BY JOHN DAVIDSON
Wigan have thrown their support behind St Helens in the World Club Challenge, backing the Super League champions to down Penrith in Australia.
Saints will take on the Panthers in February 18 in Western Sydney, the first time the World Club Challenge has been played since 2020, when the Roosters were triumphant over the Red V at the Totally Wicked Stadium.
The last English team to win the match was in 2017, when Wigan defeated Cronulla at the DW Stadium, while the only English club to ever win on Australian soil was in 1994 when the Warriors famously knocked off Brisbane in Queensland.
St Helens and Wigan are bitter local rivals, but the Cherry and Whites have put that aside to support their neighbours.
Wigan coach Matty Peet believes a St Helens victory would be a boost for the English game and its credibility.
“I do wish them all the best in the World Club Challenge,” Peet told rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads.
“It would be a great shot in the arm for us if they go and do well. It should be a fantastic occasion.
“Penrith’s a great environment to play in and for spectators.Â
“We can’t bemoan the international game and then we hope we get beat in the World Club Challenge. We want that sparking don’t we?Â
“We want that international rivalry, we want them [the NRL] to take our game seriously.Â
“If there’s a team that deserves a crack, it’s Saints.”
