World Club Challenge: Penrith Panthers v St Helens predictions and rugby league tips

Where to watch

Channel 4 & Sky Sports Arena, 7.50am Saturday

Best bet

St Helens +20
1pt Evs bet365

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World Club Challenge preview 

The best of the NRL and Super League get it on in Australia in the early hours of Saturday morning as the World Club Challenge makes a mouth-watering return.

The clash of champions hasn’t been held since 2020 due to the Covid pandemic and a general ambivalence towards the concept from the NRL clubs. But back-to-back Aussie kings Penrith Panthers have accepted the challenge posed by Super League’s four-time reigning champions St Helens.

Super League clubs bossed this fixture in the early 2000s but the increasing riches of the NRL has translated into a period of Australian dominance. NRL clubs have won ten of the last 12 stagings and despite being by far the best side in Europe, Saints are chalked up as 20-point underdogs at the Panthers’ BlueBet Stadium.

That does them a disservice. Super League’s representative would have covered that handicap in six of the NRL’s ten WCC victories since 2009, and Saints have been head and shoulders above the rest of the competition for most of their four-season reign at the top.

They warmed up for the match with a 30-18 win over St George Illawarra Dragons last week, while most of the Panthers’ stars will be coming in cold after sitting out their pre-season 22-16 win over Parramatta Eels.

The hosts are an exceptional outfit but most of their players won’t have played together in a match since September’s Grand Final which could lead to at least some rustiness.

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