Rugby League: Wigan succumb to their peers

Wigan. . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Brisbane Broncos. . . . . . .22

IT HAS not been a good week for Britain's international standing in rugby league, with the World Cup final loss to Australia followed by a comprehensive defeat for Wigan last night. The Brisbane Broncos became the first Australian team in four attempts to come to Britain and win the World Club Challenge.

There were no grounds, on last night's showing, to dispute their right to be regarded as the world's best club side. Brisbane began by showing that they could be brutal as well as brilliant. The smoke had hardly cleared from the pre-match fireworks when their prop, Andrew Gee, set off pyrotechnics of his own by swinging a punch in the tackle. That began a brawl but there were plenty of others willing to continue it, quickly refuting any suggestion that this would be an exhibition.

Kerrod Walters' obstruction gave Frano Botica the chance to kick Wigan into a seventh-minute lead, but the rest of the half and most of the match belonged to Brisbane.

Ten minutes after that opening score, the Wigan full-back, Andre Stoop, fumbled Kevin Walters' kick. From the scrum, Brisbane went for the jugular, Allan Langer flinging the ball to Kevin Walters and a pass just as good as the one that set up Australia's only try at Wembley sent Julian O'Neill striding through. Wigan's Australian, Andrew Farrar, could not stop him and Terry Matterson's goal put Brisbane 6-2 ahead.

Matterson sold a dummy to break the Wigan defensive line and set up the second try on 23 minutes. Characteristic Broncos support play finished the job, Steve Renouf and Mark Hohn sending Kerrod Walters over the line with Matterson adding the goal.

Another flare-up, centred on Gee and Kelvin Skerrett, marked the half-hour, but it was with their rugby that Brisbane were doing the real damage. Michael Hancock was on his way to a third Brisbane try until forced into touch feet short of the corner, while Wigan, handicapped by the early loss of Andy Platt, spoilt their sporadic attacking efforts with some poor handling. Their one good chance of the first half came when Shaun Edwards and Farrar set up an assault down the right flank, but Stoop's ball back inside went to ground and the opportunity was wasted.

Hancock took only five minutes of the second half to make up for his mess. Matterson made the break, Kevin Walters and Renouf were exactly where required and Hancock had the luxury of being able to sidestep behind the line to try to leave an easier goal kick.

Wigan stumbled upon a ghost of a chance of recovery when Martin Dermott's chip over the defence was gathered by Edwards, whose kick through was fumbled by O'Neill to allow the Wigan scrum-half a gift try.

Yet there was no doubt who deserved to win and Hancock confirmed the fact five minutes from time, even if Renouf's final pass looked well forward. The referee, Dennis Hale, missed it and was blamed by many in the crowd for Wigan's failure to win the World CLub Challenge for a third time. However, it was too late, and the scoreline too decisive to make any difference; for once in their recent history Wigan had been outclassed.

'We were beaten by a better side on the night,' said the Wigan coach, John Monie. 'They can call themselves world champions now and neither I nor the players would have any problem with that.'

Wigan: Stoop (Crompton, 47); Robinson, Bell, Farrar, Offiah; Botica, Edwards; Skerrett, Dermott, Platt (Cowie, 12), Betts, McGinty (Panapa, 58), Clarke (Lucas, 72).

Brisbane: O'Neill (Plowman, 78); Hancock, Renouf, Johns (Currie, 31), Carne; Kevin Walters, Langer (Plath, 47); Lazarus, Kerrod Walters, Gee (Ryan, 63), Gillmeister, Hohn, Matterson.

Referee: D Hale (NZ).