The year 2005 Carnegie World Club Challenge was contested by Super League IX champions Leeds Rhinos and 2004 NRL season premiers, the Bulldogs. The match was played on 4 February at Elland Road, Leeds before 37,208 spectators. Australian Sean Hampstead was the referee. The home team came out winners in the end of what was, at the time, the highest-scoring WCC match ever, with a final scoreline of 39–32.
Qualification
Leeds Rhinos
The 2004 Super League Grand Final was held on Saturday 16 October 2004, at Old Trafford, Manchester, UK. The game was played between Leeds Rhinos, who finished top of the league after the 28 weekly rounds, and Bradford Bulls, who finished second after the weekly rounds.
Bulldogs
The 2004 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2004 NRL season. It was contested by the Bulldogs, who had finished the regular season in 2nd place, and the Sydney Roosters, who had finished the regular season in 1st place. After both sides eliminated the rest of 2004's top eight teams over the finals series, they faced each other in a grand final for the first time since the 1980 NSWRFL season's decider.
Match details
The Bulldogs had less than a week to adjust from Sydney summer to Yorkshire winter with four training sessions to prepare whereas the Rhinos had been playing friendlies since Boxing Day. The Sydnesiders were also without six senior players who stayed at home after off-season surgeries.
Leeds RhinosPositionBulldogs Richie Mathers Fullback Luke Patten 2. Mark Calderwood Winger 5. Trent Cutler 3. Chev Walker Centre 4. Willie Tonga 4. Keith Senior Centre 3. Jamaal Lolesi 5. Marcus Bai Winger 2. Hazem El Masri 13. Kevin Sinfield (c) Stand Off/Five-Eighth 6. Braith Anasta 6. Danny McGuire Scrum Half/Halfback 7. Corey Hughes 8. Ryan Bailey Prop 10. Roy Asotasi 14. Andrew Dunemann Hooker 9. Adam Perry 15. Danny Ward Prop 8. Chris Armit 18.Jamie Jones-Buchanan 2nd Row 12. Sonny Bill Williams12. Chris McKenna 2nd Row 11. Reni Maitua 20. Gareth Ellis Loose Forward/Lock 13. Tony Grimaldi (C) 7. Rob Burrow Interchange 15. Ben Czislowski 11. Ali Lauitiiti Interchange 16. Nate Myles 10. Barrie McDermott Interchange Trevor Thurling 16. Willie Poching Interchange 14. Brett Oliver Tony Smith Coach Steve Folkes
Leeds opened the scoring with their left centre Chev Walker crossing around the five-minute mark. Kevin Sinfield's conversion was successful so the Rhinos were leading 6 - 0.
References
Sources
2005 World Club Challenge at superleague.co.uk Rhinos power to world club crown - bbc.co.uk Carnegie & Rhinos on top of the world - lmu.ac.uk 2005 World Club Challenge at rlphotos.com 2005 World Club Challenge at rugbyleagueproject.com