There may well still be a whole round of Challenge Cup fixtures in the way next weekend, but it is difficult not to look a fortnight down the line at what could be the most mouthwatering St Helens-Wigan derby in years.
Good Friday showdowns between rugby league’s two greatest rivals are never short on emotion and subplots, but this one in particular will be fascinating after the Saints registered a fourth win in five games to draw level with Wigan at the summit. Good Friday will not only be a contest to claim local bragging rights this time, it will be a showdown to determine who the early pacesetters in the season are.
The Saints have certainly not been at their brilliant best for all of 2024 and here, they were underwhelming inside the opening half-hour against a Leeds side who themselves have began the Super League season with promise. But champion sides find a way to win and after overcoming that sluggish start and the pre-match injury to the England winger Tommy Makinson, finished the stronger of the two sides to emerge victorious.
“I’m immensely proud of the playing group, we had a fair bit of disruption to deal with,” their coach, Paul Wellens, said afterwards. “I was proud of the way the guys committed to the way we play.” Few could complain when Wellens’s side fell 8-0 behind to a Leeds team who are earning a reputation for playing eye-catching rugby league this year. Luis Roberts’s try was converted by Rhyse Martin before the centre added a penalty to open up a two-score lead.
However, as half-time approached, the Saints began to improve. And they narrowed the gap to just two points when Waqa Blake touched down and Jonny Lomax converted brilliantly from the touchline. “It was an important moment, if you go in 8-0 down, it’s a very different game,” Wellens said.
St Helens emerged in the second half a much different side. They withstood a hefty amount of pressure on their own line with much more spirited defence and that laid the platform for them to not only remain in the contest, but go ahead as the hour mark approached. Lomax was again involved, this time with his cut-out pass finding Jon Bennison unmarked to finish in the corner, and Lomax converted from the touchline to put the Saints ahead for the first time.
Within two minutes, they had extended their lead further when Moses Mbye exploited a gap at dummy-half to touch down under the posts and open up a two-score lead. And despite some late pressure from Leeds, who look set for a more encouraging year compared to last season’s disappointing eighth-placed finish, the Saints held on to not only win, but set up Good Friday in tantalising fashion.
