Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan had no complaints about the referee following his side’s 22-6 World Club Challenge defeat to Wigan despite the Sharks having two tries disallowed.

The Sharks were unable to emulate their NRL premiership triumph at a raucous DW Stadium, in a highly-competitive encounter that took place in front of a crowd of over 21,000.

Luke Lewis and Kurt Capewell were denied by the video referee in the first half, with the veteran back-rower adjudged to have been offside when he latched onto a high kick from James Maloney.

Rookie winger Capewell’s effort was chalked off on the stroke of the halftime in what would have been the perfect fillip for the Sharks, who trailed 10-0 at the time.

“I think he was probably offside for the first one, there wasn’t too much in it but rules are rules,” Flanagan said.

“Whether the Kurt Capewell one was a try I don’t know. It looked touch and go. But we have to take our opportunities better when we get them.”

The match was the first time the Sharks have taken the field in a competitive match since their maiden grand final triumph in October and skipper Paul Gallen said facing the Super League champions was a great test ahead of their season opener against Brisbane on March 2.

“It was a tough, solid game,” Gallen said.

Wigan Warriors’ Liam Farrell is tackled by Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks’ Jayden Brailey at the DW Stadium. Photo: PA

“I thought we had the better of it early but we didn’t make them pay. Giving away an intercept on third tackle, turning the ball over and letting them off.”

Former South Sydney and Sydney Roosters winger Joe Burgess’s hat-trick sealed the win for Wigan, who claimed a first World Club Challenge success since 1994 and became the first club to win the trophy for a fourth time.

The victory, 24 hours after Brisbane lost to Warrington, also ensured a clean sweep for the Super League over the NRL for the first time since the competition was expanded in 2015.

Wigan Warriors’ Joe Burgess scores the opening try of the game against Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. Photo: PA

In an arm-wrestle of a contest played at a fevered intensity, the hosts, roared on by a passionate home crowd who greeted the result with great euphoria, were worthy winners.

Flanagan gave debuts to rookie hooker Jayden Brailey and winger Jesse Raimen and the pair acquitted themselves well with Brailey scoring his side’s only try.

Burgess crossed twice in the first half and again in the final minute to ice the result.

Wigan Warriors’ Oliver Gildart scores his sides third try of the game. Photo: PA

Although the weekend’s results are a huge shot in the arm for the game in the UK, Gallen said it was not an indication that the gap has closed significantly between the two competitions.

“This was our first game, Wigan have played two trial games and a competition game,” Gallen said.

“To be honest, we had three sessions as a team. We had a really good pre-season up to a month ago, then we hit some hurdles.

“We lost three of our outside backs to injury. We had the Nines, the All Stars where we had the biggest representation, then we had a trial.

“They are well and truly into their season we’re not. But that has got nothing to do with the result today. We play them again in two or three weeks time, who knows?”

-AAP