Dragons Give the Aussies the Series Lead The opening game of the World Club Series got underway at the Halliwell-Jones Stadium as Warrington Wolves looked to get Super League off to a winning start against St George Illawara Dragons. The Wolves were without the inspirational Stefan Ratchford, out with a shoulder injury, and Tony Smith had brought in Gary Wheeler at full back. The visitors, in pre-season mode, looked an exciting prospect with Gareth Widdop, Benji Marshall, Ben Creagh and the man mountain Elo Nabuli on the wing. With the game being played under Super League rules and Ben Thaler on the whistle the stage was set for a cracking game. READ MORE ON THIS STORY...

Dragons Give the Aussies the Series Lead The opening game of the World Club Series got underway at the Halliwell-Jones Stadium as Warrington Wolves looked to get Super League off to a winning start against St George Illawara Dragons. The Wolves were without the inspirational Stefan Ratchford, out with a shoulder injury, and Tony Smith had brought in Gary Wheeler at full back. The visitors, in pre-season mode, looked an exciting prospect with Gareth Widdop, Benji Marshall, Ben Creagh and the man mountain Elo Nabuli on the wing. With the game being played under Super League rules and Ben Thaler on the whistle the stage was set for a cracking game. READ MORE ON THIS STORY...

I wish people would stop peddling this "series" nonsense.

It's two friendlies and a World Club Challenge.

I couldn't disagree more.

Calling games friendlies does nothing fir the game.

It's what people were calling the regular rl season and it is shooting ourselves in the foot.

If we want those outside the game to take notice then we need to promote promote promote.

Yellow Giraffe is spot on, if it was a proper series the NRL would have sent 2 top teams instead of mid table teams

Call it whatever you want, i loved last night and I'm throughly looking forward to going the DW tonight.

Don't get me wrong I enjoyed the game last night too and I'm also going later.

But let's not take away from the fact that tomorrow's game is the only one that "counts."

+1

www.sportsnews.com.au/nrl/dragon ... ton/135237 According to this article, there is a trophy for the "series" winners. News to me. Maybe the Aussies know something we don't?!?

www.sportsnews.com.au/nrl/dragon ... ton/135237 According to this article, there is a trophy for the "series" winners. News to me. Maybe the Aussies know something we don't?!?

I agree and it's been irritating me as well. It's nothing but two friendly games against a team that finished 11th and 8th in the NRL.

Sky been banging on about it like the Wigan and warrington game actually means something. It means nothing at all!

I enjoyed the game last night and was wanting Warrington to pinch it ( I hate Aussies) but wolves just fell short.

It's a worry that one of our best teams in Warrington who are always there or there abouts lost against a team that finished 11th in the NRL, traveled half way around the world and hadn't plsyed one competitive game.

I think Wigan have best chance of a win against a team that obvously don't wabt to be here and Bennett already said they down to 17 players and doesn't care about the result

I think the ref was a big factor last night and in a negative way for the hosts.

Yet again, we seem to be pandering to the Aussies and the two high shot incidents should have been a red and a yellow IMO. Smith said after the game he felt sorry for Ah Van and in a SL game it would have been a red and yellow card,
He also said that if they want to change the way they ref then fair enough but how about communication with the teams.

The ruck speed was appalling and much slower than the NRL or SL so I'm not sure what was going on in Thaler's head. St G realised this early on and decided to hols down for basically as long as they liked. For some odd reason Wire didn't seem to take advantage of this and the momentum changed. Even the St G coach said the line speed was very slow compared to the NRL. What he didn't seem to realise it was very slow compared to S as well.

I hope we get better interpretation of the rules by the ref's tonight and obviously for the real game tomorrow.
The worst result for SL is the matches being ruined by referees all because we don't want to upset the aussies by refusing to give penalties to make the game look faster when it actually does the opposite by encouraging lying on.

Here's another review about the Wire's loss to the Dragons www.nothingbutleague.com/dragons ... es-opener/

Here's another review about the Wire's loss to the Dragons www.nothingbutleague.com/dragons ... es-opener/

strange view....

were you around when The Australian test teams toured these shores and would play club sides in between the Test matches for no trophy, no title, .....nothing..... well nothing but pride???

And more often the second string test teams would play the club sides, but were those matches ever belittled? No. They were the most anticipated matches of the season, and often places that had never sniffed a capacity crowd for years were sold out....

we could have all labeled them friendlies or test match warm ups and treated them as a waste of time and not bothered attending. Fortunately stupid internet club rivalry and "my clubs in a bigger game than yours" mentality wasn't around then.

Wire fans and Wigan Fans know which the "trophy" is for maybe you could give us credit for both trying to expand the format and turn it into a real and credible tournament.

I mean under normal circumstances the one off game is often labeled as a pre season warm up game for the Aussies...one they haven't really took serious...make no bones about it, Souths Will not want to be the only side Aussie side to lose, so thanks to us both losing if you win tomorrow it will be a tremendous result.

I'd class playing for your country a little higher than a friendly game.

I quite like the series, gives the new viewer something to root for when its England v Australia.

Judging from Twitter its already converting some people over from non heartland areas and surely that's the goal.

It's been good. Our game wasn't the best quality but nobody could accuse the players of playing them like friendlies. The crowds have been good and the passion on show has been admirable.

Good luck tonight by the way. I think you've got a real chance! They're a top side but you're full of confidence and unlike us last night, have a good bit of size to try and combat what they'll throw at you (good side I suppose with the Burgess twins trundling it up and guys the size of Inglis in the backs).