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 team which is now undeniably the greatest in Super League history and must also be considered one of the best teams rugby league has seen.

An unprecedented fourth successive Grand Final victory – 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 a spin.

Fergie guided United to the Championship for three consecutive seasons on two occasions during his illustrious 26-year reign, during which United were 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.

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

Talismans such as James Roby, Lomax and half-back partner Jack Welsby knitted the champions together brilliantly through this title decider to give outgoing head coach Kristian Woolf an adventurous dismissal in his final game.

Woolf is heading home to Australia to take up a coaching role with new NRL side 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 former boss 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 center Mark Percival with a high shot.

From there, Saints marched upfield and Roby’s neat pass found the ubiquitous Lomax, who strolled 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 fresh winger Ash Handley but missing Aidan Sezer, Harry Newman, David Fusitu’a and Morgan Gannon, gradually steadied.

Blake Austin started a 40-20 – the tactical maneuver that so often leads to a try – but the period of pressure Leeds created came to naught 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 home-grown full-back Jon Bennison, 19, to dive on the ball.

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

When Makinson garnished Bennison’s try with a fine sideline conversion, Saints were 12-0 up, if not necessarily in full control.

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

However, as the interval approached, Lomax made a vital intervention to deny Richie Myler just short of the line, before more dogged 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 – deputizing for Sezer at stand-off – expertly found Leeming and he slotted over from close range before Martin’s conversion extended Saints’ lead to six points.

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

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

Tonga center Konrad Hurrell, who spent the last three seasons at Leeds, picked up a short pass from Welsby and showed brutal power to drive through four Rhinos defenders from close range and ground the ball in front of the Stretford End.

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

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

Leeds, despite their undeniable spirit, spurned another opportunity as 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 effort in the right corner – which he converted – but it was not enough.

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