IT wasn’t to be for Saints in the Betfred World Club Challenge - but the lads can certainly walk away with their heads held high.

Although we went down 20-12 to back-to-back NRL, and now World Club Challenge, champions the Sydney Roosters, there was certainly no lack of effort.

However, I’m sure that head coach Kristian Woolf and his players will look back at this game and rue the missed opportunities.

The Betfred Super League champions opened the scoring after a blistering opening ten minutes or so, with the outstanding Luke Thompson crossing the whitewash after great work from Theo Fages.

St Helens Star:

Saints got in the faces of the Aussies and looked good for the lead. As expected though, the Roosters showed their class and quickly replied with two unconverted tries, going into the break 8-6 up.

Could this be a good omen? This was the half-time score when we trailed Brisbane in 2007 before taking the prize!

The Saints dominated the majority of the second half but failed to turn pressure into points - and after virtually being camped in the Roosters half for 20 minutes, bombing several try-scoring chances, the visitors broke a dubious forward pass to send Luke Kearey under the posts and that was the game.

We will no doubt take plenty of positives from the opportunities created, but more so learn a valuable lesson on composure and execution when it matters.

With three key players missing in Coote, Percival and Grace, I thought the young lads gave it everything and will certainly come on for the experience.

St Helens Star:

One player I thought matched everything in front of him was Alex Walmsley.

The big man was outstanding, taking the fight straight to the NRL champs - including their Kiwi enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves - and signed off his performance with a typical barnstorming try.

Next up for the Saints is an away fixture against the Toronto Wolfpack... in Warrington!

A lot of people are already writing off the Betfred Super League new boys as they sit at the foot of the table without a point.

However, as they return to the Halliwell Jones for the second week running, I'm sure they will be encouraged by their second-half fight back against the Wolves, getting back level before finally going down 32-22.

With a lot being made of the size of Toronto's initial squad - made even smaller in the past few weeks through injury - there's no doubt that Sonny Bill Williams & co are giving it everything.

However, I’m sure that if Saints turn in a performance they shouldn’t live with us.

Unsurprisingly, we're odds-on favourites to add more misery to the Canadian trailblazers, and I’m tipping a win by 20 points or more - which is Evens at Betfred.