2010 World Club Challenge


The 2010 World Club Challenge was a rugby league tournament contested by Super League XIV champions, Leeds Rhinos, and 2009 NRL Premiers the Melbourne Storm. This was Leeds' third consecutive appearance in the World Club Challenge, and the second appearance in three years for Melbourne. Melbourne and Leeds previously played each other in the 2008 World Club Challenge with Leeds winning that match 11 - 4.
Melbourne Storm won the game 18-10; however later in the year were stripped of the title after the club was found guilty of salary cap breaches. The prize money was redistributed to Leeds, but the title of World Club Champion was not.

Background

Leeds Rhinos

Leeds Rhinos qualified through being the 2009 Super League champions, defeating St Helens R.F.C. 18–10 in the Grand Final.

Melbourne Storm

Melbourne Storm qualified by being crowned the 2009 National Rugby League premiers with a 23–16 defeat of the Parramatta Eels, in the NRL Grand Final. This premiership was later stripped from the Storm due to salary cap breaches.
The Storm, despite being stripped of their two premierships, were initially allowed to keep the World Club Challenge title, including the trophy and prize money they won; however, on May 11, 2011, a final report released further detailing the Melbourne Storm salary cap scandal recommended the Storm be stripped of the 2010 World Club Challenge. In addition the prize money won was redistributed to Leeds.

Warm-up match

Melbourne played a warm-up game against the Super League team at the Twickenham Stoop. The match took place on Sunday 21 February - a week before the Storm played for the world title. The event was dubbed the World City Challenge – London Series. Melbourne were without Cooper Cronk, Brett White and Ryan Tandy, with both sides giving a number of youngsters a taste of first-team action.

Teams

Match details

First half
Leeds almost scored early in the first half when Brent Webb ran over but he was held up by Luke MacDougall on the last tackle. Soon after they posted the first points with a penalty goal to captain Kevin Sinfield. Soon after Melbourne drew level with a penalty goal of their own through captain Cameron Smith. After Sinfield left the field with an injury, Rob Burrow kicked another penalty goal, leaving them two points in front. Smith then leveled the score again with the fourth consecutive penalty goal. The half ended with the scored tied 4-all.
2nd Half
Later in the match, Smith attempted a grubber kick which landed in the path of Danny McGuire, who ran down the length of the field to score the first try. Burrow's conversion pushed the margin out to six. Melbourne responded with MacDougall who scored in the right corner. Despite the tough angle, Smith made the conversion. Kallum Watkins nearly scored in the right corner, but dropped the ball. Anthony Quinn's try, put the sealing on the game with Storm winning 18-10.

Man of the Match

The Man of the Match was awarded to Cameron Smith from the Melbourne Storm, but he was later stripped of the award because of the Storm's salary cap breach.