The SOLD OUT signs were up at Langtree Park as St Helens welcomed the South Sydney Rabbitohs for the World Club Challenge, the game to determine the best club side in the World.

Expectations were high of a great game and the bookies had made the Saints slight favourites to lift the title, the first time a Super League club would have been successful since the Leeds Rhinos beat Manly in 2012.

Saints were unchanged from the side that thrashed Salford Red Devils last weekend but Michael Maguires’ Souths were coming into the game full of determination that they would be returning to Australia with the trophy.

It became clear early in the game that it was going to be a tough night for the Saints. With barely two minutes on the clock a kick through from Reynolds was chased by Glenn Stewart who won the race and got a hand on the ball to score. Reynolds goaled to give his side an early six-nil lead.

The lead was extended to eight soon after when Reynolds kicked a penalty after a ball steal and when Percival appeared to go over for the home side after ten, but saw his effort ruled out by the video referee, it already felt like it might not be Saints night.

On twenty a Reynolds pass allowed Walker to go thirty metres, evading a couple of half-hearted Saints tackles, to cross. Reynolds was again accurate with the boot. Within three minutes it was eighteen-nil as fast hands from the Souths allowed Inglis to exploit a gap in the Saints defensive line.

On the half hour the visitors went in again, this time thanks to a Sutton cross field kick which benefitted from clipping the posts and went into the hands of an onrushing Joel Reddy to dive over. Reynolds boot made it twenty-four to nil and it was looking like a long way back for the Saints.

Just before the break it appeared as though Saints may get on the score sheet, but as Percival stretched to score he lost the ball short of the line and the Super League side went into the interval four tries down, and not having made it over the line themselves.

The second half started badly. Another pinpoint Reynolds kick was tapped back by McQueen into the hands of Keary to score by the sticks, enabling Reynolds to bring up the thirty with the boot.

On fifty-eight Greenwood lost the ball in his own twenty and five plays into the set McQueen went through a gap, despite having a man on the overlap outside him, to score. This time the conversion was missed.

It was all the Rabbitohs and with a quarter of an hour remaining fast hands allowed Joel Reddy to cross for his second of the night as he scored a spectacular one-handed try in the corner. Again the goal was missed by Reynolds but he made some amends with three minutes remaining as he slotted over a drop goal from twenty metres out.

All credit to Saints, they didn’t throw in the towel and gave their all until the final hooter, but they were totally outclassed by the best of the NRL. It was the biggest win in World Club Challenge history for South Sydney, and their entire game was clinical. Inspired in attack, and vicious in defence, they were here for the trophy and they were never going to give Saints a chance to play their game.

It was a disappointing end after two brilliant games earlier in the series but it does just go to prove that in 2015, across three games, Super League is still trailing behind even a pre-season NRL.

St. Helens Roby, Wilkin, Burns, Turner, Flanagan, Amor, Lomax, Makinson, Swift, Greenwood, Percival, Masoe, Vea. Subs: McCarthy- Scarsbrook, Walmsley, Thompson, Savelio.

South Sydney: Inglis, Sutton, Reddy, Stewart, Lohe, Goodwin, Burgess G., Reynolds, Walker, Johnston, Tyrell, Keary, Lowe. Subs: Burgess T., McQueen, Grevsmuhl, Clark.

Referee: Richard Silverwood
Attendance: 17,980