Fitzgibbon inspires Saints' humiliation

St Helens 0 Sydney Roosters 38

St Helens were played off the park by the Australian champions at Bolton's Reebok Stadium last night. Stronger in every department, the Roosters were able to strut to victory in the World Club Challenge after scoring four tries in a devastating burst on either side of half time.

Both coaches accused the other of playing mind games in the build up to this one and both were proved right by their selections. There was no Paul Wellens in the St Helens' line-up, while for the Roosters the more experienced Craig Wing was preferred at scrum-half.

The Roosters took an early lead when John Stankevitch was high on Mick Crocker and Craig Fitzgibbon landed the penalty. Saints then thought they had scored one of their trade mark quick-hands tries through Jason Hooper, only to be brought back for Paul Newlove's forward pass.

It was a game being played with great intensity and Fitzgibbon kicked his side further ahead midway through the first half. Anthony Stewart then went close for Saints at the other end, but still neither side could get over the try line.

Finally, five minutes before half-time and after Fitzgibbon had slotted his third penalty, he showed that there was more to his game than marksmanship. The Test second rower timed his run perfectly to collect Chris Flannery's cleverly-judged kick to touch down between the sticks and leave himself an easy fourth goal.

Sydney then closed an increasingly impressive half with a try of which Saints at their best would have been proud, the ball going through eight pairs of hands before their resident Pom, Adrian Morley, took Brett Finch's pass to score with Fitzgibbon again on the mark.

Saints desperately needed to make early inroads into that 18-point lead at the start of the second half. But after great defensive work by Anthony Minichiello, Todd Byrne was credited with the third Roosters try even though Finch seemed clearly to have knocked on at the other end of the field.

Two minutes later, Darren Britt passed straight to Brad Fittler to give the former Australian Test captain a gift try. Right at the death, Todd Payten strolled over again for the Roosters, Fitzgibbon's two conversions and a penalty completing a tally of 22 points to make him the record scorer in any World Club challenge as well as the man of the match in this one.

St Helens: Albert; Gardener, Gleeson, Newlove, Stewart; Martyn, Long; Britt, Hooper, Stankevitch, Joynt, Smith, Sculthorpe. Substitutes used: Ward, Jonkers, Higham, Edmondson

Sydney Roosters: Minichiello; Byrne, Flannery, Hodge, Hegarty; Fittler, Wing; Cayless, Crocker, Cusack, Morley, Fitzgibbon, Ricketson. Substitutes used: Catic, Payten, Robinson, Finch.

Referee: R Smith (Castleford).