2009 World Club Challenge - Match Details

Match Details

The last time the Sea Eagles had played in England was in the 1987 World Club Challenge, a game their coach Des Hasler played in. They lost to Wigan that night and were hoping to win their first World Club title this time around. Leeds had played in the Challenge twice before, defeating their Australian counterparts on both occasions. After their victory over the Melbourne Storm the previous year, the Rhinos were hoping to become the first team in history to win consecutive titles.

The first 20 minutes of the match were played from end to end in a very even contest. A legal tackle by Manly's Anthony Watmough in the 16th minute on Leeds' pint sized scrum-half Rob Burrow knocked him out and he played no further part in the match. In the 20th minute a brawl erupted, front rowers Jamie Peacock and Josh Perry the main combatants. Both players were sent to the sin-bin and a penalty awarded to Manly. Sea Eagles captain Matt Orford opted to attack Leeds' line and Brett Stewart broke through the defence from dummy-half to score the first points just after a quarter of the match had passed. Orford converted the try so Manly had a 6 nil lead. Seven minutes later the Sea Eagles were again down in the Rhinos' half when Orford put a short ball onto the chest of a flying Anthony Watmough from 30 metres out to race through the defence and score. Orford's conversion pushed the Australian club's lead out to 12 nil. Manly could have put the game beyond doubt seven minutes before half-time when Watmough charged onto a pass and broke through flimsy defense before popping a soft pass to a flying Brett Stewart who somehow managed to drop the ball with a try under the posts seemingly seconds away. In the 37th minute Leeds were just into Manly's half when they kicked ahead, regathered and got the ball to Danny McGuire who made it over the line but had the ball stripped from his grasp by Matt Orford in a one-on-one tackle before he could ground it. Jamie Jones-Buchanan was there to press the ball to the turf however, so the try was given by the video referee. Kevin Sinfield missed the relatively easy conversion, so Leeds were down 4-12. The score did not change during the remaining few minutes of the half.

Leeds started the 2nd half making a small break down the left hand side in the first minute after Manly hooker Heath L'Estrange had given away a penalty. In the resulting play, McGuire got the ball to Hall who passed inside to Keith Senior who had the ball stripped on-on-one by Jamie Lyon. The 2nd minute of play saw Manly make a break from the half way line with Adam Cuthbertson getting the ball out to Michael Robertson left wing. Leeds winger (and former Manly player) Scott Donald attempted to tackle Robertson but he managed to get a pass away. Leeds centre Carl Ablett failed to gather the loose ball and managed to knock the ball straight into the waiting hands of Brett Stewart. The Manly fullback picked the ball up 12m out from the line and with no one to beat scored his second try. Orford missed the conversion, and the score was 16-4 in favour of the visiting team. The Sea Eagles scored again one minute later as they were returning the ball from the kick-off. Michael Robertson made another break down the right wing and centre kicked ahead for Brett Stewart who came close to scoring before being brought down by Ryan Hall. This then gave Watmough the chance to score his second try from first receiver before Leeds' defence could regather. Orford kicked the extras so Manly had gotten away to a 22-4 lead. When returning the following kick-off as well the Sea Eagles scored again, this time Shane Rodney made a break 25m from his own line and got to the Leeds 40m line before finding L'Estrange in support who in turn popped a pass to Steve Matai who had an easy 20m run to the tryline. Manly had scored their 3rd try in only 6 minutes and 45 seconds of the second half. Orford missed the conversion so Manly lead was 26-4. In the 64th minute, after Leeds got repeat sets of six down near Manly's line, they moved the ball from one side of the field out to the other, a quick no-look pass from Ali Lautiiti sending Keith Senior over the line. Sinfield kicked the extras so the Rhinos were down 16 points with fifteen minutes remaining. After 71 and a half minutes, 30 metres out from Manly's line, Lautiiti made a run from dummy-half down the left side and threw another deft no-look pass to Ryan Hall who scored in the corner. Sinfield's kick from the sideline bounced through off one of the posts, so Leeds were 10 points down with seven minutes of the match remaining. Another fight broke out in the 75th minute and again Leeds were penalised. The Sea Eagles opted to take the kick for goal, which Orford did successfully. This made their lead 12 points with only 3 minutes remaining. Leeds got one more try in the final minute of the game, Keith Senior making a break from 60 metres out down the left wing before finding Danny McGuire in support to score in the corner just seconds before the final hooter. Sinfield's sideline conversion attempt was missed, so the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles had won the World Club Challenge for the first time, by a score of 28-20. Second-rower Anthony Watmough was named man-of-the-match.