This will be the first time that these two clubs have played each other and is the first time in 20 years that the World Club Challenge will be held in Australia.
It will be the third WCC for the Roosters (won two) and the sixth WCC for Wigan (won three).
How they got here
Wigan finished Super League regular season in fourth place and went on to defeat second-placed Warrington Wolves 30-16 in the grand final.
The Roosters finished the 2013 NRL season with the minor premiership and went on to defeat the fourth-placed Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 26-18 in the grand final.
Preparation
What they have done since: With World Cup commitments both teams have had limited opportunities to prepare.
Wigan have prepared for the World Club Challenge with the season opener Super League 24-8 loss to Huddersfield, and a warm-up match in Hamilton, New Zealand against a New Zealand Warriors side which was heavily depleted due to the Auckland Nines tournament.
Wigan won the match at Waikato Stadium 46-22.
For the Roosters, 10 members of the grand final-winning Roosters side played in a pre-season trial on Saturday in Wyong against a mostly inexperienced Newcastle who were committed heavily to the Nines tournament.
The Roosters cruised to a 32-4 victory with Cordner, Anthony Minichiello, Sonny Bill Williams, Michael Jennings, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and James Maloney among those who played.
At the Nines for the Roosters Mitchell Pearce, Jake Friend and Daniel Tupou were in action, but any chances of Brad Fittler making a further comeback to league in the WCC were foiled by a hip flexor injury which sidelined him on the second day of the Nines.
NSW and Roosters halfback Mitchell Pearce was another absentee from final day of the Nines but will Saturday’s World Club Challenge against Wigan with a slight leg cork. While Wigan have announced that utility Sam Powell is out injured.
There is bound to be plenty of interest in this match, with the Roosters seemingly giving up on the Nines in favour of concentrating on the WCC.
Former England coach Steve MacNamara is now the Roosters assistant coach. With his knowledge of Wigan he may be the Roosters not so secret weapon.
Both teams will have other commitments in mind with Wigan facing the long trip back to the Super League and the Roosters with a view to first match of the NRL opening round, the top of the table clash against Souths in two weeks.
Let’s hope that both teams can field their best teams, and we see a match worthy of champions.
Walter Penninger
Roar Guru
I wish I had written that.
George
Guest
Wigan Warriors have a proud tradition in the World Club Challenge and take it very seriosuly as a competition. The famous old club flew out to New Zealand just hours after their shock season opener defeat to Huddersfield Giants. However as that home loss revealed so starkly, Wigan are a team in transition and surely this game will come too soon for the Super League champions. The Lancashire outfit have lost four of their most influencial stars who helped them achive a rare Grand Final and Challenge Cup double. Sam Tomkins, Pat Richards and Lee Mossop moved to the NRL, whilsy Harrison Hansen was tempted by the big bucks of Salford. These players represented the points scoring nucleas of the cherry and whites success. The capture of full-back Matty Bowen will bring plenty of NRL nouse to the side but otherwise Wigan are largely dependent on youngsters, fast-tracked from their highly impressive youth production line. Saturday will surely be too big an ask for the new-look outfit who should get stronger later in the Super League season.