teams in Super League over the last decade but their run towards last year’s Super League grand final was a surprised to just about everyone.
A number of the favourites failed to deliver when it mattered most, and even Leeds fans will tell you that their 2011 grand final winning side was not as good as some of their teams of the past.
I watched their loss last week to Wigan and Leeds looked terrible. While their offense was not too bad, defensively they were all over the place, especially on the edges. While watching the game I couldn’t help but think that Leeds were the perfect side for Manly to play. Anthony Watmough and Glenn Stewart should have a field day.
These games are always a bit strange to watch. The NRL team is always underdone, having played little to no football since the end of the previous season. Meanwhile, the Super League club always comes in with a number of full competition games under their belt.
In the past these games were played on “neutral” grounds in northern England that were only a stone’s throw away from the home sides home ground anyway. It seems that in 2012 the RFL decided the appearance of neutrality was not needed, so this match will be played at Leeds home ground, Headingley Carnegie Stadium.
Leeds only have two injury concerns with Kallum Watkins recovering from a wrist injury while Lee Smith is listed as doubtful to recover from a possible rib cartilage damage.
You can expect Leeds to come out breathing fire. You can expect Manly to look pretty awful early on. However, as Manly gets into the game I think you’ll see them pull away and win this one.
Generally W.C.C. games are low scoring affairs with the good defense of the NRL team and their lack of match fitness being big factors. That’s why I think we will see Manly defeat the Rhinos by a scoreline of 18-8.
I will be live blogging during the World Club Challenge on The Roar.
If you are up early and watching the game, come an join me and get my thoughts and opinions on the match LIVE!
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
The rugby league community is in mourning following the sudden death of former Kangaroos centre Terry Hill from an apparent heart attack in the…
Warriors coach Andrew Webster wants to see Shaun Johnson suit up alongside boom recruit James Fisher-Harris in 2025, saying the star halfback is "huge…
1. Tigers earning their stripes The Tigers played Souths last year when the Bunnies were at their very highest point. Tim Sheens coached them…
Manly have snuck home against the Titans in a wild game on the Gold Coast, running out 34-30 winners on a night in which,…
Who are the hardest working big men in the NRL?
1. Manu is not No.1 at Roosters Everyone knows Joey Manu is a really good fullback. He’s probably in the top five in the…
