ROY of the Rovers type story lines very rarely happen in cold, hard reality of professional sport – but when they do occur it takes a special sort of character to pen them.

Two-time Man of Steel Paul Sculthorpe did his very best impersonation of Roy Race when he strode out into the middle of a freezing cold Reebok Stadium 20 minutes into the 2007 World Club Challenge match.

Saints were trailing 8-0 at that point to a Darren Lockyer-inspired Brisbane Broncos – but Sculthorpe’s arrival immediately lifted the 23,207 supporters in the arena.

Sculthorpe had been plagued with a knee injury for the previous 18 months, and after going under the knife the previous September had been told that he would only be back for April.

That was no good for the determined former Great Britain skipper, who had suffered the torment of an in and out season during Saints’ all-conquering 2006 campaign.

Having been forced to watch the Grand Final triumph, and listen to the chattering voices declaring that his career was finished, Sculthorpe had decided that he still had enough in his locker to sock it to the Aussies one more time.

Sculthorpe, who now works at the club in a commercial capacity, recalls: “It was my first game for six months. I had literally only been back training with the team on the Tuesday before and I got a spot on the bench.

“I had struggled with this knee injury on and off for 18 months but you don’t lose your capabilities to read a game and do things on the field. For me it was a case of being able to stay out there and get through the game.

“The time out was frustrating more than anything because I knew what I was capable of, but I had had a good off season and after the operation in September the surgeon said I would only be back for April.

“Obviously, because we had won the Grand Final, I knew we had a crack at the Aussies in February.

“I worked with strength coach Apollo Perelini straight through the off season and I have a lot to thank him for. He really put some work into me.”

Saints had enjoyed a clean sweep of all domestic honours in 2006 – and they were so impressive they were voted BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year.

But with talisman Jamie Lyon back home in Australia, and a handful of players probably feeling the effects of a gruelling and often turbulent Tri Nations campaign Down Under it took Saints a while to show the same invincibility they had displayed the previous year.

In fact they went into the World Club Challenge game on the back of defeats to Harlequins and Wakefield. But cometh the hour, cometh the Man of Steel.

“It was a special day – everything seemed to go right,” Sculthorpe said “Although I have probably had a lot more impact in other games in terms of what I did on the field people still talk about that second Broncos one because of the occasion.”

An early Cory Parker try and a couple of goals put the boys from the sunshine state in the driving seat.

But Saints got a toe-hold in the game just before the break with an Ade Gardner try in the corner.

And three guesses who put his hand up to kick it.

Sculthorpe said: “I just felt strong from first touch with the goal kick from Ade’s first try.

“I had not kicked a ball in six months and Longy had lost a bit of confidence in goalkicking and asked me if I would kick the goals if I came on.

“I had not touched a ball, but hit that one sweet, straight through the middle and immediately thought it was going to be one of those days – and it was.

“I went into that Brisbane game weighing 107kilos and that is 8 kilos heavier than I usually play at – but I had worked so hard in the gym.”

Although Darius Boyd grabbed a try just after the break, that simply set the scene for Sculthorpe to add a few more lines to a dream script when he strode on to Keiron Cunningham’s flat pass and powered over.

It was still nip and tuck, and Saints fell behind again to another Parker penalty, but with 10 minutes to go, Long lofted the ball high for Gardner to pluck out of the air and ground.

Again the faultless Sculthorpe goaled and Saints held on to claim their second world title win over the Broncos in seven years.

Sculthorpe, who was outstanding in Saints’ equally gripping 2001 triumph over the Broncos, was delighted with both World Club wins.

He said: “It is not true that the Australians are not up for it when they come over. You only have to look at the footage of Darren Lockyer after the game to show that is rubbish.

“People of Lockyer’s calibre, and in 2001 Wendell Sailor and Gorden Tallis, don’t give games up.

“They won’t be trying any less than they did in a Grand Final – at the end of the day they are representing their clubs, Australia and themselves – they are not going to go into a game half-hearted.

“They may not be as match fit as us because their season kicks off later but it is nothing to do with not wanting it. They want it as much as any other trophy.”

Although nothing to do with the football side of things, Sculthorpe is enjoying his role upstairs in business development.

And he has a positive outlook for this year believing that the recruitment of Travis Burns could be a key signing on account of the boxes he ticks.

“Travis Burns will be a great signing. I like that bit of dog in him, maybe something that team has lacked for a couple of year.

“He has that bit of aggression and it just needs someone like that to spark the forwards up – within the rules.

“You can see the way he plays that he not only fires his own team-mates up he certainly put the opposition off.

He is a smart footballer as well and to have two genuine half backs this year – hopefully Walshy will make a full recovery and will soon be back playing because he was outstanding last year until his injury.

“To have him and Travis will make a difference,” he said.