St Helens 24-12 Leeds: Saints win a record-breaking fourth consecutive Super League Grand Final 

All hail ‘The Immortals’, a fitting label for a St Helens side that is now undeniably the greatest in Super League history and should also be regarded as one of the best teams rugby competition has ever seen.

An unprecedented fourth consecutive Grand Final victory – inspired by man of the match and Harry Sunderland Trophy winner Jonny Lomax – has etched Saints at Old Trafford into the realm of true sporting greatness.

Not even Manchester United won four league titles in their all-consuming pomp under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Fergie led United to the championship for three consecutive seasons during his glorious 26-year reign in which United were crowned champions 13 times.

But keeping the Premier League trophy under lock and key for four consecutive seasons on this famously old ground proved to be beyond even the legendary Scotsman.

However, Saints being Saints have now succeeded in that feat and have shown why they are such a special team with this well deserved win over old opponents Leeds.

Talisman like James Roby, Lomax and halfback partner Jack Welsby brilliantly brought the champions together during this title decider to give outgoing head coach Kristian Woolf a fairytale farewell in his final game.

Woolf will return to Australia to take on a coaching role with the new NRL team the Dolphins and will leave St Helens a legend.

The Rhinos, for their part, have enjoyed a stunning resurgence since Rohan Smith arrived at Headingley in May after previous head coach Richard Agar retired after a disastrous start to the season.

Laconic Aussie Smith stopped the rot, restored faith and led the eight-time Super League champions to Old Trafford in front of a crowd of 60,783.

But in the end the spirit was not enough for Leeds as St Helens made their class pay off and opened the scoring within the second minute.

James Bentley, second rower from Leeds, a season asset from St Helens with whom he won the 2020 Grand Final, caught England center Mark Percival with a high shot.

From there, Saints marched onto the field and Roby’s neat pass found the ubiquitous Lomax, who sauntered past Mikolaj Oledzki and then sent the charging Matty Lees out at close range at a gallop.

Tommy Makinson added the conversion to make it 6-0 but Leeds, bolstered by the addition of fit-again winger Ash Handley but without Aidan Sezer, Harry Newman, David Fusitu’a and Morgan Gannon, gradually came into being.

Blake Austin started a 40-20 – the tactical maneuver that so often leads to a try – but the period of pressure that formed Leeds came to nothing after Rhyse Martin spilled the ball close to the St Helens line.

Moments later, Saints had their second try when Welsby’s perfectly weighted short track kick invited homegrown fullback Jon Bennison, 19, to dive for the ball.

Referee Liam Moore awarded a try decision on the field before video referee Ben Thaler confirmed it was a legitimate score.

With Makinson garnishing Bennison’s effort with a fine touchline conversion, Saints was leading 12-0, if not necessarily in complete control.

Leeds struggled to make progress on offense and a dangerous tackle from Martin on Lomax gave the champions a penalty that sent Makinson off the posts.

However, as the interval approached, Lomax made a vital intervention to sack Richie Myler just below the line before a more tenacious defense kept Leeds whore Kruise Leeming out.

Still, the Rhinos kept sounding and couldn’t be denied on the stroke of halftime when Cameron Smith – who replaced Sezer at a standoff – skillfully found Leeming and pushed him forward from close range before Martin’s conversion narrowed Saints’ lead to six points.

But the Rhinos’ discipline threatened to cost them again in the 42nd minute when Austin was penalized for a high tackle on Makinson.

After spending a period mistreating their opponents’ line, they soon had a third attempt.

Tonga center Konrad Hurrell, who has spent the past three seasons in Leeds, collected a short pass from Welsby and showed brute strength to bring four Rhinos defenders forward from close range and ground the ball for the Stretford End.

Makinson added the conversion again to restore St. Helens’ 12-point advantage and bring them closer to the history books.

With Welsby and Lomax merging beautifully as halfbacks, Saints always gave the inescapable impression that they could go through the gears when the opportunities presented themselves.

Leeds, despite their unmistakable spirit, turned down another opportunity when Martin once again knocked close to their opponents’ line.

Indeed, it was Saints who scored again shortly before the hour when Percival hit on another Welsby grubber kick and Makinson’s conversion made it 24-6.

Leeds refused to give up and hit back via Martin’s late try into the right corner – which he converted – but it wasn’t enough.

Saints were once again worthy champions. It has been a season of so much emotion for Woolf, his players and the club’s supporters.