Sixty seven teams over seven rounds. The last eight assembled for round five, all of the survivors being in the top Super League. The four winners I would have tipped to progress. The same could have been said in round six as cup holders Hull KR defended their title against twenty one times winner Wigan Warriors.
When these two sides met just over a week ago, KR put out a full strength side against a Wigan reserve team. KR cruised home 62-4. This time it was the best Wigan side.
Wigan came in at half time up 10-4 but looked in control. A momentum swing was required by Hull but it never came. Wigan ran away with the final 40-10. To see highlights, there is a video below.
The 2026 season is to get underway on the 12th of February. The number of teams has been increased from 12 to 14, a move long overdue. It will eliminate loop fixtures where some teams in the league play more often than twice, home and away.
Twelve of the sides are based in the north of England and two are based in the south of France. Hopefully, the geographical spread will widen in due time beyond two regions. London is an obvious expansion location.
The three new clubs are highlighted in the gold colour. Bradford has a long SL history and a striong following. Toulouse had a brief encounter and hopefully a longer stay this time. York is a first timer, so a new chapter for the code in that picturesque cathedral city.
One club was relegated and that was Salford. They have formed a new club and that will play in the second division (Championship).
The first game will be between newly promoted York Knights and reigning champions Hull KR. There should be a sell out crowd although York don't do attendance figures so we may never know how many were actually there. We will if it's a sell out.
To keep up with the scores, go to the BBC website. Then click on 'Scores & Fixtures' and for the league ladder, click on 'Table'. Game highlights can be seen by clicking here. Buckle up.
So it will be fourteen teams in Super League for the 2026 season. No loop fixtures, that is, some teams playing repeatedly in order to provide a sufficient number of rounds to satisfy the TV broadcaster.
The two that made it were Toulouse Olympique and York Knights. The only other club that seemed to have a chance was the London Broncos but they haven't proved that they are ready. Others like Oldham were not going to succeed at this point in time.
The other factor is the scoring system, and on that basis, the decision ultimately wasn't a difficult one.
For the three that made it, a point of note. Central funding will not increase, so there is the same amount of money with two additional clubs, something had to give. With the Bradford Bulls getting the nod first, it replaces the departed Salford and receives full funding. The other two newly promoted sides get half funding.
The incumbent clubs will presumably get slightly less funding than before to accommodate the expanded competition. York and Toulouse will have to compete while receiving much less than the others. Promotion is tough enough as it is without that handicap.
Toulouse will also have to pay travel costs for the UK based teams. Each club could pay for two trips a year to France (including Catalan), but no. They have to pay for all the clubs coming over. With Toulouse already getting half the funding, that's making it doubly hard to try and compete. A French TV deal would help but it wouldn't be much help. They will have to smart in how they spend.
It is now decided. Fourteen clubs. The new teams will surely have some recruited players signed, subject to SL entry. London will be using 2026 to establish themselves as a successful and popular club in the city and they will want ot be there in 2027. Will there be sixteen in 2027? Probably not, but if a TV deal was improved due to that happening, then who knows?
Pictures: York Knights & Bradford Bulls. (I couldn't find one for TO).
Going into the finals series, it was hard to see past a Wigan Warriors v Hull KR final. KR had won the league with the Warriors second. KR also won the Challenge Cup but in this case Wigan was nowhere near the final. Still the Warriors were my favourites to win the final with match winning players in Field and French.
Of course, in knock out games anything can happen. A team just needs to have a bad day and it's all over rover. So lets see how it panned out.
Quarter finals: Two sides sat this round out, the reward for being one of the top two in the league. The Leigh Leopards defeated a galant Wakefield Trinity 26-10. In the other match the Leeds Rhinos lost a tight one, 14-16 to St Helens RLFC.
Semi finals: Wigan returned to defeat Leigh 18-6 and Hull KR also won, 20-12 over Saints. Neither winner was that convincing, with KR getting some calls in their favour. The two best teams in the league progressed to the big one.
Grand Final: The same two sides from last year met when Wigan were the victors 9-2. The 2025 gf was again held at Old Trafford football ground. In the 2025 edition, Hull KR made some early mistakes which Wigan didn't capitalise on. Then KR took its chances to lead 10-2 at the break.
In the second half, the Warriors tried to come back but the mistakes continued and KR was able to pull away to win the game 24-6. Opposite to the song, Wigan saved the worst to last. KR were more composed and deserved not only winning the grand final but also the treble.
The video is the last round game between Hull KR and Warrington Wolves. Don't be startled by the noisy music for the first few seconds.You may want to read the text below before viewing.
The 2025 regular season has finished. Twelve teams played 27 matches and some played each other three times to complete 27 rounds. Ludicrous. So how did they go? Here we go from bottom to top with a brief opinion for each club. In the chart, blue means finals football.
Salford Red Devils: The club payed the price for living beyond their means and had to sell most of their side this season as a result. Short notice loan players were at times used, meeting the regulars on the bus going to the game. Yet the players showed loads of spirit and the fans rallied behind them.
Castleford Tigers: It really looked a very ordinary team and sacking the manager during the season was never going to be the solution. Last made the finals in 2019.
Huddersfield Giants: Not much better than Cas' so another side that needs to recruit well if either can afford that.
Catalan Dragons: A second consecutive season with finals football. The coach was sacked as results went against them but that didn't help. Definitely should have done better with the players at their disposal.
Warrington Wolves: Made the cup final as their form was good early on but they fell away badly at the backend of the season. A team with potential but there is something wrong with the culture.
Hull FC: The club's best result since 2020 but still very much a work in progress. There was hope of a finals berth but ultimately fell short.
St Helens: This is such a successful club that the past two seasons have felt like failures to the fans. Calls for the coach to go have gone unheeded, but for how much longer? Can there be some redemption in the finals?
Leeds Rhinos: After missing the finals in the last two campaigns, they are back. An improved side in 2025, but there is some work to be done if they want to go forward from here.
Leigh Centurions: Their fans must be pinching themselves to make sure they are not dreaming. The points differential would suggest they are overachieving but what do they care? A third consecutive year in the finals shows the character the team has.
Wigan Warriors: Started really slowly and got knocked out of the cup early. They have since played catch up and nearly won the league. With a full complement of players, they are the best side.
Hull KR: They won the cup and now the league, only the grand final to go to make it a clean sweep. Their form has dipped toward the end of a tiring season. They will need to show a bit more zest if they are to take the treble.
Summary: There could be fourteen teams next year and Salford has not applied to be one of them. The composition of the clubs involved in Super League is therefore still up in the air. Clubs have to earn a place through meeting both on and off the field requirements.
Rugby League went to Las Vegas in 2024 where two opening matches of the Australasian NRL competition were played. Nearly 41,000 spectators went along. In 2025, a repeat of 2024 but with the addition of a UK Super League match and an international women's game. So how did it go?
Game 1: Wigan and Warrington from the UK SL kicked off. Wigan took control and led 24-0 at half time. Warrington did come back but Wigan took it comfortably 48-24.
Game 2: The Canberra Raiders and the NZ Warriors then made their appearance with the Raiders ahead 16-4 at the turn around. They went on to win 30-8 so another clear winner.
Game 3: This was a risk with professional Australia Jillaroos taking on the barely semi-pro England. This had one sided written all over it although the hope was England would lift sufficiently to make it a contest. It was anything but. the 90-4 scoreline was embarrassing and surely will not feature here again.
Game 4: The game of the day was the Penrith v Cronulla clash. 12-10 was the half time score and it ended 28-22 with the result never certain. It would have been nice if other games were closer but that is sport for you.
Summary: 45,000 spectators were there, up 4,500 on 2024. Some English fans went last year but more this year with a game from the UK included this year. So that probably made the difference. Did locals turn up too? Yes but not an increase from '24. It will make US sports viewers more aware of the code so it may help media deals. Gambling revenue would gain too.
So a success but one with much potential but patience will be needed as awareness grows for an unknown code in the USA.
The final eight were brought together to see who would be good enough to win the grand final trophy. Wigan had already won the World Club Challenge, Challenge Cup and finished top of the league so hot favourites to do the domestic treble (international quadruple). However, any side could win the grand final.
Brief history: Over the previous ten years, St Helens had won it five times, Wigan three times and Leeds twice. Leeds last won in 2017, Saints 2022 and Wigan 2023 so the current holders going into the 2024 competition.
First round: Wigan and Hull KR got a bye for finishing in the top two places in the league. The other four played sudden death matches. Leigh prevailed over a dogged Salford 14-6 and Warrington snatched a 23-22 victory over an improved Saints, coming back from being 4-16 down and getting the crucial one pointer in extra time.
Semi finals: Wigan gave neighbours Leigh a lesson in finals football with a comprehensive drubbing to the tune of 38-0. Meanwhile, Hull KR took a 10-0 lead into the break and was nearly run down in the second half but got home 10-8. I thought then that KR was a notch below Wigan.
Grand final: Held at the famous Old Trafford Football ground, Wigan took a 7-0 lead at half time and went on to take it 9-2. I thought the difference in the score may have been wider but it was a close but in a way decisive victory for the Warriors.
The highlights for the match can be seen by clicking here.
The twenty seven match regular season has ended, too long in my opinion for such a physical sport. Regardless, Wigan secured the top spot for a second year in a row and along with the much improved Hull KR, will have the following week off. So securing a top two spot in the league is a useful advantage.
The next four now play a sudden death round, the winners advancing to play the top two. The top six from last year are much the same as this one, apart from Salford replacing the Catalan club. Salford box above their weight.
A couple of odd things I noticed this year. One is that eight of the twelve clubs had a positive points difference and that shows the bottom four were well off the pace. Adding to that, a tiering was evident. Usually points are spread down the table somewhat evenly. This season, the top three finished in a tight group, fourth to eighth another tier which all battled for a top six placing.
Then the bottom four just making up the numbers and never looked finals candidates. That last group included two teams whose best hope was to avoid the wooden spoon, only points difference separating them. So there were two groups within the last one.
This was the 123rd Challenge Cup tournament. The chart on the right covers from 1961 to 2024, awarding six points for each winner and three for the losing finalist. It shows which teams in the modern day have been the most successful. Wigan is the most successful but St Helens and the Leeds Rhinos have also done pretty well.
How the cup works is as the rounds progress, more teams are added. The better the ranking, the later a team joins the action. The quarter finals are the seventh round and that is where the information below commences for the 2024 edition.
Quarter finals: Last year's finalists were drawn to play each other, the Leigh Leopards defeated Hull KR in that fixture. The tables were turned in 2024, with a 26-14 triumph to KR. The Castleford Tigers were not expected to trouble the Wigan Warriors and that is how it transpired.
On the other side of the draw, The French based Catalan Dragons were favoured to take this out but were outplayed comprehensively, going down 6-34 to the Huddersfield Giants. St Helens would have fancied their chances against the Warrington Wolves but they too fell well short, 8-31 in this instance.
Semi finals: Wigan took on Hull KR and won with a convincing 38-6 scoreline. Warrington were not to be outdone, 46-10 victors over Huddersfield.
Final: A crowd of 65,000 made the trip down to Wembley Stadium in London to see if Warrington could win its first cup since 2019. Wigan hoped to repeat its 2022 success. As it turned out, the more fancied Warriors were too good for the Wolves, the latter toiled hard but struggled to fire on attack.
Wigan won the trophy eight times in a row from 1988, a feat that will surely never be repeated but twice in three years isn't a bad effort either. To watch the highlights, the video is below. Click on the red arrow and then - if you wish - you can expand the picture by clicking [ ] on the bottom extreme right or the YouTube name immediately to the left of that.
By allocating points as to what clubs have achieved on the Super League table, finals series and Challenge Cup, we can get a feel for how they have fared. So how have they gone?
No surprise that St Helens is top and that Wigan is next. The Catalan Dragons at third my be less obvious though. Hull KR ahead of Warrington? A fine 2023 for the Robins enabled that to happen. Maybe next year for the Wire.
Wakefield has been in the Super League for each of the years below but didn't make the finals and had only one modest cup success. Even Leigh has already gone past them on the chart with fewer years in the big time. Castleford is another club without finals success during this four year period, the cup giving it marginal respectability. York made the list by virtue of a cup run in 2023.
The top six teams progressed to the finals series. The Wigan Warriors and Catalan Dragons had the first week off as the two top sides from the league competition. Four sides from Lancashire, one from Yorkshire and one from France.
First round: Hull KR hosted the Leigh Leopards, the latter looking a bit jaded after a massively overachieving first season back in the elite competition. Hull KR overachieved too but not as much and years of time at this level. It was a repeat of the cup final (narrowly won by Leigh) but KR were comfortable enough winners.
In the other match, Saints welcomed the Warrington Wolves to their ground. Neither side were firing on all cylinders but the home team had too much for a game the Cheshire based visitors. A predictable outcome.
Semi Finals: The Wigan Warriors hit form at the right time of the season and that enabled them to overwhelm their Yorshire visitors, ensuring a trophyless year for that county (see picture above). An unusual picture you'd agree.
Down in the south of France, the Dragons won a tight encounter against a Saints side unusually struggling with the offensive side of its game.
Final: It was held at the famous Old Trafford Football Ground, not too far from Wigan. The Catalan fans hoped they could go one better than their only other grand final appearance two years earlier.
In a game where relentless Wigan pressure and Catalan defensive resolve were the highlights, the Warriors were victors and the Dragons can only be frustrated at their inability to put Wigan under pressure.
So another season ends, with Wigan winning yet another grand final (although their first since 2018 and just their fifth this century). The French club it will be a case of third time lucky.
I usually wouldn't put a club into such an article with such limited top flight exposure. That said, the amazing season that was 2023 meant I decided to throw away the unofficial rulebook I use. Looking over the scant pickings below, they were a tad unlucky in 2017 when they didn't come last in the league but were relegated anyway. A playoff system was then in place which they were unable to survive.
Adrian Lam more recently came from Wigan to coach a team struggling to get into and remain in the top flight once they got there. An all too familiar plight for clubs wanting a chance in the big time. I was one of many expecting yet another false dawn but how wrong could I be?
They were up challenging with the best in the league and then took out the Challenge Cup as well! Qualification for the playoffs was the cherry on the cake. The owner is too emotionally involved with the club's fortunes so needs a find a way to address that issue.
As a season goes, it wasn't a predictable one. St Helens were warm favourites after winning last year's league and then the World Club Challenge against Penrith but came in third. I didn't expect the Catalan Dragons to go so close to taking out the league title but a loss to Wigan late in the season was the difference.
Even bigger surprises eventuated. Hull KR made the top four when I didn't see them in the top six, one of the teams therefore that progresses to the playoffs. They also made the Cup final. The Leigh Leopards were the biggest surprise. They were dead certain relegation candidates but have made the final playoff series and won the 2023 Challenge Cup as proof they were the real deal in 2023.
Warrington looked promising and early on in the season the team was delivering but then faltered. Still, they are in the finals. Huddersfield, Salford and Leeds were finalists last year but surprisingly were off the pace.
The bottom three were the only thing that was really predictable this year. In the end, it was Wakefield that had to leave the top flight. After a nicely upgraded stadium was finally delivered but then relegation. If spending on that rather than recruiting players cost them, it was a price worth paying when one takes the long term view.
How have the clubs fared over the last three years and how would they be ranked over that period? I put together a points system that gives an indication of performance. I chose a maximum 16 points for each of the three competitions.
League (Lge): With eleven sides in 2020, points went from sixteen for the winner down to six for last place. For the other seasons, it went down to five. Wigan, Catalans and St Helens have all had a turn winning over the three years. The Summary columns show the tightness with Saints just ahead with 46 points.
Finals (Fnl): Points here go from sixteen down to four and six clubs involved in any one season. With Saints winning the three, they collected a total of 48 points. Wigan, Catalans and Leeds came equal second on 24.
Challenge Cup (CC): The unpredictability of a knock out competition means that the points are more evenly shared. As with the Finals but an additional two (eight sides) are rewarded. Leeds, Saints and Wigan each won one year, with the latter two on top with 28 points for the three year period.
Total Points: No prize for guessing St Helens in first place with five firsts and 122 points. Wigan is next with two wins and 96. The Catalan Dragons follow with one league title and 78 points. Leeds won a Challenge Cup and is fourth with 76 points.
I feel the Catalan side deserves special mention as they have far more travel to contend with but have been consistently competitive in all three competitions.
The top sides from the Super League regular season are rewarded with places in the finals series. Six of the twelve originals joined this new competition. No points are carried over and any side can go on to win the grand final. The only carry over from the league table is where you finished on the ladder decides the pathway then assigned. The higher the finish, the easier the route. All matches are sudden death affairs.
Quarter Finals:
St Helens and Wigan got a bye as they took the top two league places. Third to sixth were then pared off. Fourth side Catalan Dragons hosted fifth placed Leeds Rhinos with a home ground advantage. The in form visitors upset the out of sorts French side 20-10.
Third placed Huddersfield Giants welcomed the sixth side Salford Red Devils. Again the in form lower ranked side comfortably overcame a somewhat flat local team 28-0. Peaking going into the finals is vital and in both cases here the traveling team overcame higher placed opponents.
Semi Finals: Wigan came off a week's rest to take on Leeds at their home ground. Any advantage that offered evaporated when they were stunned 8-20 by a Leeds side firing on all cylinders. Wigan has some exciting players but was nullified by a resolute Leeds team.
Saints hosted Salford and while the latter was up for the challenge, they just fell short 12-19. Most neutrals would have liked to see the fairytale run of Salford continue but it was not to be.
Grand Final: St Helens went to the Theatre of Dreams aiming for a fourth consecutive grand final victory, eclipsing the three Leeds secured from 2007-09. Ironic then that Leeds was here to try and stop that. Despite a fine effort from languishing well down the table to making the top six and then battling to the final, Leed's run ended here.
The truth of the matter was Saints had the class to always look like they had the measure of their opponents. Big match experience is useful when in a game like this and so it proved in this instance. Leeds now have exposure to it and if given another chance soon, should be all the better for it. Saints will be aiming to make it five in a row.
The regular season concluded, the competition table complete and the final rankings decided. How did the teams go? Time to look see.
St Helens: They were second in 2021 but went one better in 2022. The performance was similar to last year but managed to come out on top as others didn't go so well.
Wigan: Lost eight games but finished strongly. They improved their point differential from just +2 to +335 which says much about how this year went in comparison.
Huddersfield: Up from 9th to 3rd and a differential improvement of 172. Very much also rans in '21 but anything but this year.
Catalan: From first to fourth in one season isn't great but still a good performance for the team with a heavy travel schedule from the south of France. Not unexpected as 2021 was a hard act to follow.
Leeds: Stayed in the same position (fifth) but their differential halved. A decent finish to the season made up for a feeble start.
Salford: Down at 11th in 2021 and 6th in '22 was quite a turnaround. On their best day, they can match it with anyone. The problem is they need more best days.
Castleford: It was very much a repeat of last season. A rerun of mediocrity.
Hull KR: A decent squad was assembled but a few things conspired to derail high hopes.
Hull FC: The second most disappointing of all the teams here. Toward the end of the season, they were poor and looked like a newly promoted team, not one with years of playing at this level.
Wakefield Trinity: They have a limited budget and for a while looked like potential relegation candidates. Some decent form toward the end of the season secured their safety.
Warrington: They have been a club promising much for years, but not quite delivering. In 2022 they just about stopped delivering. From 3rd to 9th and a points differential swing of negative 330. Winners of the Nose Dive competition.
Toulouse: After years of trying, the French club finally cracked the big time, even if it only was for one season. A bitterly disappointing end but with little time to build a squad, some last minute defections, a heavy travel schedule and paying for everyone's travel to France all contributed to an immediate return to the Championship. Au revoir but not good bye.
The chart below shows the teams in the playoffs (blue), those returning next year in the elite competition (yellow) and the side relegated (brown).
The competition required nine rounds, the first one comprised of just amateur sides. In round two League One (division three) teams were added and that remained the same for the next round as well. In round four, Championship (division two) sides joined.
When the sixth round draw was held, Super League (division one) teams came into the competition, with 16 sides taking part. Then onto the quarter finals which is where the chart below kicks in. This was the last round that games were played at one of the team's home ground. Hull KR, Huddersfield Giants, St Helens and Wigan progressing from those matches.
The semi final was a double header played at the neutral Leeds ground. The Huddersfield Giants expectedly went into the final with the Wigan Warriors defying the odds in winning the other game.
Both finalists have a fine history of Cup appearances. Huddersfield won it three years out of four in the early 1900's and had won the cup six times in seven finals they contested by 1953. Since then they lost three finals coming into this one.
Wigan made their first cup appearance in 1911 (which they lost) and then also missed out in their second attempt, ironically to the Giants in 1920. In all they have lost 12 finals but had won 19 coming into this encounter. They were victors for an unprecedented eight consecutive cups between 1988 and 1995.
51,628 turned up at Tottenham's home ground in London for a double header event. The first match was for a lower division cup trophy and then the Challenge Cup itself. Huddersfield outplayed Wigan but some poor goal kicking and inability to press home their territorial advantage had Wigan snatching a late match winning try. That's a record 20 cup victories for the Warriors.
Well, it's back and with crowds too! Some folk may stay away because of the present situation so numbers may be affected but at least those that wish can go along and enjoy the atmosphere. One round has already gone and the second round is just starting which is a time I like as one can get a feel for things even after one game each. Form and injuries can throw predictions out of the window but all things being equal, this is my call.
Survival: Toulouse from France are the new boys with a squad to scare any Championship (division 2) side but looking out of their depth in the elite league. My favourites to go down unless they can get up to speed and quickly.
Castleford, Hull KR and Wakefield Trinity all look vulnerable but they may be saved with squads that are experienced at SL level as opposed to a newly promoted one.
Middle ground: These are clubs reasonably safe from demotion but unlikely to grace the field on Grand Final day. Salford, Leeds, Hull FC and Huddersfield are the four I'd expect. If they have a good run of form and avoid too many injuries they could surprise. Conversely, the opposite and falling into the drop zone is not out of the question either. Covering my bets there but nothing is certain in sport.
Title contenders: Four make my list. it's hard to look past St Helens, winners of the previous three grand finals. The others will want to challenge that statement. The Warrington Wolves can never be dismissed but seem to come up short. Is this their year? Wigan look solid and they are always in the mix. The Catalan Dragons had a great year in 2021 but may struggle to repeat that. However, they will be competitive.
Summary: There will be overachievers and underachievers but class usually rises to the top. Some teams have more of that than others. Keeping the matchwinners on the park is key as is a squad with depth in quality.
Rugby League isn't a sport that easily attracts monied investors. It simply isn't big enough to be attractive to the Roman Abromovich's of this world. Mind you, for the money he spends on one club would be a fraction of what it would cost to buy the sport outright! Not that it is as such for sale but you get the point.
Coventry: In the midlands of England, the Coventry Bears League One club has had a business invest in them. The name has been changed to the Midlands Hurricanes, a decision I question because of the large area the name encompasses. Is that how far the new club's reach is expected to go? It seems so. Still, if you put up the readies, then you have a say in such matters as branding.
Cornwall: This is a bit more complicated. A club was established in Ottawa, Canada which gained access to League One (division two) through buying an existing licence from the Hemel Stags. After a year delay through Covid and possibly seeing how poorly a Toronto side was treated on making the elite Super League, it was decided to ditch the trans-Atlantic ambitions and instead start a team in Cornwall, England.
The area has a small RL club in the Cornish Rebels but this will be a new entity named the Cornwall RLFC. Rugby Union is already a strong sport in the region so the new club hopes to tap into that. The aim is to be a community club that mostly uses local players and build steadily from there. That sounds the right way to go about things.
Summary: The eleven team League One competition looks interesting. One team in Cornwall (south east), one in London (south west), one based in Coventry (midlands) one each in north and south Wales and six from the north of England.
The finals series had a couple of unusual twists this year as will be revealed. We start with the first round matches. That pitted the teams that finished third to sixth with the top two having a week off.
Round One: Fourth placed Wigan hosted fifth placed Leeds and with a historical reputation of success the home side was favoured. Wigan also had a reputation for arm wrestle type matches this season. That proved true but they were on the losing side of another tight one, 0-8.
Warrington came third and had the 'advantage' of playing the sixth best side Hull KR. KR was a surprise to have got this far. The even bigger surprises were winning away and nilling their opponent 0-19 as well.
So two upsets and both home sides not even able to score. That's the twists out of the way.
Semi Finals: The side from the south of France, the Catalan Dragons welcomed massive underdogs Hull KR. The home crowd packed the stadium and created a fine atmosphere. The host team was never really troubled, winning 28-10 after leading 12-4 at the break.
Saints took on Leeds in the other game. They cruised to a 36-8 victory, although only leading 14-4 at half time. The winners won the last two grand finals so were off to see if they could make it three in a row.
No upsets this round as the top two sides in the season prepared themselves to go to Old Trafford.
Grand Final: The green shading below points to the favourite for the match. The Catalan Dragons won the league but going to their first final against a team well experienced in such were the less likely winners.
St Helens led in a tight encounter 6-4 after 40 minutes and the change of ends. Then the Catalan Dragons got ahead 10-6 and a nail biting finished was on the cards. So it proved to be with Saints getting a decisive converted try to edge the plucky first timers 12-10.
Well done to both finalists. The Dragons will be better for the experience and Saints will go again to see if four consecutive grand final victories is possible.
