SAINTS will be looking to make the most of their time in the global rugby league spotlight when they host South Sydney Rabbitohs in the World Club Challenge showpiece on February 22.

With the game already sold out three weeks in advance of the big date, Saints will be seeking to take advantage of commercial opportunities as well as feeding something to the town’s grassroots.

In the week building up to the match Saints will host a fans event at Langtree Park on the Tuesday night, with some Souths players hopefully attending, and on Wednesday they will stage a community day to reward the local junior clubs for their hard work.

And with the ground turning cold, Saints have already taken precautions to make sure that the frost is kept out and the game goes ahead.

It is an exciting time for Saints – and once again underlines the value of Langtree Park which will be jam-packed to the rafters for the biggest night in its short history.

Saints CEO Mike Rush said: “The investment that Eamonn and the board made now brings that intrinsic reward.

“Forget the money – just think about being able to sit in a stadium that you own, to watch your home town team play against NRL Premiers South Sydney and that must be a lovely feeling to justify that ten years of hard graft to get the stadium.”

Highlighting the community benefits that the Rabbitohs’ visit will bring Rush said it was important to payback something in kind to the junior clubs that place players on to the Saints conveyor belt of talent.

“On the community day Souths are training at Wigan in the morning and then will be coming to us in the afternoon.

“That will be open to the community rugby league clubs so we are going to be loyal to those clubs that put in all the hard work.

“They will get the opportunity to bring a fixed number of kids each to come down and train with Souths and do a little question and answer afterwards.

“We have Steve Leonard and Craig Richards who work predominantly within the community game and we need to be loyal to those volunteers who are doing it at grassroots level,” he said.

Rush explained that precautions were in place to beat the freeze with a bubble that can be put over the pitch if needed.

“We will make that decision nine days out but if you put the bubble over the ground won’t freeze. We have a contingency in place outside with gritting and local council help we will be right,” he said.