Super Sydney Strike St Helens at Showpiece

At 7:40PM, the floodlights dimmed, replaced by spotlights and Insomnia by Faithless played over the tannoy to rouse the St Helens crowd. What probably wasn’t expected is that the St Helens team were still warming up. As the cheerleaders danced on the halfway line, Tommy Makinson was tucked in behind practising his kick offs. It was almost rhythmic.

The dance track Insomnia was released in 1995. For the purpose of context, Morgan Knowles, Matty Lees, Aaron Smith, Jack Welsby, James Bentley and Matty Costello from the St Helens side were not even born when the song blurring around the stadium was released.

When the team sheets were released an hour before kick-off, eyes were immediately drawn to the latter two of those names, that would comprise their left edge centre and wing partnership. They were to face up against Joseph Manu, probably the best centre in the world and Brett Morris, tormentor-in-chief of Wigan in the 2019 World Club Challenge.

Many thought they would be in for a long evening. The selection gave more credence to theory that the inclusion of Mark Percival in the 21-man squad was a mind game from Kristian Woolf, aimed at hiding the fact that he would be lining up with such an inexperienced back line.

It was in the first 10 minutes that Sydney exerted control against Wigan last year. The start of this game was very different. The two huge packs of forwards thundered at each other, almost with a disregard for their own personal safety. Two stags of each pack, Alex Walmsley and Victor Radley almost came to blows. And where there is a confrontation to be had, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is never too far away, who made his early presence felt with a couple of high shots.

Despite the blood and thunder opening, it was something more delicate that brought the games opening score for St Helens. Theo Fages danced around a few Sydney defenders before spotting NRL-bound Luke Thompson charging like an express train, screaming for the ball.

A momentary silence fell, as over 16,000 fans held their breath. That was soon replaced by a huge roar, as Luke Thompson took the ball and bundled his way over the line, before celebrating in front of a loud and jubilant home support.

(Picture Credit: Bernard Platt)

The start could hardly have been any better. But the fizzing crowd was soon silenced, in less than 5 minutes as Sydney responded with a score of their own. Daniel Tupou had some space on his wing. The try scoring pass was an excellent spot, but poorly executed. The 6 foot, 5 inch tall Tongan, known as the giraffe, had to reach 6 feet and 3 inches down to collect the pass and impressively finish.

After a great start, St Helens were starting to rock and before long, Sydney hit the front through Joseph Manu. This came from a James Tedesco break, who received a delightful tip-on ball from Waerea-Hargreaves. Whilst Tedesco himself was stopped, the St Helens defence was shot and the ball did the work, before the Manu finish.

What was under credited for this try was the Waerea-Hargreaves pass. Perhaps this is one example of where the NRL teams have that superiority. The huge bullocking front-rower who demonstrated the vision and execution of a pivot to set his team away.

There were no points between the 20^th minute and the 60^th minute. But there was no shortage of action. Tommy Makinson was denied by a superb cover tackle late in the first half (although play had already stopped for a forward pass), Matty Costello came mighty close to touching down a grubber kick and Makinson was also denied by the video referee. 

There were also a couple of loose passes and dropped balls, which St Helens could not covert into points.

In some ways, it was like the 2019 NRL Grand Final. Sydney absorbed the St Helens pressure just as they did with Canberra last year. They swung punch after punch, but could not land one. Some may say that rugby league matches with few points are boring. I disagree, watching St Helens try everything within their might; brute force, set moves, inside passes, high and low kicks and spread plays to try and break down one of the greatest goal-line defences I have ever seen was as absorbing as it gets.

And just as in the 2019 NRL Grand Final, Sydney responded with a sucker punch. Manu scored first, Keary soon followed and Taukeiaho added a penalty. A 14-pont blitz in a 13-minute spell had taken the game from being on a knife edge to being over as a contest.

Alex Walmsley was immense for St Helens, making an incredible 181 metres and grabbed a deserved try for his efforts, to end the game with a 12-20 scoreline.

Last night Sydney demonstrated why they are the best team in the world and why they became the first team in over 25 years to retain the NRL title. They play with patience, they absorb and thrive under pressure and have a ruthless ability to strike.

And this is no fluke. Listen back to the Sydney players pre-game interviews, they talk about the huge battle facing them in the front row, they talk about the threat of Jonny Lomax. Coach Trent Robinson even noted the slight, more wrestle-focussed defence St Helens have this year. This game was not a trial for them.

There was ample evidence of meticulous and precise preparation. And there were excuses for Sydney not to win this game. A hostile crowd against them, a bitter wind and pouring rain, an opponent who would run through a brick wall to win.

In 2016, when Sydney last played St Helens, Trent Robinson noted many of these external factors, before promptly casting them aside as excuses. Sydney Roosters are a side that don’t do excuses. From an external viewpoint, it seems as though if you are the sort of person who looks for excuses, then you would not make it at this club.

St Helens had their excuses too. An 18-year old at full back, playing for only the 16^th time in his career, when his opposite number is the best in the world. Matty Costello and James Bentley both playing in unfamiliar positions, no recognised goalkicker.

But praise should go to them too. They did not die wondering and left no stone unturned in their attempts to prise away Sydney’s crown. There is no shame in losing to a side as good as Sydney, and great pride can be taken in pushing them so close, combined with a slight frustration of what might have been, if just one of the missed chances had stuck…

Also...in case you missed it, check out our blogpost looking at how social media reacted to the World Club Challenge!