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St Helens were crowned as the best club side in the world after edging out the Brisbane Broncos in a thrilling World Club Challenge encounter in Bolton.
Inspired by Adey Gardner's two tries and their returning captain Paul Sculthorpe, Saints sealed a famous win.
Sculthorpe, playing in his first match since September, scored a second-half try and made three superb conversions.
Brisbane led 8-0, but Gardner's try before half-time cut the gap and Saints battled ahead with 10 minutes left.
Having lost their last two Super League games to Harlequins and Wakefield, St Helens were given little chance against the NRL champions.
But Gardner's 71st-minute try, his second of the match, put the home side ahead for the first time, and they defended bravely for the rest of the match.
The Broncos went into the match off the back of almost two weeks of preparation, including a warm-up victory over Welsh side the Celtic Crusaders.
And they got out of the blocks much the quicker, with Saints needing a magnificent tackle from Sean Long to stop Brent Tate going the length of the fieldafter a high ball bounced into the Broncos player's hands.
It was only a temporary reprieve for Saints tough as Gardner started his evening in horrible fashion, knocking a hanging high kick into Corey Parker's path for the Broncos' opening try.
Saints looked rattled by conceding the early score, with knock-ons and sloppy passes costing them possession and territory and Parker slotted a penalty on 11 minutes - after Matt Gidley's unnecessary spear tackle - for an 8-0 lead.
Sculthorpe ran onto the pitch for Mike Bennett on 21 minutes and it seemed to be just the boost St Helens needed.
For the first time, Saints were able to establish some pressure on the Broncos tryline, but the Australian side's defence held firm.
With the clock ticking down towards half-time, St Helens got a lucky break when Long's penalty to touch was ruled to have just made it despite Jusatin Hodge's leap into the air to prevent the ball going out.
From the resulting possession, Saints put together a high-class move to put Gardner in at the corner where he finished well, stepping inside Darius Boyd.
Sculthorpe slotted a tremendous conversion from the touchline to send Saints into the break with a spring in their steps.
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"When I retire, I'll get Ricky Hatton to wash my clothes and cut my lawn and buckle my shoes."
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