2008 World Club Challenge

Intercontinental rugby league match November 2022 2008 World Club Challenge Leeds elland road stadium.jpg 250px 2005 World Club Challenge logo Elland Road hosted the match Leeds Rhinos Melbourne Storm Super League National Rugby League LEE Leeds Rhinos 16 MEL Melbourne Storm 16 8 3 11 4 0 4 29 February 2008 Elland Road Leeds, United Kingdom Man of the Match Kevin Sinfield Leeds 16 Ashley Klein 33,204 United Kingdom Sky Sports Australia Nine Network Eddie Hemmings Mike Stephenson World Club Challenge 2007 2009 The 2008 Carnegie World Club Challenge was contested between Super League XII champions, the Leeds Rhinos and National Rugby League season 2007 premiers, the Melbourne Storm. For the fifth consecutive year the English home team defeated their Australian counterparts. Qualification Leeds Rhinos 2007 Super League Grand Final Leeds Rhinos qualified through being the 2007 Super League champions, defeating St. Helens 33–6 in the Grand Final. Melbourne Storm 2007 NRL Grand Final Melbourne Storm clinched the 2007 National Rugby League title in a 34–8 belting of Manly, earning them a place in the World Club Challenge. Melbourne played a warm-up game against National League One team Halifax.http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12212_5690668,00.html Quins to warm up Storm 12 November 2009 Sky Sports 9 December 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20100107075005/http://www.skysports.com/story/0%2C19528%2C12212_5690668%2C00.html 7 January 2010 live Teams Melbourne's squad included 11 members of the 2007 premiership team, but were missing captain Cameron Smith who had stayed in Australia to be present for the birth of his first child.Middleton David 2008 Official Rugby League Annual News Magazines Sydney 34 n center Leeds Rhinos blue yellow blue Melbourne Storm purple navy white 17 ns y NZL Brian McClennan Brent Webb 1 Lee Smith 5 Clinton Toopi 3 Keith Senior 4 Scott Donald 2 Danny McGuire 6 Rob Burrow 7 Kylie Leuluai 8 Matt Diskin 9 Jamie Peacock 10 Jamie Jones-Buchanan 11 Gareth Ellis 12 Kevin Sinfield (c) 13 Ali Lauitiiti 14 Ryan Bailey 16 Nick Scruton 17 Carl Ablett 19 AUS Craig Bellamy Billy Slater 1 Steve Turner 2 Will Chambers 3 Israel Folau 4 Anthony Quinn 5 Matt Geyer 9 Cooper Cronk (c) 7 Jeff Lima 8 Jeremy Smith 11 Brett White 10 Antonio Kaufusi 14 Ryan Hoffman 12 Dallas Johnson 13 Russell Aitken 6 Adam Blair 15 Sika Manu 16 Sam Tagataese 17 Match details #eeeeee 2008 World Club Challenge 29 February 200820:00 GMT (UTC+0) Leeds Rhinos Leeds Rhinos 16 11 – 4 1st: 8 – 42nd: 3 – 0Report Melbourne 16 Melbourne Storm 1Donald 38 3Sinfield pen 11 39 pen 60 (3/3) 1 Sinfield 68 1Hoffman 16 0/1Turner (0/1) Elland Road, Leeds 33,204 Ashley Klein AUS Kevin Sinfield Leeds Rhinos 12 Summary The match was played in cold and windy conditions, four rounds into the 2008 Super League competition and one week before the start of the 2008 NRL season. 33,204 spectators turned out at Elland Road, in Leeds for a hard-fought, low-scoring match in which each side scored a try apiece, with Leeds ultimately coming out winners, due largely to the goal kicking of Kevin Sinfield. The win meant the English champions side defeated their Australian counterparts for the fifth consecutive year. First half Kevin Sinfield opened the scoring for Leeds, converting a penalty goal from directly in front of the posts, but Melbourne would score the first try with acting captain Cooper Cronk sending Ryan Hoffman over the line in the 16th minute to take a 4–2 lead.Wilson Andy Rhinos top of the world as brave Burrow rides storm https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2008/mar/01/rugbyleague.leedsrhinos The Guardian 21 February 2023 1 March 2008Steve Turner could not add the conversion in the blustery conditions. Danny McGuire would leave the field in the half due to a shoulder injury, however in his absence, Leeds would take a half time lead when Brent Webb floated a pass to Scott Donald to score a try in the corner. Sinfield's conversion from the sideline giving Leeds a 8–4 lead. Second half Heavy rain greeted the players upon the resumption. Turner would not return for Melbourne after half time due to concussion. Clinton Toopi would then join McGuire on the sidelines through injury for Leeds, with Toopi suffering an arm injury. A biting allegation against Leeds winger Lee Smith was a minor controversy midway through the second half, but despite immediately reporting the incident to the touch judge, Melbourne's Will Chambers refused to file an official complaint at full time. In a battle of attrition, defence won out as the half progressed, with Melbourne unable to find a way through the Leeds line.World Club Challenge https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/7263513.stm BBC Sport BBC 21 February 2023 29 February 2008 Chambers came close to a late try in the 78th minute, but his foot found the touch line before he could ground the ball. In the end Sinfield's penalty goal in the 60th minute and drop goal 12 minutes from full time, were the only points in the second half. See also World Club Challenge References External links 2008 World Club Challenge at superleague.co.uk 2008 World Club Challenge at therfl.co.uk 2008 World Club Challenge at rlphotos.com 2008 World Club Challenge at rugbyleagueproject.com Match replay at YouTube.com 2008 Category:Leeds Rhinos matches Category:Melbourne Storm matches Category:2008 in English rugby league Category:2008 in Australian rugby league Category:2008 rugby league matches Category:Sports competitions in Leeds