Queensland tipped to bring home World Club Series trophy
Published Sunday, 21 February, 2016 at 08:00 AM
Treasurer, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Minister for Sport
The Honourable Curtis Pitt
The biggest Club trophy in the Rugby League world will soon be calling Queensland home, according to Treasurer and Minister for Sport Curtis Pitt.
The Broncos take on the Wigan Warriors on Saturday in England before the Cowboys try to stop 2015’s series champions the Leeds Rhinos on Sunday.
“The Queensland teams may have lost their home turf advantage by competing in the UK but the teams have spent the past week in England acclimatising to the grey British winter,” Mr Pitt said.
“I’m still in awe of the intensity of last year’s NRL grand final between the Cowboys and Broncos and I think it’s fair to say the British boys have no idea what’s about to hit them.
“As a North Queenslander I’ll be cheering on the Cowboys, especially since JT has taken the same NRL premiership winning line-up over to the UK.
“The man is a living legend, having won almost every major honour available in the rugby league world except the World Club Series.”
The annual World Club Series pits the champions of England and Australia against each other in a one-off contest.
Leeds Rhinos are competing for a fourth World Club Series title and Cowboys Captain Johnathan Thurston said his team will be pulling out all stops to bring the trophy to Townsville.
"To win this World Club Series match against Leeds would be fantastic, not so much to 'win a set' but to be able to say we, as a team, were successful in an event in which we competed in for the first time,” he said.
"It's been such a privilege to play at this level for as long as I have and although you never earmark 'x' number of premierships, or Origins, or World Cups, you always want to win every competition you're involved in.”
Seven-time NRL premiership-winning coach Wayne Bennett touched down in London with the Broncos last week.
Rugby League diehards can catch the game on GEM at 4.40am Monday Queensland time.
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