The 2001 World Club Challenge was contested between Super League V champions, St. Helens and 2000 NRL season premiers, the Brisbane Broncos.[1] The Broncos made the trip to England to play St Helens before the start of the 2001 NRL and Super League seasons and were beaten by two late drop goals (known as a field goal in Australia, but not to be confused with the archaic field goal) from the home side in the final minutes.
The 2000 NRL grand final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2000 NRL season. It was contested by the Brisbane Broncos, who had finished the regular season in 1st place, and the Sydney Roosters, who had finished in 2nd place, after both teams played their way through the finals series. Prior to the previous World Club Challenge, the Broncos had contested the three preceding it, winning twice.
The match was played in wintery conditions on the night of Friday the 26th of January at Reebok Stadium in Bolton, England before a crowd of 16,041. The Broncos players wore black armbands in memory of the club's co-founder Paul "Porky" Morgan who had died from a heart attack the previous day.
The first try of the match was scored by the Broncos from close to the Saints' try-line when Shaun Berrigan, playing at five-eighth, burrowed over from dummy half. St. Helens answered with a try from their loose forward, Paul Sculthorpe. This was followed by the Brisbane lock, Phillip Lee scoring at the other end. The half-time score was 6 - 12 in favour of the Broncos.
Second half
Brisbane were again the first to score in the second half through Brad Meyers, giving the visitors a good lead. But a converted try from Saints' scrum-half, Sean Long put the home team back in it at 18 - 12. The scores were then levelled when St. Helens centre, Paul Newlove ran around Wendell Sailor and dashed downfield, passing back inside to his captain, Chris Joynt to score. In the final minutes of the match the Saints managed to wear down the clock without conceding any points as try-scorers Sculthorpe and Long kicked a drop/field goal each, leaving the score at the final siren at 20 - 18.
