20/02/2017 Super League Show

Hello and welcome to the DW Stadium where we are about to see the two

worlds of rugby league collide, it is the Super League champions versus

the best from Australia, working against Canada in the World Cup

challenge. Amazing saves. Wigan are the

champions. Joining us here we have Mitch Brown who strutted his time at

Cronulla Sharks more than other years this field is very much like

the English game trying to push itself against the Australian game.

There has been a lot of scrutiny. It is tough to travel here and play

this game. It is a fabulous fixture. On the back of the tri- Nations last

year when we didn't do well, I suspect a lot of people are saying

is there any credibility in the game? I love the concept and we

should build on it and not throw it away. Krul winning last year, what

was that like back home? 49 years they have waited for that. I am a

shy boy, we all live in the Shire. We breathe it. The Shire was buzzing

for a week or two. Everyone was still chanting the sun. How good for

the NRL to have a new champion? For the past years it has been the same

team is winning. The Roosters have been so dominant so it was nice to

see the underdogs getting their first shot. Wigan are very focused

on this. They talked about it on the pitch when they won the Grand Final.

I fancy wedding. You look at the quality in the Cronulla Sharks. The

way they approach the game, Wigan not taking a step backward, we will

have a fantastic afternoon. Who will call themselves the world champions?

Will it be Wigan or Cronulla? They talk in these parts of the Wigan win

in 1987 and winning in Brisbane in 1994. Is this going to be another of

those I was there moments? Will the NRL champions of Cronulla come up

trumps? They have their own fairy tale to tell, of course. Wigan just

probing here. Bateman on a familiar path. Just about ten yards to cover

here. They are putting a lot of pressure on this defence. It is

Burgess with a flying finish in the opening three minutes. They are

having a look at this again. He thinks it is a drive. What about the

grounding? Was touch and issue? He is in mid air, nothing wrong with

the feed. Forget the flag. I think he has put this down millimetres

before his finger hits the ground. The try is given. What they stood

for Wigan and Joe Burgess. Townsend under a lot of pressure here is

Cronulla, it forward. -- hammer it forward. Back it goes. So, it is a

big kick. Lewis catches and scores. Simple enough. A great kick.

Cronulla with a response. They are having a look again here. No try.

Can you check for an on-site player? If you look in the bottom right, the

winner is ahead of the cake. The question is does he get within ten

metres? He might be. He is not interfering in play at all. But it

is no try. Root out on a technicality. It is a hard one to

take. Powell goes running away. It is

Burgess. Back on the inside. It is tried number 24 Burgess. -- try

number two four Burgess. Within lead 8-0. Great build-up, great centre

plate and a finish from a man with a reputation. It is reputation that is

being built up. He rattled his man there, but he has been left on the

ground. He is clearly hurt, but Cronulla carry on. It is relentless.

That is delegate from Maloney. He thinks no try. There is no touch in

mid I don't think. Could kick well reaches and reaches. Oh my word, but

is close. It is very close. It is no try. The referee said no try. It has

been upheld. Working with some defending to do

again. They are on the six. Maloney goes out wide. Neat inside ball. A

little chip toward the corner. Droplet underneath the sticks. An

adventurous bit of play. There is little else he could do. So, Wigan

remain under the pump here. You can feel the nervousness around the

stadium because the local fans know there are side are under pressure

here. The former in the international. Brown. For more

tackles. For more tackles for Wigan to withstand. Cronulla posing

problems. Here is Brown again. They have a bit of space here. Wigan back

on their own line again. Cronulla with all their pedigree. They have

lost the ball. The ball is spilled. Wigan survive again. Wonderful

defensive effort they are putting in. They are just not giving

Cronulla and a room to manoeuvre. Wigan stretching it forward. The

youngster is making his mark today on this big stage. Powell again.

Short and Flood and Tompkins keeps it alive. Escare is alert. Picks up

and scuppers. Goes out searching to the left-hand side. Oliver, a World

Club Challenge here just like his dad was 30 years ago. They tried

that put Wigan in a real comfort zone now. Full marks to Escare.

Picking it up, nothing on, he went in search of something. The

Frenchman is having a really good game here like most of the Wigan

players are. A good finish. The Australian comedian looking on. Not

too much to laugh about at the moment from an astringent pointedly.

Within leading by 16-0. -- Wigan leading. Maloney puts it back. They

have got support here from Bede and being trickles 13. It is a try.

Jesse Reimann. On the hour mark, we knew there would be a response.

Cronulla have provided it. Is this the start of the chargeback? A

delicate little click here from Bede. Wonderfully placed. Reimann

slides in. That would put the wind in the seals

of the Cronulla Sharks. They shuffle and run forward. Maloney. Looking

for what is out there. He off-loads. A penalty. Penalty for Wigan. Out of

the tackle, the referee says. Wigan get people back. I'm not sure of the

boat was granted but Wigan are not going to complain. Flanagan clearly

unhappy. Time running out, Wigan on the verge of an historic win. I

don't think there is enough tide left in the game for Cronulla to

score twice and that is what they would have to do an Wigan running

the clock down. Another try here would make absolutely certain is

Bateman is held up just short. You can feel it around the stadium. They

know, they know how close Wigan are now will stop it is Maloney. The

referee says he was played out. That will be bad. Celebrations up there.

Wigan now know, the Wigan fans now know, they are world champions. Just

a matter of running the clock to a final. Farrell takes it in. It is

thunderous and the DW Stadium. Wigan go left, Williams with a kick,

Burgess. It might be a hat-trick to finish it in style. Robert Hicks

wants another look. It hardly matters in one respect, because

Wigan have won it anyway, but Burgess would love a hat-trick. He

was on-site and I think he might just have got there, little finger

first, try given. What a finish, what a game and what a story for the

Wigan Wanderers. They have one the world title and Super League can

puff of its chest again. Terrific. I am proud of them. It is all the

coaching staff, the players have so much desire, so much guts and

determination. How does it sound being world club champions?

Unbelievable. Another dream has come true. We had to provide for

ourselves and the Super League. We have the four trophies we can get

this year. We will drag the next three. To do it in the style we have

done is special. It is special for us. He missed out last year because

you were away doing something else, to come back and be proud of that,

how special for you? Very special. My first bit of silverware, it is

very memorable. I think I might take the game ball home and frame that

one. It was a good, physical game and the better team won. They played

well, they played tough and they took their opportunities. We had a

few decisions go against us, but it wouldn't have made a difference to

the outcome. How impressed wordy with the defence of your team? We

did too magic defending. The way we played, I am just trying to enjoy

the victory. We showed some desire, but we did too much in our half. I

will enjoy the victory. Trying to stay positive. Sean O'Loughlin

collecting the trophy that means the world to the Wigan Warriors. Get in

there his team-mates. Wigan have lifted it, Wigan the 2017 world

champions. What a victory for Wigan. How impressed wordy with that

performance question very impressed. They had a lot more of the ball in

the second half. We saw the defensive prowess of Wigan. They

threw everything out there. They thoroughly deserved the win. It

should want a good team they are. What a shot in the arm that we are

the world club champions. It does hurt as Australians, but very well

deserved. They played much better. They completed a lot more sets and I

think they were much more clinical. Joe Burgess are back with a bang at

Wigan. He was. He has shown some form since he has been back here. He

is very hard to stop. His finishing was outstanding. He is looking for a

big year ahead. Who else would you pick out from the Wigan performance,

or was it the unit that impressed? You have to be a good team to beat

Cronulla. Everyone stood up. It started with John Locke and Sean

prowess around the middle. George Williams was good again. Escare was

good at the back. A really good team effort. How much will this third

Cronulla to have lost it? They were pretty emotional. It really hurts

the boys. They want to win and they came a long way forward. They won't

let this hold them back for the rest of the year. They will get back.

They are flying out tomorrow and they will be concentrating against

the Broncos. There was one of the game in the world club series this

year. It was Warrington against Brisbane and watching was Stewart

Pike. A big weekend for Super League and the British game. From

Warrington, no Stefan Ratchford were Ben Currie. Adam Blair, the absentee

for the Brisbane Broncos. Now, Tony Smith spoken all week about making a

strong start. Brisbane with the first opportunity inside the opening

couple of minutes here at the Halliwell Jones. They can suck down

and it is Westerman. Westerman charges down. Then hand, has he got

the legs? Joe Westerman, I don't think he has. He brings him down

just short of the line. Gavin Brown, lovely. What a start. Warrington

ahead. Less than two minutes on the clock. Gavin Brown on his debut, a

memorable try. It is going really well for the Wolves. Brisbane, you

have two say, very much on the back foot. That is the penalty. It was

Gilette not letting Jack Hughes get up and play the ball. Surely, Declan

pattern will take the opportunity here. No trouble at all. Warrington

Leadgate- zero. -- Leadgate- zero. At the moment, Brisbane do not know

what has had them. Adkins wriggles out of the tackle. Two tries in 12

minutes. Warrington in dreamland. Brown involved again. Try scorer,

now try maker. If ever there was a perfect game plan, this is it, you

have to say. Here they come again, Clark. Lovely hands. Gidley finds

Russell on wing. Still going. Matty Russell, this is quite incredible.

It is a point a minute for a Warrington and Brisbane are being

blitzed. He feel they have two score next, the Brisbane Broncos. Here is

McCullough. That is a good little chip over the top. No Milford. Going

for the corner. They are on the board. Cory Oates with the try. Much

needed for Brisbane. It took an audacious bit of skill to get the

Broncos on the board. McCullough with the kick, it was Kaku, then

look at this from Milford. A lovely pass. A fabulous finish. Well, they

have been pretty much perfect in this first. 100% completion rate, no

auroras. Deservedly in front. Here is Adkins now. Stop just short. One

of the three try scorers. Line in went on the blindside. Now Ben Hunt,

has he made the tackle? Phil Benson, he reckons that he got the ball

down. That it look at this. With momentum carrying him forward, the

ball touched the line. It did. A massive moment for Warrington on the

stroke of half-time. Chris Evans celebrating with the rest. Wonderful

first-half performance from the Warrington Wolves. Whatever Brisbane

got to offer? Roberts, Robert Stephens said. Now, can anybody

catch on? James Roberts, it looks like he will build 90 yards. What a

trite this will be from Roberts. Sensational scorer for the Brisbane

Broncos. Rhys Evans did his very, very best, but no one was going to

catch Roberts. Now, Brisbane still very much in this. But try from

Roberts just putting a different complexion on things. Warrington not

afraid to move the ball around and here is Evans. Russell does really

well, he just got bored. Russell against the full-back, a brilliant

tackle from the Brisbane captain, Darius Boyd. Was that an error? The

referee will say he called. Hang on a minute, Gidley and McCullough

involved, now everybody is getting involved. Tempers are getting

frayed. We don't mind it getting a little bit tasty.

It is -- Phil Bentham waiting for things to settle down. Not too much

to it. A bit of fire and brimstone in the world club series. He was

initially involve their with Gidley. Gidley and Roberts. -- McCulloch.

Here come the Broncos again. Great tackle from Russell, what a game he

has had. If Brisbane can score next, it certainly is game on. Maguire

brought down by Cooper. It is sent wide again. That was a bad pass and

Mead could not pick it up. Another mistake by Brisbane. Kevin Brown and

the winger David Mead. It is kicking off again. Getting tasty, isn't it?

Roberts came steaming in from nowhere and that did not help. Phil

Bentham just being patient. You can see how much it means. Initially

Brown and Mead, nothing much in it first of all, that is when the

trouble started when Roberts came steaming in and got everyone else

involved. I am not having that. Good work by the referee, telling the

captains to cool it. Fabulous entertainment here. Good thinking.

Declan Patton with the dropped goal. It now means of course that Brisbane

have to score three times. Clark and Sims, what a game he has had as

well, Mike Cooper. He wins the penalty. Maguire is fuming but he

cannot have too many complaints about that. He held on to long. He

has not done much wrong tonight, Patton, really cemented his place in

the first team. Time running out for Brisbane. Here is McGuire, running

the ball across the line, a big ask now with time running out, little

kick through, but that is our mistake, that is a try for Mead.

Phil Bentham, well ask the video referee to have another look but

surely no doubt. 82 macro was in two minds on whether to hold on to the

ball or a tap it dead -- Tom Lynam. Warrington were 6-1 outsiders before

the start of this game. It is a memorable night for the Warrington

Wolves. Over 12,000 here at the stadium and this will live long in

the memory. Strike one for Warrington, strike one for Super

League. Warrington looked like a team possess last night. They came

out of the blocks well. There are ball control and everything was

great. Was it a different kind of Warrington, a more direct style? A

little bit. I thought Cooper and Sims started strong and they had no

trouble getting out of their own half which took the pressure away.

They competed really well, they were disciplined and very direct and

maybe the influence of Kevin Brown kicking them around the field had a

positive effect. I think they were slightly different but with the same

player at times. How impressed were you with Kevin Brown on his debut? I

thought he played fantastically well. The whole team was really

good. I noticed a big difference, so many great tackles. They really got

the forwards going forward. 2-0 to the Super League, how much did Super

League need that? There has been a lot of scrutiny about the games. It

is great that it is 2-0 and a lot of us who believe in it, we have to

start making our own decisions. I suppose our measurement, our

critical drive has been that we are 2-0 up but we need to build on it

and it is an believably good concept and we would like to see more of it.

Will the NRL be smarting? I think they will. When you play England or

any team from England you always want to get one up on them and I am

sure it is the same here. It is good for Super League, it will give them

the go forward they are looking for. Wayne Bennett was here with the

Brisbane Broncos but later in the year he will be leading a glint in

the World Cup. Dave Woods caught up with them and found he was still

smarting from losing their four nations.

It is intercepted and this manner will take some stopping. Johnson is

final and we were not. We could not have played with more passion or

more effort. We have to be smarter and more disciplined and I think we

can be that. That is part of the journey. Try and change that

behaviour. The plan was to have a training camp in Dubai at the start

of the year and it was cancelled. How does that affect preparations?

It will have an impact but not a major one. It would be good for

them, they would need it, but we could not get the cooperation from

some of the clubs and we did not want to compromise but we were

doing. It is difficult with the breakdown in communication with the

coaches. We had a good meeting last night and I am pleased with how it

went. I blame no one else but myself for the breakdown in communications.

We repaired some of the damage. We are moving on. Some of the Super

League coaches have criticised the fixtures. How does that sit with you

as England coach? It is what it is, you have to not worry about it.

Continually complaining about it and making an issue, it does not give

your players an opportunity to make excuses. They were already beaten

before they go into the field. The coaches say it is too hard and it

should not be happening. I try to avoid it as much as I can. Accept

what it is and move on. Wayne Bennett talking a lot about

self-belief, he talked about it at the end of the four nations and it

sounds really easy to get a team to believe but how do you go about

doing it. His track record suggests he is good at that. He identified a

couple of things and I think that is why he wanted their camp. He is

talking about little elements of intensity. I think the decent thing

he has done is culturally I think he understands a little bit better what

the Super League is about than what he will have to do. For me, he has

to take the best team he can at the end of the year and a bit of extra

work might not be in his best interest, but I think you will be

picking the right people. He has also taken the blame for the fact

that the camp was cancelled saying he perhaps did not communicate

enough and he has met with the coaches and how important is that

for England going forward? Massively so. The coaches know who is playing

well. He has to laze with them and get their views and opinions as to

who they think is playing well. Clearly, he has to make his own

decisions as well in relation to who is playing well, but picking the

right people, picking the right balance and team is massively

important and he needs the best information. How much do you think

that England need to build on what Super League does, maybe when they

come together as England, we start playing to -- start trying to play

lead Australia. Everyone does a lot of video these days. It is about

trying to work to your strengths and their weaknesses. They need to think

about their own back garden and you can see that the Australian struggle

with that sort of play over here. Maybe keep to your own strengths and

go forward with that. The World Cup is for the end of the year and there

were a couple of Super League games this week starting with Huddersfield

against Salford on Thursday night. Hinchcliffe, looking to get out of

the dummy half position as quickly as he can and Lawrence will bring it

back to the middle and they have given themselves an excellent

position here. Looking to respond to that early Salford penalty. Danny

broth. Get it away to Hinchcliffe and he has space on the right hand

side. McGillvary has scored. You give him that much space and he will

not waste it. Another good strong finish by the winger. Tomkins. Solid

effort. Tomkins rose in at dummy half again. Back at by Dobson and

they have that number is here again, Junior Sa'u ripping through that

Huddersfield defence. They will be disappointed but that, Huddersfield.

They are not and neither is he. Jones. Searching down the blindside

and getting a bit of space here for Johnson to go flying away with a

step on the in. -- inside. Good work by Danny broth making the tackle. --

Danny Brough. He is in front of him as well. Forward pass. He has got a

penalty. He is not the only one who is confused. Dobson. Stepped by

Junior Sa'u. Lost it. Penalty. And at the end of this low scoring half,

Salford are going to go for the two points here. It seemed fairly clear

that Ryan Brierley got the ball. Gareth O'Brien with what might just

be the final kick of this first half. And he has headed superbly

well. Salford leading by ten points. -- hit. Josh Ward is on the field in

the dummy half position. It is a 40-20 I think. He silenced the home

crowd. Right behind the 40 metre mark, no doubts about it, absolutely

no doubts. Wood, Robert Louis, slips away, what started the second half

for Salford, the opening minute and Gareth O'Brien is in to score. He

has looked sharp as a tack. Gaskell waits at dummy half. Desperate for a

response. Looking wide. Mellor! Well, they needed something quickly

after a bonus try and Mellor is the man to provide it. Game on. 55-macro

again, searching down the blindside, cannot find anything that gets away

from Dobson -- Leeming. He has taken it within striking range. Ryan

Brierley at dummy half. City has got a second, two tries from him in just

three minutes and Huddersfield are racing back into contention now.

Tomkins. Robert Lu off the left foot, banging them away. Put it on

his back eventually, sixth tackle, where does this go, out to Dobson.

Gareth O'Brien. His second try of the game. And that stems the tide

that was running against them. Leeming. There is no way through for

a Mellor on that occasion, 11 minutes of the game remaining, a

couple of scores in arrears and they need something quickly and they

might have it here. Ta'ai reaching them. They are looking for the

double movement. Momentum and at full speed, and it is given. Given

by the video referee. Ukuma Ta ai with the try. Tomkins. Lui. Here is

Josh Jones. Bounces off one, Sam Rapira is in again. Josh Jones is

still going. I think he is in. There was absolutely nothing on when he

got the ball. He has beaten Sam Rapira twice and beaten and other

four again as well. He is bouncing around and has the determination to

get in and score the try. Tomkins. Tackles from the offside position by

Michael Lawrence. This should just about settle things here, only

another couple of minutes left to play. That is spot on, seven goals

on the night for Gareth O'Brien and two tries and Salford are the

winners. You were at that game on Thursday night, how impressed were

you with Salford? Very impressed. You can see they are clear unit and

with the drama at the end of the season last year when it does manage

to stay in the division. The effort from Joss Jones at the end was

massive. Todd Carney is here, what can he bring to Salford? He is a

winner. Every team he plays with, he brings that a winning culture with

him. He is a fantastic player, he has so much skill, he has had a

little bit of time off and I am sure he will come back fighting.

Huddersfield brought in a lot of new players, will take awhile to get

consistency? I think it will. They had a good start to the season but

fell off the horse the night before, it might take a while for them to

get into the swing of things. Ukuma Ta ai, he went really well. This

time last year, Leeds were in the World Club Challenge and instead

this time they were taking on Mitch Brown and the lease and Gerry Adams.

They have waited a long time for this -- they were taking on 50 70.

-- Leigh Centurions. That is! The captain, crushing defeat on the

opening night, Castleford really hurt Leigh Centurions and their

coach was adamant that there would be an improvement. What a pass from

Drinkwater. Matty Dawson, four minutes on the clock and Leigh

Centurions hit the front. The boss of Leigh Centurions wanted a

response and he got one. The Rhinos are on the back foot. But of course

by Saints. Only 6-41 week ago. Here is Pelissier. Is that a try? Mitch

Brown. Young Reynolds on his debut, what a pass. What a start for Leigh

Centurions. It has been a real struggle so far for Leeds Rhinos.

Parcell. Cuthbertson has only just come on, with his first touch of the

ball, here is Parcell. Cuthberts on with his second touch of the ball

puts Leeds on the board. It is Adam Cuthbertson. It was 8-0 256 macro in

seven minutes and here come the Rhinos with Parcell, surely another

score -- Leigh Centurions. It is two tries in two minutes for the Leeds

Rhinos. Dominant at the moment, Leeds. After that fantastic start

from Leigh Centurions at Adam Cuthbertson has made such a

difference. Rob Burrow, picked up by Jimmy Keinhorst. Is that a try? The

ball has gone backwards, the referee says play on, maybe not, Josh

Walters. That was a forward pass, I think. I think Jack Smith, the

referee is going to look at this. Jimmy Keinhorst thinks he got the

ball down. The referee disagrees. They will look at this. That is a

try. Jimmy Keinhorst surely has scored and indeed he has. Leeds

stretched their advantage. The Rhinos have turned this around.

There is the Guta and the dropped goal attempt and Liam Sutcliffe,

right on the stroke of half-time, how important will prove to be? A

7-point advantage for Leeds. Leigh Centurions desperate to start

the second half as they did the first. Opportunity here for the

Rhinos. Walters has been brought down. A penalty right in front of

the post. Vea, the guilty man. The Leigh Centurions fans are not happy

but they cannot have too many complaints about that. And there we

have it. 17 unanswered points for the Leeds Rhinos to take control

here at Leigh Sports Village. There is still time. That's for sure, 12

minutes on the clock. They have got to score twice. Here is Ben Crookes.

Lovely little side step and he is over. From absolutely nowhere. Ben

Crookes with the try and the owner with his old friend. What a finish

in store here now. Four minutes to go as Cory Paterson is brought down.

It is all Leigh Centurions. Pelissier. There is Willie Tonga,

the volume goes up, the crowd getting behind the home side.

Teasing kick. Here is Reynolds. He cannot get the ball out. It was a

walk in for Ben Crookes if he had. Incredible finale. Vea, but what a

tackle from Jimmy Keinhorst. It is a match-winning tackle, surely. Well,

disappointment for Leigh Centurions. A great performance but a first win

for the Leeds Rhinos. So close but yet so far for you guys. We are

still looking for that elusive first win in Super League, but we came a

long way from last week, we worked on what we wanted to work on, but we

got so close, just those few missed opportunities and hopefully it will

come next week. We are still working on combinations, we have had a first

few changes. Our captain should be coming back this week. We are going

to work on ourselves and hopefully get our first win soon. How

important for your confidence back you show such a big improvement? We

spoke about it last year. It is such a different competition that it is

in the Super League. We spoke about things we could get away with last

year that will not happen this year, there are such quality teams. The

quality has gone up so much in Super League. We will have to be on our

toes each week. Having some consistency is the key. Will it be

relief for Leeds Rhinos to have got a win so early on? I think so. I

think their coach even mentioned they have to improve in the

point-scoring department, but you can see the scramble and desire.

That is it for us here at Wigan. We will be back in the studio next week

for all the highlight around the Super League. Join us on Monday

night in the north or at one o'clock on Tuesday lunchtime on the BC2.

What a great weekend it has been for Super League and many

congratulations to Wigan who are the world club champions for 2017. From

all of us here, goodbye.