2018 World Club Challenge
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox rugby league football match
|year=2018
|title=World Club Challenge
|image=AAMI Park WCC 2018.jpg
|caption=Melbourne Rectangular Stadium hosted the match
|imagesize=250px
|alt=|home=Melbourne Storm
|away=Leeds Rhinos
|home_league=NRL
|away_league=Super League
|home_abbr=MEL {{leagueicon|Melbourne|16}}
|away_abbr=LEE {{leagueicon|Leeds|16}}
|home_half1=18
|home_half2=20
|home_total=38
|away_half1=4
|away_half2=0
|away_total=4
|date=16 February 2018
|stadium=Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
|location=Melbourne, Australia
|MoM_title = Man of the Match
|MoM= Nelson Asofa-Solomona {{leagueicon|Melbourne|16}}
|referee=Gerard Sutton {{flagicon|AUS}}
Ben Cummins {{flagicon|AUS}}
|attendance=19,062
|network={{flagicon|AUS}} Nine Network
|network2={{flagicon|GBR}} Sky Sports
|network3={{flagicon|NZL}} Māori Television
|tournaments=World Club Challenge
|last=2017
|next=2019
}}
The 2018 World Club Challenge (also known as the 2018 Downer World Club Challenge{{cite web|url=https://www.melbournestorm.com.au/news/2018/02/05/downer-partners-with-world-club-challenge/|title=Downer partners with World Club Challenge|work=melbournestorm.com.au|date=4 February 2018 |access-date=6 February 2018}} was the 26th staging of the World Club Challenge. It took place on 16 February 2018, and featured Super League champions Leeds Rhinos, and NRL winners Melbourne Storm.{{Cite web |title=Storm v Rhinos |url=https://www.nrl.com/draw/world-club-challenge/2018/round-1/storm-v-rhinos/ |access-date=2024-03-14 |website=National Rugby League |language=en}} This was the fourth time the two clubs have met in the World Club Challenge, having previously played each other in 2008, 2010 and 2013. It was the first time since 2014 and only the fourth time since the World Club Challenge began that the game was played in Australia.{{cite web |title=2018 World Club Challenge: Leeds Rhinos to play Melbourne Storm in Australia |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/41976536 |website=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |access-date=21 February 2023 |date=13 November 2017}}
Melbourne Storm defeated Leeds Rhinos, 38–4 to be crowned World Club Champions for 2018.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/43046485|title=Melbourne Win World Club Challenge|date=14 February 2018 |publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=16 February 2018}}
Background
In October 2017 it was suggested that the 2018 World Club Series could be scrapped completely based on the top Australian teams' reluctance to travel to the UK for the 2017 series which resulted in the series being scaled back to two games only. In particular the second game of the 2017 series only featured an invited team from the NRL.{{cite web|url=http://www.seriousaboutrl.com/world-club-challenge-set-to-be-scrapped-10357/|title=World Club Challenge set to be scrapped?|work=seriousaboutrl.com|date=10 October 2017 |access-date=4 November 2017}} In addition, the 2017 Rugby League World Cup being played in Australia at the end of 2017, meant that the preseason for Australian teams was going to be unusually short ahead of the 2018 season and therefore they did not want to make the trip to England for the 2018 series. The Melbourne Storm (2017 NRL Premiers) in particular, were reluctant to travel meaning the series was in danger of cancellation for the first time since the 1990s as it is the Storm that was playing in the World Club Challenge.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}
In June 2017, the Super League announced that the Australian city of Wollongong would host the first ever Super League game outside Europe. Wigan Warriors "hosted" Hull F.C. in the game at WIN Stadium on Saturday, February 10, in which the Warriors prevailed, 24–10.{{cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/wollongong-to-host-historic-super-league-game-in-2018/news-story/030e5a40f9a91f38f7c7cdaf4168ddab/|title=Wollongong to host historic Super League game|work=foxsports.com.au|date=26 July 2017 |access-date=4 November 2017}} In addition and as part of this trip to Australia, Wigan and Hull would play two exhibition games against South Sydney Rabbitohs and St George Illawarra Dragons respectively. Early media speculation suggested a switch to Melbourne for the World Club Challenge and that these fixtures could form part of the World club Series; however, as these were separately arranged fixtures they were ultimately not considered part of the World Club Series.{{cite web|title=2018 World Club Challenge: Leeds Rhinos to play Melbourne Storm in Australia|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/41976536|website=BBC Sport|access-date=12 December 2017|date=13 November 2017}}{{cite web|title=Super League: Wigan Warriors to face Hull FC in Australia in 2018|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/40727923|website=BBC Sport|access-date=12 December 2017|date=26 July 2017}}
On 14 November 2017, it was confirmed that Leeds Rhinos would travel to Australia to play Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park in Melbourne on 16 February 2018, and that the World Club Challenge would return to a single game for the first time since 2014.
=Leeds Rhinos=
{{further|2017 Super League Grand Final}}
Leeds finished Super League XXII's regular season in 2nd place and went on to defeat 1st-placed Castleford Tigers, 24–6, in the grand final, qualifying the Rhinos for their 8th World Club Challenge.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}
=Melbourne Storm=
{{further|2017 NRL Grand Final|2017 Melbourne Storm season}}
The Storm finished the 2017 NRL season in 1st place and won the Minor premiership. They then went undefeated through the finals series to claim the 2017 Premiership with a 34–6 win in the 2017 NRL Grand Final over the North Queensland Cowboys, qualifying Melbourne for their fifth World Club Challenge, and first since 2013.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}
Teams
The Melbourne Storm made their team announcement on 13 February 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.melbournestorm.com.au/news/2018/02/13/team-announcement---world-club-challenge/|title=Team Announcement - World Club Challenge|work=melbournestorm.com.au|date=13 February 2018 |access-date=14 February 2018}}
{{Rugby league match squad
| collapsed = n
| align = center
| hometeam = Melbourne Storm
| homeBorder = navy
| homeBGcolour = purple
| homeFGcolour = gold
| awayteam = Leeds Rhinos
| awayBorder = blue
| awayBGcolour = yellow
| awayFGcolour = blue
| squadsize = 17
| location = sn
| abbr = y
| homeCoach = {{flagicon|AUS}} Craig Bellamy
| homeFB = Billy Slater
| homeFBnum = 1
| homeWG1 = Suliasi Vunivalu
| homeWG1num = 2
| homeCE1 = Will Chambers
| homeCE1num = 3
| homeCE2 = Curtis Scott
| homeCE2num = 4
| homeWG2 = Josh Addo-Carr
| homeWG2num = 5
| homeSO = Cameron Munster
| homeSOnum = 6
| homeSH = Brodie Croft
| homeSHnum = 7
| homePR1 = Jesse Bromwich
| homePR1num = 8
| homeHK = Cameron Smith
| homeHKnum = 9
| homePR2 = Tim Glasby
| homePR2num = 10
| homeSR1 = Felise Kaufusi
| homeSR1num = 11
| homeSR2 = Ryan Hoffman
| homeSR2num = 12
| homeLF = Dale Finucane
| homeLFnum = 13
| homeIN1 = Brandon Smith
| homeIN1num = 14
| homeIN2 = Nelson Asofa Solomona
| homeIN2num = 15
| homeIN3 = Kenny Bromwich
| homeIN3num = 16
| homeIN4 = Christian Welch
| homeIN4num = 17
| awayCoach = {{flagicon|ENG}} Brian McClennan
| awayFB = Jack Walker
| awayFBnum = 24
| awayWG1 = Tom Briscoe
| awayWG1num = 2
| awayCE1 = Kallum Watkins
| awayCE1num = 3
| awayCE2 = Liam Sutcliffe
| awayCE2num = 4
| awayWG2 = Ryan Hall
| awayWG2num = 5
| awaySO = Joel Moon
| awaySOnum = 6
| awaySH = Richie Myler
| awaySHnum = 7
| awayPR1 = Adam Cuthbertson
| awayPR1num = 8
| awayHK = Matt Parcell
| awayHKnum = 9
| awayPR2 = Brad Singleton
| awayPR2num = 10
| awaySR1 = Jamie Jones-Buchanan
| awaySR1num = 11
| awaySR2 = Carl Ablett
| awaySR2num = 12
| awayLF = Stevie Ward
| awayLFnum = 13
| awayIN1 = Brad Dwyer
| awayIN1num = 14
| awayIN2 = Brett Delaney
| awayIN2num = 15
| awayIN3 = Jimmy Keinhorst
| awayIN3num = 18
| awayIN4 = Jack Ormondroyd
| awayIN4num = 23
| source = [https://www.melbournestorm.com.au/news/2018/02/16/late-mail-downer-world-club-challenge/ Storm] [https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/world-club-challenge-2018/game-1/melbourne-vs-leeds.html RLP]
}}
Match details
{{rugbyleaguebox
| bg = #eeeeee
| event = 2018 World Club Challenge
| date = 16 February 2018
| score = 38 – 4
| 1sthalf = 18–4
| 2ndhalf = 20–0
| report = [https://www.bbc.com/sport/live/rugby-league/42614017 Report]
| team1 = Melbourne Storm {{leagueicon|Melbourne|16}}
| team2 = {{leagueicon|Leeds|16}} Leeds Rhinos
| try1 = 7
J Bromwich {{try|17}}
Croft {{try|24}}
Vunivalu {{try|40}}
Asofa-Solomona {{try|49}}
Kaufusi {{try|56}}
Chambers {{try|71}}
Finucane {{try|80}}
| goal1 = 5/8
C Smith {{kick|25|pen 36|40|50}} {{small|(4/7)}}
Munster {{kick|80}} {{small|(1/1)}}
| try2 = 1
Hall {{try|9}}
| goal2 = 0/1
Watkins {{small|(0/1)}}
| stadium = AAMI Park, Melbourne
| attendance = 19,062
| referee = Gerard Sutton, Ben Cummins
| manofmatch = Nelson Asofa-Solomona {{leagueicon|Melbourne|12}}
}}
File:SmithWCC2018.jpg with the trophy]]
References
{{reflist}}
{{2018 in rugby league}}
{{World Club Challenge}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:World Club Challenge}}
Category:2018 in Australian rugby league
Category:2018 in English rugby league