Super League Grand Final: St Helens 24-12 Leeds Rhinos – Record-breaking Saints win fourth straight title

St Helens (12) 24
Tries: Lees, Bennison, Hurrell, Percival Goals: Makinson 4
Leeds (6) 12
Tries: Leeming, Martin Goals: Martin 2

St Helens won a record-breaking fourth consecutive Super League Grand Final as they ended Kristian Woolf’s tenure by comfortably beating Leeds Rhinos.

Kruise Leeming cut the deficit on the verge of half-time but Konrad Hurrell powered over shortly after the restart.

Mark Percival extended Saints’ advantage to 18 points before Rhyse Martin crossed for Leeds late on.

Victory for St Helens brings to an end Woolf’s time in charge on a major high, having won the showpiece end-of-season event in each of his three seasons in charge.

Building on the title won in 2019 under Justin Holbrook, St Helens became the first team to win four Super League titles in a row and also surpassed Leeds to win a record-setting ninth Grand Final.

Despite a valiant effort from Rhinos, particularly in a surging end to the first half, they were undone by a resolute St Helens performance, with Woolf’s side putting their shaky late-season form behind them as they dominated much of the match.

St Helens captain and all-time Super League record appearance holder James Roby started for the reigning champions as he equalled Jamie Peacock’s record of playing in 11 Grand Finals and won the sixth title of his career.

Lees’ opener came as Saints tore up the Leeds defence, with Jonny Lomax sending him through to touch down one of the fastest-ever tries in a Grand Final.

They were 12-0 up inside the opening 20 minutes, with Jack Welsby putting in a perfectly weighted kick for Bennison to go in at the corner as Leeds struggled for answers to Saints’ storming start.

As the first half ticked on, however, Leeds eased their way into the game and were rewarded when Leeming powered over just before the half-time hooter.

St Helens reasserted themselves just minutes into the second half when Hurrell was able to muscle his way across the line despite his former side’s best efforts to thwart him.

Percival’s try sent them out of sight, with Martin’s late try a mere consolation.

St Helens’ pathway to dominance

St Helens’ victory establishes them as one of the greatest teams in the Super League era, with Leeds the only other side to achieve three titles in a row.

Woolf’s time as head coach ended with the perfect conclusion before he departs for newly-formed NRL side the Dolphins next season, as assistant to former England and Great Britain coach Wayne Bennett.

Saints’ pre-eminence began under the leadership of another Australian, however, with Holbrook laying the foundations for their current dominance.

Under Holbrook, the club beat underdogs Salford Red Devils at Old Trafford in 2019, with an unforgettable finish seeing them clinch the title again in 2020 in Woolf’s first season with the club.

Welsby scored the winning points in an empty KCOM Stadium at the end of a thrilling encounter with Wigan, but with the country slowly easing out of lockdown restrictions this time last year, Saints beat Catalans in front of a reduced crowd at Old Trafford.

Saints have come unstuck against Leeds in the past, losing to the Rhinos four times in finals between 2007 and 2011, and there was controversy in the run-up to Saturday’s final.

Morgan Knowles started for Saints despite initially being banned over “dangerous contact” on Chris Atkin in last week’s semi-final against Salford.

Knowles lost a first appeal against a ban over the incident, only for Saints to win a second appeal which saw the ban overturned.

The loose forward was booed by Leeds fans as his name was read out before kick-off but avoided further controversy in a final which St Helens dominated with a fine team performance to overcome a well organised Leeds side who had finished the season arguably in better form.

Immense turnaround despite final defeat

Rhinos began the season short of confidence and off the pace in comparison to most of their rivals, but turned their 2022 campaign around.

Former boss Richard Agar stepped down from his role in March after the club won just one of their opening six games.

Jamie Jones-Buchanan took over on an interim basis prior to Rohan Smith’s appointment in April and since then Leeds have put together an impressive run of form.

Coming into the Grand Final, they had won 11 of 13 matches, including stunning play-off wins at both Catalans Dragons and Wigan.

They reached the final for a third time after finishing fifth in the league, an impressive achievement in such a short period following Smith’s appointment.

Leeds had lost their past 11 meetings with Saints but had looked in with a shout of forcing an upset when Leeming went over just before the interval.

But they could not break free of Saints’ stranglehold, with Woolf’s side ultimately just too good.

Saints’ win ‘thoroughly deserved’ – reaction

St Helens winger Tommy Makinson told BBC Radio 5 live:

“Credit to Leeds, they were class. It’s felt like everyone has written us off but we’ve been the best team and it speaks volumes today how good.

“We’ve done four in a row and it doesn’t get much better.”

St Helens forward Morgan Knowles told BBC Radio 5 live:

“It feels unbeliveable. To win one Grand Final is hard enough but to do four, like we have done, I feel so lucky and privileged to be part of this group. It’s a night to savour.

“We set our standards and it’s simple but it’s not easy to do. It’s a special group and to do what we’ve done is a massive achievement.”

Leeds captain Kruise Leeming told BBC Radio 5 Live:

“We’ve fallen short and it’s not nice but we’ve come a long way and we should be proud of ourselves even if it’s hard for me to say that.

“It’s not to be today, it is what it is. We didn’t just have the firepower. Saints were great. What a champion team we’ve got to pay credit to them.

“We’ll be back and we’ll win. We know the plan works and can take confidence from that.”

Leeds assistant coach Jamie Jones-Buchanan told BBC Radio 5 Live:

“We’re very disappointed but I’m really proud of what the boys have done these last few months.

“It’s just the beginning, they’ve had a sniff now. They trust each other and what Rohan Smith has brought these past few months has been outstanding.

“Adversity is a foundation of what success is built on and these boys will grow from this and understand what it takes to get here. I’m really proud.”

Former Great Britain coach Brian Noble on BBC Radio 5 live:

“Thoroughly deserved. It was a brilliant performance and it had to be.

“Full of energy and skill and a precision kicking game from Jonny Lomax.

“But you have to have two to tango and Leeds have been manful in defeat and the style that they have played in will have won many hearts but their hearts have been broken tonight.”

St Helens: Bennison, Makinson, Hurrell, Percival, Hopoate, Welsby, Lomax, Paasi, Roby, Lees, Batchelor, Sironen, Knowles

Interchanges: McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Mata’utia, Lussick, Wingfield

Leeds: Myler, Briscoe, Hardaker, Sutcliffe, Handley, Austin, Smith, Tetevano, Bentley, Martin, Prior, O’Connor, Oledzki

Interchanges: Thompson, Leeming, Walters, Donaldson

Referee: Liam Moore.

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