St Helens have written their name into the Super League history books by winning an unprecedented fourth successive title with victory over Leeds Rhinos in the Grand Final at Old Trafford this evening.
Quick starts to both halves provided the foundation for the Saints to run out 24-12 winners, becoming the first team to win four Super League titles in a row, as well as the first to be crowned champions 10 times overall and to win nine Grand Finals.
Departing boss Kristian Woolf also becomes the first coach to lead a team to three straight Super League titles, bringing a dream end to his record-breaking tenure.
Leeds had already upset all of the odds to even make it to the final having been just one point off the bottom in April, but usurping the three-time defending champions and ending the era of Saints supremacy proved a step too far as their perfect record of four Grand Final wins over St Helens also came to an end.
Saints went into the mouth-watering showdown - the 25th edition of the Grand Final - as favourites, but the manner of their start would have still taken Leeds by surprise as they came flying out of the blocks.
TRY!! - and it's MATTY LEES! 🏉
— Sky Sports Rugby League (@SkySportsRL) September 24, 2022
WHAT A START FOR THE SAINTS! 💥#GF25 pic.twitter.com/KcNYYrewLN
Matty Lees went over within three minutes for the quickest ever try in a Super League Grand Final to get Woolf's farewell game off to a perfect start and set the tone for things to come.
Jon Bennison then touched down after Jack Welsby's grubber kick to give the Saints a 12-0 lead, at which point they were threatening to blow Leeds away.
The Saints continued to dominate for much of the rest of the half too, but Leeds crucially stemmed the flow of points against them and showed all of the resilience that had taken them from a relegation battle to Old Trafford to hang on in the first half.
Rhyse Martin was perhaps fortunate to avoid a card for a dangerous tackle as the referee opted for leniency, and Rhinos skipper Kruise Leeming then went over to send Leeds into the break somehow trailing by only six points despite a first half in which they were second best.
TRY- Leeds find a way to fight back and get a crucial try right on the stroke of half-time! 🤏 #GF25 pic.twitter.com/cr4PTvrxva
— Sky Sports Rugby League (@SkySportsRL) September 24, 2022
St Helens made a similarly quick start to the second half, though, and former Leeds man Konrad Hurrell stretched to score his side's third try within six minutes of the restart to restore the 12-point advantage.
A moment of Welsby magic then opened the Leeds defence for Mark Percival to touch down as Saints took complete control of the contest, and even Martin's response for the Rhinos 10 minutes from time did not threaten St Helens' name being etched onto the trophy for a fourth successive year.
There was a small slice of history for Martin when he added the extras to his own try to make it a Super League record 38 successful kicks in a row, but it was scant consolation for the Rhinos' top points-scorer this season as his side were forced to settle for second best on the day.
For the Saints, their current crop will now be firmly in the conversation for the greatest Super League sides of all time, led by the evergreen James Roby as he claims his sixth title in his record-equalling 11th appearance on the grandest stage.
Barney Corkhill
