MARTIN Murray’s victory in Monte-Carlo on Saturday  has set up St Helens for one of its biggest sporting weekends in the town’s modern history next February.

The Fingerpost boxer will slug it out in a world championship showdown in Monaco with Kazakhstan superstar Gennady Golovkin on Saturday, February 21.

Less than 24 hours later Saints will host the South Sydney Rabbitohs in rugby league’s World Club Challenge at Langtree Park.

Both Martin and Saints will go into their challenges as big underdogs.

Murray overcame the doggedly aggressive Domenico Spada to set up the meeting with the Kazakhstan fighter, reputed as one of the finest pound for pound fighters in the world. 

It will undoubtedly be the biggest night of the 32-year-old’s career, in Monte Carlo for his third world title shot against a formidable opponent who is unbeaten in 31 fights.

And Murray will be desperate to take the belt following two agonising near-misses. The middleweight boxer drew in his first world title tilt against Felix Sturm in Germany in 2011 before his second attempt saw a hugely controversial defeat to Sergio Martinez, after putting the Argentine on the canvas twice.

The following evening the Saints will take on their own enormous challenge when they take part in the World Club Challenge against NRL winners the Russell Crowe-owned South Sydney Rabbitohs.  

Keiron Cunningham’s men will play in front of what is sure to be an electrifying atmosphere at Langtree Park as the Super League champions attempt to bring the world club title back to English soil. 

While the Rabbitohs’ Grand Final hero Sam Burgess may have departed it will be a massive challenge for the Saints as they go toe to toe with a team featuring international stars such as Greg Inglis, Isaac Luke and Burgess twins George and Luke.   

The Saints, who have won the world crown twice before in 2001 and 2007, both times against the Brisbane Broncos at Bolton’s Reebok Stadium, will aim to win the crown on home soil for the first time.