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73 minutes. For the briefest of moments, it looks like the Rhinos are back in, but Hardaker’s quick catch and pass to Austin to kick it all off was ahead!
The St Helens scrum then turns into a penalty after some dissent from Leeds.
Updated at 19.49 BST
TRY! St Helens 24 – 12 Leeds Rhinos (Rhyse Martin)
72 minutes. Rhyse Martin, who has looked more likely than anyone to get Leeds back into it, scores after a neat pass between himself and Briscoe down the right.
Martin converts his own try.
With eight minutes left, can Leeds score twelve points somehow?
70 minutes Leeds find themselves on the 10m line with a seven-on-the-bench restart, but at second tackle Ash Handley decides the best option is to launch a long, angled grubber across the pitch towards goal. It definitely wasn’t the best choice, and Bennison fixes it with 0% fuss.
Updated at 7.44pm BST
65 minutes Rhyse Martin receives a ball down the right twenty yards out and drives hard to the line. It’s over, but when he tries to land, he’s first surrounded by Hopoate and then Wingfield who climbs in to avoid him. Don’t try!
Updated at 19.39 BST
62 minutes It’s a hit and run tactic from Leeds now, but St Helens are up to the task of containing it so far.
TRY! St Helens 24 – 6 Leeds Rhinos (Mark Percival)
58 minutes St Helens pile on the pressure deep into Leeds territory with Hurrell stepping up before a seven-point restart is awarded as the defense tires a little too much. Early in the new set, Percival is first to land an angled draft from Welsby.
Makinson doesn’t go wrong with extras.
Now it’s a kind of procession.
55 minutes With 25 minutes to go, Leeds are already starting to look forced and restless in possession. The last problem is Blake Austin throwing a pass behind all of his players.
53 minutes. Leeds return to the St Helens 10m, and they look like they’ve squandered a seven-on-one with a strike, but the defense was offside. Another set is worked on the left but the old friend of the Rhinos the error of manipulation hands over the possession; Liam Sutcliffe touching the tackle.
50 minutes St Helens are making yards around the ball game at will, whether through the indefatigable Roby or the many willing runners. McCarthy-Scarsbrook adds further territorial damage from a carry but the ball is lost and Leeds return it with interest as Rhyse Martin has a long run into the Saints half.
There is still a lot of time to go but this seems to be the top score as far as the result is concerned.
TRY! St Helens 18 – 6 Leeds Rhinos (Konrad Hurrell)
46 minutes James Roby hits towards the Leeds line on the right; but straining all the sinews of his age, pumping his legs is not enough to prevent the blue defense from stopping him.
But the Saints come again and Konrad Hurrell crashes into the Rhinos defense and crawls and struggles with his free arm to kiss the chalk with the ball.
St Helens’ Konrad Hurrell scores his side’s third try. Photograph: Michael Steele/Getty Images Hurrell (centre) celebrates his try. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA
The referee awards it on the pitch and the video referee agrees. Makinson converts.
St Helens’ Tommy Makinson’s goal is true. Photograph: Richard Sellers/PA
Updated at 7.42pm BST
42 minutes Lomax kicks early in the Saints’ opening set count, but Myler takes the ball for Leeds. It’s a simple, decisive set and a deep kick in response from the Rhinos.
Second half!
40 minutes Zak Hardaker puts his foot through the ball and St Helens recover it to start the second forty.
Half-time reflections.
St Helens were by far the better side for much of this half, but they are just six points ahead after Leeds’ rally ended. The Rhinos will take heart that their only real, meaningful pressure near the Saints line brought points at the perfect time.
Even with this late first-half display, it still looks like St Helens are too strong throughout. But this Leeds side has been defying expectations for months; who says they can’t do it again?
Half time!
The whistle blows and that’s it for this half
TRY! St Helens 12 – 6 Leeds Rhinos (Kruise Leeming)
40 minutes From the middle of their own half, Leeds break through to a pass from Hardaker and go through a gap to run 4o metres. In the next tackle, they work down the left and a desperate offload eventually finds Leeming to touch his head as he is twisted on the back by the Saints defence.
Leeds Rhinos’ Kruise Leeming scores his side’s first try of the game. Photograph: Richard Sellers/PA
Martin adds two.
Updated at 19:00 BST
38 minutes In their best minutes of the half, Leeds get back on the Saints line, but in the fifth Smith’s short shot can only find a pair of St Helens hands.
35 minutes Leeds look horrendously heavy in attack, with not enough intensity in the carries. However, the ball comes down the left for Sutcliffe, who goes through a gap and looks to be out before Lomax grabs his ankles and cuts him five yards. They’re over the line on the next inning, but the Saints defense holds them back and keeps the ball from sticking on the ground.
Updated at 19:00 BST
33 minutes In Leeds’ last set, Blake Austin decides it’s time to test young Saints defender Bennison’s ability under the high ball. When the ball drops from the spotlight, the teenager is proverbially solid with his grip. Some game from the guy so far.
Updated at 18.42 BST
31 minutes Makinson makes a great catch chasing down a Lomax kick five meters from the Leeds line, hits cover and flicks it back hopefully. He finds Mark Percival who drives towards the line but the Rhinos defense makes it clear.
Makinson has some treatment but seems to be doing well.
Updated at 6.40pm BST
PENALTY MISSING! St Helens 12 – 0 Leeds Rhinos (Tommy Makinson)
28 minutes Johnny Lomax is lifted and thrown by Rhyse Martin. He has risen beyond the horizontal but lands on his back rather than anything more dangerous; but that makes no difference to Jack Welsby, who flies in, followed by many players from each team for some grumpy action.
Leeds Rhinos’ Rhyse Martin concedes a penalty for this tackle on St Helens’ Jonny Lomax. Photo: Matt West/Shutterstock
As the dust settles, Ref Moore gives Saints a penalty and Makinson pulls it wide to the left.
Biffage horn sounds. Photograph: Varley Picture Agency/Shutterstock
Updated at 19.32 BST
25 minutes Leeds have seven for the first time in a long time. There’s a brief crack of light down the right, but Sutcliffe can’t find Tom Briscoe before the onslaught ends in the fifth innings.
St Helens come back and the ball goes straight to Konrad Hurrell who shoots hard into the right corner. It’s in contact, just a few centimeters.
23 minutes An exit for Leeds as Lomax, of all people, can’t hold on to a pass from Roby. In the half-back’s defence, he was down and down by his boots.
21 minutes In the latest chapter of Saints’ dominance, Welsby’s kick forces Cameron Smith into a goal-bound tackle. St Helens will be back with them again from relegation.
St Helens is completely on top here. Each of their carries has more yards, their decision-making on late tackles is better and, unlike Leeds, they have the practical knack of catching the ball.
TRY! St Helens 12 – 0 Leeds Rhinos (Jon Bennison)
17 minutes Quicker progress from St Helens finds Lomax, who gets on the Leeds 10m and makes a little scrimmage over the line in the left corner for teenager Bennison to dive over.
St Helens’ Joe Bennison scores his side’s second try of the match. Photograph: Matt West/ShutterstockBennison is congratulated by his St Helens teammates. Photo: Matt West/Shutterstock
Makinson scores two brilliant points from the left wing
Updated at 7.29pm BST
16 minutes Blake Austin kicks 4o/20 to put Rhinos on the attack inside the Saints 20m. He’s picking up some momentum to 10m but a short pop to Martin by Cameron Smith goes down.
14 minutes In their return game, Will Hopoate has his first chance to bring the ball up from deep after a kick from Sutcliffe, but it is stopped after 20 yards. Saints left it to Mark Percival, who is forced into touch by the great Rhinos defence.
11 minutes Leeds are playing themselves into the game after that early blow, but in the fifth Sutcliffe climbs inside the Saints pull it back. St Helens make quick progress towards the Leeds line but Johnny Lomax is dragged to the ground trying to make the final tackle.
8 minutes Rhyse Martin breaks the ball one-on-one to regain possession for Leeds inside the Saints’ 20-yard box, but in his rush to move it well, Liam Sutcliffe can’t get hold of the ball and is lost forward. A missed opportunity for the Yorkshiremen.
Updated at 18.13 BST
6 minutes The Saints have their dander up and Hurrell’s big carries and the forwards have them within 20 meters of the Rhinos on board five. Lomax puts the kick up and Richie Myler claims a towering catch to diffuse the bomb for Leeds.
Updated at 18.11 BST
TRY! St Helens 6 – 0 Leeds Rhinos (Matty Lees)
2 minutes Leeds have a solid opening set, the kick in the fifth set at Makinson in St Helens territory. The Rhinos follow with some pulverizing defence, but are too cocky in the head and give the Saints a penalty.
In the next set, Lomax moves into a gap and runs down the left to Lees, who runs free from 15 meters for the fastest ever try in a Grand Final.
St Helens’ Matty Lees scores his side’s first try of the match. Photo: Matt West/ShutterstockLees celebrates with his teammates. Photo: Matt West/Shutterstock
Makinson converts and the Saints fans are BORING!
Updated at 18.31 BST
To start!
Tommy Makinson dives deep and we’re off!
Here come the teams, both in their home kits. There are pyrotechnics and music, but the fans can still be heard above the noise as each side roars for their respective men.
The players of…