St Helens 24 Leeds Rhinos 12: Rhinos beaten in Grand Final - match report

Saints’ ninth win made them Super League’s most successful Grand Final team, moving one clear of Rhinos and their fourth successive victory was also a record.

Having finished top, 13 points ahead of fifth-placed Leeds, Saints are worthy champions and were clearly the better team on the night, but Rhinos were far from disgraced and can take positives from the game and the way they have ended the season.

The absolute priority for Leeds was a strong start, having been blown away early on by Saints in so many of the previous 11 successive defeats dating back to 2018.

They didn’t get it, going behind after just 124 seconds and 12-0 down by the end of the first quarter.

A try on the stroke of half-time gave them hope and they seemed to be getting a foothold in the contest, but the second period started in similar fashion and once Saints got three scores ahead there just before the hour, there was no way back.

Just getting this far was beyond anything Rhinos could have hoped for midway through the season and their run over the past three months has given the club a shot in the arm and something to build on for next year.

Blake Austin, Leeds’ lone half-back, had a good game, Zak Hardaker was excellent again and several yoiung players gained priceless experience. Nobody was particularly poor; it’s just Saints played better.

Leeds were always chasing the game. James Bentley was penalised for a high tackle on Mark Percival in Saints’ first set and following the penalty a pass by eventual man of the match Jonny Lomax sent Matty Lees cruising over for a try which Tommy Makinson converted.

Moments later Austin’s kick was taken by Tom Briscoe, in his final game for Leeds. He had a clear run to the line, but referee Liam Moore had already blown for a penalty against Saints for offside.

Zane Tetevano knock-on let Saints off the hook following a terrific ball steal by Martin, then Martin spilled Cameron Smith’s pass following a 40-20 by Austin.

From that, Rhinos were immediately caught offside and at the end of the resulting set Jack Welsby kicked over the line and Jon Bernnison touched down. Makinson’s conversion from wide out made it 12-0 after just 18 minutes.

Former Rhinos centre Konrad Hurrell was a blade of grass short off adding Saints’ third try, but Ash Handley, Liam Sutcliffe and Richie Myler tackled him into touch.

Makinson missed an opportunity to extend Saints’ lead 12 minutes before the break when he was wide with a penalty attempt after Martin’s tackle lifted Lomax above the horizontal, sparking a skirmish.

Aided by several penalties, Rhinos got some field position in the final 12 minutes of the half and a try with 28 seconds left sent them into the break with a spring in their step.

Lomax made successive tackles to keep out Myler and then Sutcliffe and also halted a superb run by Hardaker, but Leeds kept the ball alive - through Martin, Handley and Smith - and Kruise Leeming twisted over for a superb finish. Martin landed his 37th successive goal to set a new NRL and Super League record.

The second half, though, began the same way as the first. A penalty against Austin for a high tackle, knock-on by Briscoe - when the ball was passed straight at him - and set restart eventually all paying off a Hurrell crashed over the top of Smith, Leeming and Myler for a try which Makinson improved.

Immediately after that, a brilliant run by Martin, who was terrific throughout, got Rhinos on the attack and two penalties and a repeat set built some pressure, only for Sutcliffe to lose his footing and knock-on.

The killer try came on 57 minutes, after a penalty and repeat set, when Welsby grubbered through the line and Mark Percival touched down, Makinson converting.

After that the only real question was the margin of Saints’ victory, but Leeds, to their credit, didn’t let them run away with it.

A brilliant tackle by Will Hopoate held Martin up over the line, but the second-rower scored a lovely try to give Leeds some consolation 10 minutes from time, racing in off a one-two with Briscoe after Myler and Hardaker had handled.

The final - played in front of a disappointing 60,783 - ended on a sour note as, in the final seconds, Makinson ran into his own in-goal before hurling the ball into the stand housing the Leeds fans. He then taunted another section of Rhinos fans and was pelted with cups of beer.

The spectators shouldn’t have reacted, but Makinson’s actions – when he could have been celebrating with his teammates – were childish.

The penalty count finished 8-6 in Leeds’ favour, after being 5-3 to them at half-time.

St Helens: Bennison, Makinson, Hurrell, Percival, Hopoate, Welsby, Lomax, Paasi, Roby, Lees, Batchelor, Sironen, Knowles. Subs Mata’utia, Knowles, Lussick, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Wingfield.

Leeds Rhinos: Myler, Briscoe, Hardaker, Sutcliffe, Handley, Smith, Austin, Oledzki, O’Connor, Prior, Bentley, Martin, Tetevano. Subs Thompson, Walters, Leemng, Donaldson.

Referee: Liam Moore (Wigan). Attendance: 60,783.