Undeniably, thrilling, breathless. But also a bit rubbish.
Saints pulled off a much needed win but one desperately lacking in quality as they edged Leeds Rhinos 13-12 in golden point extra time at Headingley on Friday night (May 26).
It was a result which offered perfect symmetry to the one-point win achieved by Rohan Smith’s side when they visited St Helens in March. Blake Austin’s winner came earlier on that occasion, sparing us all another 10 minutes of playing for drop goals. No such luck this time, although thankfully it was a Saint - Lewis Dodd - who put an end to the madness seconds before the end of the second extra period.
The Team News
Saints boss Paul Wellens made several changes to the team which had beaten Halifax Panthers in the Challenge Cup last week. He was able to welcome back James Roby to start ahead of Joey Lussick, though the former Salford Red Devil was included in the 17 having missed the win over his former club on May 13. That brought to an end Lussick’s run of 43 consecutive appearances for Saints since joining from Parramatta Eels.
Also returning was Sione Mata’utia after missing the last four due to concussion protocols. He had to settle for a place on the bench as Curtis Sironen - back from a one game suspension - got the nod to partner Joe Batchelor in the second row. Morgan Knowles had started at prop at The Shay - and we all know how that ended - so his place went to Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook who like Roby had been rested for the visit to the Championship side. In the centres Konrad Hurrell got the all clear following a neck problem and was preferred to Ben Davies.
There would be no late Austin heroics this time because there would be no Austin whatsoever. The ex-Warrington man was ruled out with a calf injury so Morgan Gannon partnered Aidan Sezer in the halves. Not that either would last the duration. Zane Tetevano was still suspended after his red card at Wigan so Sam Walters - the centre of all the controversy when these teams last met - got a start at prop alongside Tom Holroyd with Mikolaj Oledzki and Justin Sangare on the bench. James Bentley is another with concussion issues so ex-Wigan man James McDonnell started in the second row alongside Rhyse Martin. McDonnell didn’t last the pace either.
An Early Setback
The opening minutes of this one provided few clues to the abject error-fest that awaited us. If you think that term is hyperbole then consider that Leeds coughed up possession 15 times and Saints 13 - both way above their season averages coming in. But that was for later. Early on it took the Rhinos only four minutes to score a length of the field try. Jonny Lomax missed a one on one tackle on Martin allowing the Papua New Guinean to streak upfield before finding Ash Handley in support. The extras were simple for Martin - who has kicked 32 goals this year in his 13 appearances at a success rate of 71%.
It is not uncharacteristic for Lomax to miss tackles. Only five players in Super League have missed more than his tally of 44 so far in 2023. He missed three in this game. What is more uncharacteristic is the way that Saints’ defensive structure got nowhere near to compensating for his mistake. So often throughout the last few trophy laden years there has been someone else in a red vee to mop up if someone makes a mistake. It’s part of what coaches, players and now pundits annoyingly call turning up for each other. Nobody turned up this time. The right edge of Saints defence was strangely vacant.
Injury Number 1
The game hadn’t even restarted before Leeds ran into their first problem of the night. Sezer - who made only 25 appearances in two seasons at Huddersfield and just 14 for Leeds in the last campaign - was on his way off the field with what turned out to be a groin injury. It’s unfortunate for him and for the Rhinos though you would think his time at the Giants would have offered Leeds’ recruitment bods some clues as to his durability. At 31, he’s probably not getting any more reliable.
Marking Game 300 With A Try…
Saints were only behind for six minutes. An error from Holroyd opened the door which Tommy Makinson eventually crashed through. The Saints winger was playing his 300th game for the club, and he marked it with his 174th try, his fifth of the current season. Roby, Dodd, Lomax and Jack Welsby were also involved in a move truly crafted by the Saints youth system. Makinson finished it with a trademark dive to the corner past Martin. However he could not add the extras from out wide so Saints still trailed 6-4.
And Marking It With A Gift…
Leeds opened up the gap again though on 21 minutes. Saints can consider themselves unfortunate to have lost possession given the nature of Walters’ tackle which forced the ball from the grasp of McCarthy-Scarsbrook. He was already in the grasp of two Leeds defenders when Walters arrived late to the party with a solid hit. It looked suspiciously devoid of any attempt to wrap the arms in a tackling motion. Which used to be illegal, right? Last week, I mean.
It looked like it may lead to nothing until Ritchie Myler’s high ball caused chaos between Makinson and Welsby. The latter may have dealt with it had Makinson not stepped across the line of Walters and sent the Leeds prop barrelling into Welsby. The ball fell kindly for the chasing Cameron Smith who had a simple task to add four more to the Rhinos tally. It was reviewed at the request of referee Liam Moore but video referee Marcus Griffiths deemed Walters onside. Martin turned four into six and the home side led 12-4.
Saints went close five minutes later when Nene McDonald got a hand to Will Hopoate’s pass intended for Tee Ritson on the left wing. The ex-Leigh man tore down the field in the hope of adding to his side’s lead but it was clear that he had knocked it down and that his intervention had probably saved a try.
Injury Number 2…And 3
Leeds survived that but more problems were on the way for Smith’s side. Harry Newman was the subject of much scrutiny after his costly decision not to pass to Myler in the Rhinos’ cup defeat to Wigan a week ago. He won’t have to make such decisions for a little while after falling awkwardly and being helped off the pitch half an hour in. Dodd and Sironen were involved in the tackle which ended Newman’s evening in a visibly emotional state, yet no blame can be attached to either. Newman has had lengthy injury layoffs in the last year or so and appears to just be one of those unfortunate, slightly fragile players.
Having lost both Sezer and Newman - neither of whom would return - Leeds then lost a third player to injury. Dodd was again involved in the tackle - again blamelessly - which saw Gannon twist an ankle as bodies landed on him. He spent the rest of the evening in a medical boot and Smith spent it with a serious problem in the Human Resources department. He was left with only 14 fit players with which to try and manage his interchanges. And there were still 50 minutes to play. Saints would stroll this now, wouldn’t they? Well…
Leeds Go Close
Despite their adversity it was the Rhinos who came closest to scoring again before the break. Walters was fed by Jarrod O’Connor on the right but was dragged down just short by a combination of Dodd and Hopoate. Dodd may be struggling in attack and losing the battle for hearts and minds among the faithful with his tepid attacking displays and talk of exiting the club, but whenever a Leeds try was denied on this night he was invariably involved in the prevention of it. There’s nothing wrong with his effort. Moore again sent this one up for review where it was discovered that not only was the ball grounded short of the line by Walters but he had also lost it in the act of trying to reach out.
Dodd Joins In With The Attack
The Rhinos led by eight at half-time but that advantage was cut to two within five minutes of the restart. Try saving defensive lynchpin Dodd was involved offensively this time. He took a looping long ball from Lussick and provided a perfectly timed pass to put Sironen between defenders and over for the score. Dodd has only three assists this season which - given that Welsby and Lomax both have nine and that Saints have scored 40 tries this season so far - seems a pretty meagre return for a halfback with designs on the NRL. Yet there was nothing wrong with this one as he helped Sironen notch his fifth try in Saints colours and his second in consecutive league games having crossed in the win over Salford last time out. Makinson was on target with the conversion and suddenly they trailed only 12-10.
The Spectre Of Indiscipline
Following the Knowles shenanigans at Halifax there was a lot of talk about discipline from within the Saints camp this week. By and large Wellens’ men improved in that area. Yet a brief return to bad old ways almost cost them dearly. They conceded three penalties in quick succession to give up the territory from where Sangare claimed what could have been a decisive try.
First Hurrell committed the sin of conceding a penalty while in possession, passing the ball after his ball carrying wrist had made contact with the Headingley turf. Then Mata’utia got in on the act, going high on Derrell Olpherts on the very next play. Finally, as Oledzki threatened the Saints line Batchelor was pinged for interference as the England prop got up to play the ball. That gave the hosts another fresh set from where O’Connor fed Sangare close to the line. The Frenchman couldn’t catch it cleanly but batted it up before regathering and falling over the line before Lomax could intervene. It was right under the posts and Leeds seemed set to open up an eight-point lead once more.
But…Moore was not convinced. His initial call was in Sangare’s favour but he called upon Griffiths for confirmation. Decisively, there was one angle which showed that Agnatius Paasi had got a hand to the ball after it was batted by Sangare but before he could regather it, which constitutes a knock-on. The try was ruled out and the game had probably just seen its most crucial, pivotal moment.
The Slapstick Returns
The errors piled up. Holroyd and Mata’utia exchanged possession on consecutive plays in a manner which would have been comical were it not for the tension. Welsby absolutely murdered a simple pass from Hurrell on play one from a scrum in a very presentable attacking position. Holroyd (again) and then Walmsley lost possession trying to play the ball. Both appealed for interference. Both were rebuffed. The cycle appeared to have been broken when Sangare burst past a slipping Walmsley and through the ordinary tackle of Batchelor to put Leeds in good shape. Yet he too failed to execute a simple play the ball and the chance went.
Sangare was having an eventful second half. No doubt he was doing far more minutes than he is used to due to the scarcity of troops in the Leeds ranks. His next contribution was to needlessly take out Jake Wingfield as the Saints forward looked to reel in an inside ball from Lomax just inside the Rhinos half. The penalty was central and just about within the Makinson range. He made no mistake, landing his 16th goal of the Super League season. More pressingly, it tied the scores at 12-12 with 13 minutes left.
Saints were next to get a chance. Dodd took to the skies with a lofty boot which was snaffled by Ritson on the left edge. He found Wingfield in support but his attempt to find McCarthy-Scarsbrook was picked off by the retreating Myler. The former Warrington and Catalans man then almost caught Saints out with an angled kick to the left touchline, early in the tackle count and from deep within his own territory. It found Martin who made it as far as the Saints 30m line before he was dragged down by Welsby and…yes…him again…Dodd.
Look. I’m not saying his defensive efforts compensate entirely for his current form with ball in hand. If you ask me what I want from a Saints halfback I’d put creativity above defensive solidity. But credit where it is due and all that…
Makinson and Lomax both had to intervene to save tries as first Holroyd and then Corey Johnson threatened. Walmsley managed to get in the way of Welsby when he might have scooped up a Smith grubber close to the Saints line. It was the stuff of Rik and Ade in Bottom at times but both sides were hanging on in there.
Rhinos Reject Drop-Goal-Athon
We were into the last five minutes with a level scoreline yet Leeds were still showing no interest in attempting a drop goal. Perhaps the absence of both Austin and Sezer was playing a part in their thinking. Walters took that philosophy to a new level when he took possession on play one, within spitting distance of the Saints line and threw a wild flick pass out towards McDonald. It missed the centre extravagantly and ended up in touch. Lomax - one of the more vocal advocates of an improvement in discipline and by now serving as captain with Roby off the field - enjoyed this outcome so much that he engaged in a spot of hair-ruffling and maybe some in-depth conversation with Walters about his mistake. Shithousing, in modern parlance.
Who Punched JL?
This sparked a melee. Players ran in. As they do. There was pushing, shoving, grabbing, all of the usual ingredients. And a punch, apparently. The Sky cameras seemed not to have picked it up but as Moore brought Lomax and Leeds skipper Smith together for the customary ticking off and warnings he revealed that the touch judge had seen McDonnell throw a punch direct to the head. He would be sent off, Moore said as be duly called the back rower over and showed him red.
We might never know the truth about the McDonnell punch. If it mattered enough it might one day proven by one of those overly forensic documentaries that regularly claim to solve the riddle of who really shot JFK. The only evidence here was the blood on the face and shirt of Lomax. Other than that we just have to take the touch judge’s word for it. He’s not making it up. He has seen something. It might have been a case of mistaken identity, but I’m happy to accept that somebody threw a punch at someone - probably at Lomax judging by the bloodstains - if the touch judge said so.
The Goal-Dropping Really Starts
There were still a few minutes left for one of these punch drunk, practically comatose giants to snatch it. Saints had the first shot at it through Dodd, but his drop goal was smothered by Myler’s desperation. The Saints halfback was able to retake possession but missed with his second attempt also. There was just time for Leeds to get close enough for Myler to attempt what in this country is still a one-pointer but his effort from just outside of 40 metres looked more like a tactical kick to the corner. Like it or not there was going to be 10 more minutes.
This was the moment that Wellens chose to thrust Roby back into the action. Well…when the game is about to degenerate into a drop-goal contest who else do you want firing the ammunition to your kickers from dummy half?
To that point that meant Dodd, but it was Makinson who had Saints’ first attempt in the extra period. He was a long way out and it showed from his effort. Guess what happened next? Leeds trundled down the other end, one-man-rugby-ing their way into range from where it was Handley’s turn to miss. This one was so short it was caught by Ritson who returned it to the Saints 40m line.
Nothing came of that. Instead, having got through more than 80 minutes without a significant disciplinary issue - well, without a card - Saints offered Leeds a chance by evening up the numbers. Serial ban server Mata’utia will be nervous again on Monday after his stat-padding, third man in challenge on Oledzki earned him his umpteenth yellow card of the season. Ok, it’s only his second but it feels like more. Moore felt that the contact with Oledzki had been below the knee of a straight leg. A big no no in the modern game unless you are called Morgan Smithies in which case you continue with immunity. Mata’utia’s was borderline which may or may not sway the match review panel. But then there is his previous. Ah…who even knows?
A Chance For Leeds
What we did know at that point is that it gave Martin a chance to win it with a penalty goal from 40 metres. He couldn’t do it, so into another five minutes of point-hunting we went. Dodd and Myler again exchanged missed drop-goals before the Leeds man made a crucial error in the tackle of the Saints half and Hopoate. That was compounded by McDonald who - seeing that Dodd had collected the loose ball and was about to set sail for the Rhinos line - made sure by any means necessary that Ritson would not be able to support.
One touch finding penalty and a couple of drives later Saints were back in position. There was less than a minute remaining until the point at which even the draw-fearing rule makers have decreed that a point each is a fair result in the event of a level scoreline. With his fourth and last chance of the day Dodd nailed it. It was barely deserved, but it didn’t really matter.
What Is Wrong With A Draw Anyway?
I’d have said that it was barely deserved had Leeds won also. Neither side did enough to win really. I don’t see the desperate need for a winner in a regular season fixture. Periods of golden point extra time are thrilling to some, but to my mind they are only exciting if your team is involved and you have a dog in the fight. And even then the excitement is only due to the tension. Otherwise they can be quite tedious if one out carries and endless drop-goal attempts aren’t your thing.
It has been suggested that both teams involved in a golden point game should keep their point on the league table and that the extra period should be played for the right to earn a second point. That would eliminate the injustice of a team finishing level after 80 minutes but ending up with nothing after the extra period. But why should a team which has failed to win over that length of time get another 10 minutes to put it right? We only need golden point for settling cup ties and playoff games. The league table might look a lot more interesting with a few odd numbers in the points column.
The Stats Bit
As he so regularly is against Leeds, Walmsley was an immense ball carrier on this night. His final stint was particularly epic. Although he had an extra nine minutes of game length to do it his tally of 233 metres with ball in hand is still pretty exceptional. Next best for Saints was Makinson with 189 while Hurrell (148) and Ritson (140) also carried well. Paasi (118) and Mata’utia (101) were the other Saints men to top the century.
Leeds had no double centurion but their left edge of Martin and McDonald was devastating at times with 185 and 181 metres respectively. Oledzki had 128 off the bench while Olpherts returned kicks well enough to amass 121. Walters had a big game also with 114. It was a day on which plenty of ground was made by both sides but when cutting edge was in short supply.
Defensively Sironen was Saints’ busiest with 37 tackles just ahead of Batchelor with 35. The only other Saint to reach 30 was Dodd. Make of that what you will. He did miss five so it wasn’t flawless. But the effort was outstanding.
The Rhinos top tackler was O’Connor with 47 while Holroyd managed 40. Smith had 38 on a day when he also had plenty of playmaking duties. Walters contributed 37 and James Donaldson 36.
Next Up
Unbeaten in their last three matches in all competitions Saints head to Newcastle to take on Huddersfield at the Magic Weekend on Sunday (June 4). The Giants are another club who are not achieving anything like what they might have expected at the start of the year. Ian Watson took over the reins to much fanfare after a great spell at Salford during which he led them to a Grand Final and a Challenge Cup final in successive years.
He took the Giants to last year’s cup final and to a third placed finish in Super League. Yet he currently presides over a team sitting ninth in the table with just five wins from 12 outings. One of that deflating dozen was a 14-12 home loss to Saints in March. Watson just hasn’t been able to find the right blend, leaving his squad looking like a rag tag band of halfbacks with whom the negative tactics he prefers are incompatible. What’s the point of signing Jake Connor if you are going to play conservatively?
Saints will head north east with Knowles still out but they will welcome back Matty Lees from his two-game ban. Regardless of all the talk of what an unqualified disaster the season has been so far, the champions will be just four points behind the leaders Warrington if they win their game in hand. But the queue behind the Wolves is congested. Saints may only be six points behind the Wolves but they are not in a playoff place as things stand.
Leeds Rhinos: Myler, Handley, Newman, McDonald, Olpherts, Gannon, Sezer, Holroyd, O’Connor, Walters, McDonnell, Martin, Smith. Interchanges: Donaldson, Gannon, Johnson, Oledzki.
Saints: Welsby, Makinson, Hopoate, Hurrell, Ritson, Lomax, Dodd, Walmsley, Roby, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Sironen, Batchelor, Bell. Interchanges: Wingfield, Paasi, Lussick, Mata’utia
Referee: Liam Moore
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