FOLLOWING ‘deadly’ warnings about this weekend’s weather in Penrith, there have been a set of rule changes introduced by the NRL for the World Club Challenge.
With temperatures expected to rise to almost 40 degrees, it is not exactly conducive to playing fast-paced rugby league.
As such there will be four new rule changes designed to combat the weather:
– Each team allowed to use 18 players
– Increased interchanges from eight to 10
– Playing the match in quarters to allow additional water breaks
– Restrictions eased on trainers to enable them to provide water to players.
This is how both squads line up for the clash, which will now kick-off at 7:50am UK time, as the NRL put the fixture back 50 minutes.
Penrith Panthers
1. Stephen Crichton, 2. Taylan May, 3. Izack Tago, 4. Sunia Turuva, 5. Brian To’o, 6. Jarome Luai, 7. Nathan Cleary, 8. Moses Leota, 9. Mitch Kenny, 10. James Fisher-Harris, 11. Luke Garner, 12. Zac Hosking, 13. Isaah Yeo
Interchange: 14. Jack Cogger, 15. Matthew Eisenhuth, 16. Spencer Leniu, 17. Jaeman Salmon, 18. Lindsay Smith, 19. Kurt Falls, 20. Liam Henry, 21. Thomas Jenkins, 22. Mavrik Geyer
St Helens
1. Jack Welsby, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Will Hopoate, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Jonathan Bennison, 6. Jonny Lomax, 7. Lewis Dodd, 8. Alex Walmsley, 9. James Roby, 10. Matty Lees, 11. Sione Mata’utia, 13. Morgan Knowles
Interchange: 14. Joey Lussick, 15. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 16. Curtis Sironen, 17. Agnatius Paasi, 18. Jake Wingfield, 19. James Bell, 20. Daniel Norman, 21. Ben Davies, 23. Konrad Hurrell, 25. Theerapol Ritson
