THE eyes of the sporting world are going to be on St Helens’ finest for what is building up into an absolutely amazing sporting weekend on February 21/22.

On the Saturday, Fingerpost’s Martin Murray will attempt to take the world middleweight crown at the third time of asking when he tackles the unbeaten champ Gennady Golovkin in Monte Carlo.

And the following evening Langtree Park will be packed to the rafters when Super League champions Saints take on the cream of the NRL crop South Sydney for the World Club Challenge.

They are occasions that will help put this town on the map – even if the first, and arguably more global of those showdowns, takes place in Monaco.

Murray is a fine ambassador for the town – and ahead of his walk to the ring last Saturday nobody was left in any doubt where he was from. With When the Saints go Marching In being belted out and his entourage carrying the club crest behind him all the way to the ring, Murray exuded the pride and passion he has for his home town.

Not everyone will be able to make it over to the Principality to cheer him on, but that weekend the pubs, clubs and living rooms of St Helens will all be backing Team Murray.

Yes, plenty of experts have already written off Murray’s chances against the Kazakh fighter who has destroyed all of his opponents so far with 28 KOs in 31 paid bouts.

But similar was written about Murray when he faced Sergio Martinez in his own Buenos Aires back yard, but that did not stop him rattling the champ before harshly being edged out on the scorecard.

If he wants further encouragement there has already been plenty of support coming in from Paul Wellens and the Saints lads. Yes, the team that was written off and given no hope of winning anything in 2014.

And here Saints are getting ready for a real glamour tie against Russell Crowe’s Rabbitohs.

Souths boast a star-studded line up and even though they have lost one Burgess to rugby union they have three more – and throw in Greg Inglis for good measure.

Saints have won the World Club Challenge twice before, beating Brisbane both times at Bolton.

Playing it at Langtree Park shows the massive strides the club has made off the field since that last win in 2007.

In this town we often focus on what we don’t have rather than what we do. And so we may not have a Primark but I’ll take the prospect of double world champions over that any day of the week.