A golden point field goal from Lewis Dodd has seen St Helens defeat the Panthers 13-12 to claim the 2023 World Club Challenge on Saturday night at BlueBet Stadium.
After Penrith scored to force golden point with less than two minutes to play, it was Dodd - who earlier had missed a potential game-sealing field goal in normal time - who kicked his side to victory.
Trailing 12-6 with less than two minutes to play, Penrith scored through Brian To'o before Nathan Cleary nailed a clutch conversion in soaking conditions to force golden point.
Led by the brilliance of fullback Jack Welsby, who backed up his star showing in last week's Pre-season Challenge victory over the Dragons with a near perfect opening 40 minutes, St Helens led 12-0 early in the second half, before the Panthers powered back.
Welsby opens the scoring
The first edition of the clash held since 2020 due to the pandemic, it promised to be a quality battle of each hemisphere's best, and didn't disappoint.
While the expected 40-degree kick-off temperature had dominated the pre-match discussion, it was torrential rain which greeted both sides at BlueBet Stadium, with the start of the second half delayed due to lightning strikes.
Welsby saved tries on two separate occasions with last-ditch tackles, in between scoring the first four-pointer of the match, before laying on his side's second try with a pass to former Warrior and Titan Konrad Hurrell.
Seven minutes after St Helens pushed their lead out to 12 early in the second half, the NRL premiers got on the board through Izack Tago, who chased down a Cleary kick to score, and after Cleary's conversion the deficit was cut in half.
To'o to the rescue
A Welsby dropped kick led to To'o scoring with less than two minutes to play, followed by a clutch Cleary conversion to force golden point.
But a dropped ball with their second set in golden point put the Panthers under immense pressure, and from there Dodd became the match winner.
This article contains content that is only available on pan66.com
Match snapshot
- St Helens are the first Super League side to win the World Club Challenge since 2017 (it wasn't played in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic).
- With less than two minutes remaining a Jack Welsby dropped bomb led to Brian To'o crossing, before Nathan Cleary hit a clutch conversion to tie scores at 12-12 and send the game to golden point.
- The first half of the match was played through torrential rain and lightning, with the start of the second half delayed by a few minutes due to the threat of more lightning strikes.
- Penrith lost winger Taylan May to what the club believe is a minor knee injury on 32 minutes.
- St Helens had a potential try to go ahead 18-6 midway through the second half called back for a forward pass.
- Panthers duo Mitch Kenny and Zac Hosking, along with St Helens pair Tommy Makinson and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, all left the field for head injury assessments, with all but Makinson passing.
- Jack Welsby produced try-saving tackles on Brian To'o, and later Nathan Cleary, inside the opening 15 minutes, and was on hand to score the opening try after a Curtis Sironen break.
- Former Warriors and Titans powerhouse Konrad Hurrell added a second try on 16 minutes, with Welsby laying on the final pass.
Rock you like a Hurrelcaine
- A high shot from Nathan Cleary gifted Mark Percival with a penalty to stretch the lead to 12 just three minutes into the second half.
- Izack Tago beat the St Helens chasers to a Nathan Cleary kick on 50 minutes, for a try which Cleary converted to reduce the deficit to six points.
Tago takes control
- To'o and Cleary combined to force golden point, but an error on their second use of the ball cost Penrith, and Dodd kicked the winning field goal seconds later.
Play of the Game
This try-saver on Nathan Cleary seemed to change momentum and gave St Helens a vital 10-point buffer at the break. It was part of a remarkable game for Jack Welsby.
Welsby can stop tries too
What they Said
"I knew it [the winning field goal] was going over. It was just great work to give me a fast one [play the ball]... it's a dream for me." - St Helens halfback Lewis Dodd.
"We just shot ourselves in the foot too much. I thought they [St Helens] were really good, the way they scrambled defensively pretty much all game. They were right up for it." - Panthers co-captain Isaah Yeo.
What's Next
The Panthers are back in action Friday week, taking on the Broncos in the opening round of the NRL. St Helens meanwhile head back to England to kick off their 2023 Super League campaign, after the rest of the competition got underway this week.