I’LL WARD OFF MY BAD LUCK

Stevie’s Grand Final heroics robbed him of his World Cup dream and this is his big chance for redemption

LEEDS forward Stevie Ward hopes victory in Melbourne this morning can make up for his World Cup heartache.

The combative back-rower played in the Rhinos’ Grand Final win over Castleford (below) just seven days after dislocating his shoulder, but was then forced to pull out of the England reckoning.

His bravery provided one of a host of storylines to the club’s eighth Super League title – but meant his hopes of representing his country Down Under were over.

Four months later and Ward wants to make amends by helping Leeds become the first English team in 24 years to win the World Club Challenge on Aussie soil.

Ward said: “Being on such a high after playing in the Grand Final, my decision was I’d play in the World Cup. But after the England medical staff spoke to the Leeds staff, it was apparent my shoulder wouldn’t last for eight weeks.

“It was something I had to let out of my hands, my biased decision would have been to put my hand up. But I know it was the best thing for my career and this season at Leeds to duck out of it. I left it to the people that know a bit more about shoulder anatomy than me. I had to take stock and accept the World Cup wasn’t a realistic option.

“After thinking the Grand Final had been taken away from me the week before with the shoulder dislocation I was made up to have been part of that (below, bottom). Sometimes you have to rein yourself in.”

Today is only the second World Club Challenge to be held Down Under since Wigan’s famous win at Brisbane in 1994, and Ward is aware of the chance to make history.

He added: “We’ve got the chance to do something extraordinary. That Wigan game is well remembered and people still talk about it. “To go there and beat the Aussies is something us English always want to do.

“And to be a Leeds lad and be in this position, it’s our chance to prove something.”