Williams: We owe them one in World Club Challenge

He admits Super League players can fall into the trap of placing their NRL counterparts on a pedestal.

And he is sure that won’t be an issue as they prepare for Sunday’s mouth-watering World Club Challenge.

“A lot of people will talk the Aussies up and sometimes that gets in people’s heads,” said the England stand-off.

“They’re humans who play rugby. We know they’ve got world class players but so have we, and we’re not doubting ourselves.”

Team-mate John Bateman reckons the success of English players Down Under - including his former Bulls team-mates George Burgess and Elliott Whitehead - has removed some of the aura around NRL players.

“There are some players who are in awe of the players in the NRL,” said Bateman. “But I have a few mates over there who I talk to, and they say it’s the same over there. They just play the big games week in, week out.

“It’s annoying that people say the NRL is a lot better (than Super League), but at the end of the day there’s only one way to prove them wrong and that’s doing it on the field.”

Leeds were the last Super League club to win the annual World Club Challenge in 2012. In addition to the showcase fixtures, four bolt-on World Club Series matches in the last two years have also gone in the NRL’s favour.

“We definitely owe them one,” said Williams, who was born in 1994 - the year Wigan claimed the last of their three WCC titles.

“I know we’ve competed a few times but we want to win.

“Some people write off our competition and say the NRL is miles better - this is our chance to show it’s not.”

Williams played his first game alongside new halfback partner Thomas Leuluai last weekend. Kiwi Leuluai has returned to Wigan after four years in the NRL, and he says players Down Under have “good raps” on Williams.

Sunday’s match is the Warriors’ first at the DW Stadium since last September. Last night, stars from both clubs gathered for a sold-out pre-World Club Challenge dinner at the venue.