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

All hail ‘The Immortals’, a fitting tag for a St Helens side who are now undeniably the greatest in Super League history and must also be regarded as one of the best teams rugby league has seen.

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

Not even Manchester United in their all-conquering pomp under Sir Alex Ferguson won four league titles on the spin.

St Helens secured an unprecedented fourth successive Grand Final win on Saturday night

Fergie guided United to the championship three seasons running on two occasions during his glorious 26-year reign which saw United crowned champions 13 times.

But keeping the Premier League trophy under lock and key at this famous old ground for four consecutive seasons proved beyond even the legendary Scot.

Saints being Saints, though, have now managed that feat and showed why they are such a special team with this deserved victory over old adversaries Leeds.

Talisman such as James Roby, Lomax and half-back partner Jack Welsby knitted the champions together brilliantly throughout this title decider to give outgoing head coach Kristian Woolf a fairytale send-off in his final game.

Outgoing Saints head coach Kristian Woolf (L) enjoyed a fairytale send-off in his final game

Woolf is heading home to Australia to take up a coaching role at new NRL team the Dolphins and will bow out of St Helens as 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 quit following a disastrous start to the season.

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

But in the end, spirit was not enough for Leeds as St Helens made their class pay, opening the scoring inside the second minute.

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

Saints raced into a 12-0 lead through tries by Matty Lees (above) and Jon Bennison

From there, Saints marched upfield and Roby’s neat pass found the ubiquitous Lomax, who sauntered past Mikolaj Oledzki and then sent the onrushing Matty Lees galloping over from close range.

Tommy Makinson added the conversion to make it 6-0 but Leeds, buoyed by the inclusion of fit-again winger Ash Handley but missing Aidan Sezer, Harry Newman, David Fusitu’a and Morgan Gannon, gradually steadied themselves.

Blake Austin booted a 40-20 – the tactical manoeuvre which so often leads to a try – but the period of pressure Leeds fashioned came to nothing after Rhyse Martin spilled the ball close to St Helens’ line.

Moments later, Saints had their second try when Welsby’s perfectly-weighted short grubber kick invited homegrown full-back Jon Bennison, 19, to dive on the ball.

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

With Makinson garnishing Bennison’s try with a fine touchline conversion, Saints were 12-0 up, if not necessarily in complete control.

Mark Percival pounced on a Jack Welsby grubber kick as Saints extended their advantage

Leeds struggled to make any headway in attack and a dangerous tackle by Martin on Lomax gave the champions a penalty which Makinson sent wide of the posts.

As the interval approached, though, Lomax made a vital intervention to deny Richie Myler just short of the line before more obstinate defending kept out Leeds hooker Kruise Leeming.

Yet the Rhinos kept probing and were not to be denied on the stroke of half-time when Cameron Smith – deputising for Sezer at stand-off – expertly found Leeming and he squeezed over from close range before Martin’s conversion cut Saints’ lead to six points.

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

After a period spent battering their opponents’ line, they soon had a third try.

Tonga centre Konrad Hurrell, who spent the past three seasons at Leeds, collected a short pass from Welsby and showed brute force to power through four Rhinos defenders from close range and ground the ball in front of the Stretford End.

Forward Rhyse Martin (above) went over for the Rhinos late on but it was not enough

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

With Welsby and Lomax dovetailing beautifully at half-back, Saints always gave the inescapable impression they could move through the gears when the opportunities arose.

Leeds, despite their undeniable spirit, spurned another opportunity when Martin knocked on again close to their opponents’ line.

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

Leeds refused to give up and hit back through Martin’s late try in the right corner – which he converted – but it was not enough.

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