World Club Challenge: Wigan Warriors 16-12 Penrith Panthers - Cherry and Whites crowned world champions for fifth time

Wigan triumphed in the World Club Challenge, achieving their fifth victory and matching the current record. They secured this impressive feat by vanquishing the reigning Australian champions, Penrith Panthers, in an enthralling match at the DW Stadium.

The Warriors were in the lead two times with the help of Abbas Miski and Kruise Leeming. However, the Panthers responded with points from Nathan Cleary and Dylan Edwards, and they went into half-time with a score of 12-10.

After the halftime, referee Liam Moore made two crucial decisions that favored Wigan.

Initially, he declared that Jake Wardle successfully scored the necessary points to secure the win, but ultimately decided against awarding Taylan May's last-chance attempt.

The Panthers had a distressing night as they've had a strong hold on the Australian game in the last three years. Unfortunately, they have been unsuccessful in their four attempts to become world champions.

The game was intense throughout, with Wigan being continuously pushed back but still managing to score on three rare occasions they managed to make it into the opponent's area.

The game commenced with Willie Isa committing a fumble right in front of his team's goalposts. However, Penrith took the initiative and dominated the game early on. Despite this, Wigan was able to counterattack and netted a fantastic first try.

The Warriors advanced the ball through the center and later Bevan French threw a long pass towards Miski, who was waiting on the right side of the field. He quickly ran towards the corner and scored a point.

Penrith, who are preparing for their own National Rugby League season, seemed out of practice and were frequently stopped on the sixth tackle. Nonetheless, they were able to score a goal after Cleary kicked the ball high and it hit Miski's head. Then, Mitch Kenny passed the ball to Cleary who easily made a goal.

Cleary made a successful kick that put the Australians in the lead, but Wigan responded with a remarkable score. They executed a fantastic team play that created an opening in the Penrith defence, and Leeming finished off with a quick run over the line.

Last year, the Panthers emerged as the victors of the NRL Grand Final after executing an impressive comeback against the Brisbane Broncos. This time around, they also made a strong comeback with the formidable Edwards dashing through an opening to tie up the score. Thanks to Cleary's kick, they were able to secure the lead by halftime.

During the second half, Wigan were consistently pushed back by their opponents, but they fiercely defended their territory. In a rare offensive move, Jai Field executed a well-placed grubber kick which Wardle successfully retrieved, resulting in an impressive score.

It appeared as though he may have not quite made it to the line and done an illegal move, but Referee Moore made a decision on the field to count the try. After a very long time spent reviewing the video, his decision was found to be correct.

Penrith returned and Field made an outstanding tackle to prevent May from scoring.

Wigan's French player attempted a great try but it was disallowed because he had gone beyond Harry Smith's position before the kick. The video official confirmed that he was offside by a few inches.

Penrith managed to summon one final burst of energy and appeared to even the score with a last-minute try. May lunged towards the goal line while being closely pursued by Miski and Field.

Moore made a verdict of "no try" and despite numerous video perspectives, Wigan was thrilled with the outcome.

Their win brings them to the same level as the Sydney Roosters, who are the only other team to have won the World Club Challenge five times.

During an interview with BBC Sport, Matt Peet, coach of Wigan, stated:

What an amazing game it was, with two exceptional teams battling it out on the field. Penrith's remarkable performance was evident throughout the entire game. I am extremely proud of my players and the effort they put in. It's essential that we now use this as a foundation to move forward.

The athletes displayed great courage in the latter part of the match. Our victory was attained through perseverance and refusing to give up.

There's a bunch of remarkable guys, and I simply adore collaborating with them. They never surrender, which was evident throughout the game. It was crystal clear how important this match was to them, and defeating us tonight was no easy feat. We put in a lot of effort and were determined to come out on top.

We really long for nights such as these and we will surely be experiencing a lot more.

In conversation with BBC Sport, Bevan French, the stand-off and man of the match for Wigan, shared his thoughts on the game.

The victory was quite challenging. In my opinion, it was an extremely hard-earned win.

We didn't experience much happiness by being frequently present in their land. Honestly, it seemed like we were safeguarding our position for the entire 80 minutes.

The boys take great satisfaction in achieving such a victory. It holds more significance than a simple, uncomplicated triumph. It would be preferable if people continued to discuss and celebrate this achievement for an extended period.

Penrith is an exceptional team and it seems they had dominant control throughout the entire game.

In the end, the determining factor was our strong determination and fierce desire to succeed. We had to delve deep within ourselves to accomplish our goal.

Without a doubt, I believe that we couldn't have accomplished the task if we weren't performing in front of a Wigan audience that had completely filled the venue. Ultimately, their support propelled us to victory.

BBC Sport was informed by Ivan Cleary, the head coach of Penrith.

Wigan had better luck with scoring opportunities compared to us, which ultimately made a difference in the game's outcome. It was a fairly impressive game overall, but we must congratulate Wigan for their victory.

During both halves, we had an advantage in terms of where we were on the field, but unfortunately, we were unable to score while our opponents were given three chances which they successfully converted into three tries.

We ought to believe that we have the potential to perform better than what we demonstrated, but ultimately, they were effective precisely when it mattered most and that's what secured their triumph.

The match was extremely close, with every inch counting towards a possible win. The turnout for the game was fantastic and the spectators seemed to enjoy it. Although we didn't come out victorious, I feel a sense of pride for the team's effort and hard work.

I would prefer to be present in this place and experience defeat than not being here at all.

In Wigan's recent match, the team consisted of players such as Field, Miski, Keighran, Wardle, Marshall, French, H Smith, Cooper, O'Neill, Byrne, Isa, Farrell, and Ellis.

Switching points: Mago, Leeming, Dupree, Hill.

Penrith is the name of a rugby league team. The players of this team are Edwards, Turuva, Tago, May, To'o, Cole, Cleary, Leota, Kenny, Fisher-Harris, Garner, Martin, and Yeo.

Switches: Peachey, L Smith, Henry, Eisenhuth