Saints 66

Warrington 14

THE agonising 21-year wait is over for soaraway Saints, with the Super League Championship Trophy now a proud stablemate of the Challenge Cup on the Knowsley Road sideboard after this13-try demolition of play-off hopefuls Warrington.

With the knife-edge issues at stake being the league title for Saints and a Premiership fourth place for the visitors, pre-match fears that 'nerves' would tell their tale were quickly dispelled by slick-handling Saints.

Winning in some style, the high-flying Knowsley Road side also completed a Cup and League double for the first time since 1966, with other notable milestones being the passing of 60 points for the sixth time this season and 50 for the ninth, with the supplanting of Wigan in the 'points for' and 'gates' tallies other causes for joy.

But the real kudos for Saints, and Rugby League in general,is the ending of silverware dominance by the Central Park side, although it would be churlish in the extreme to dismiss Wigan as a spent force, for they will be thirsting for revenge should the teams clash at Old Trafford on Sunday, September 8.

However, that is for the future, precious current column inches should be the exclusive preserve of the magnificent Saints' squad who made another glorious entry into the record books with their unique achievement, on a real red-letter day in the proud history of the St. Helens club.

Predictably, given unswerving loyalty to THEIR team, Saints' supporters comprised the vast majority of a bumper 18,098 crowd (the best attendance since 1992) with the carnival atmosphere interspersed with light-hearted pieces of presumption such as 'hand it over Pie-Eaters!' as skipper Bobby Goulding's side moved inexorably to their goal.

Scenes of unashamed joy - enough to be make grown men weep and their womenfolk dance on the terraces - greeted that magical moment, and though some bars ran out of beer this was a mere trifle for nothing was going to spoil Saints' party, and surely this was an occasion for champagne! There was another delightful cameo on this day of on-and-off-the-field triumph at Knowsley Road with the forming of a guard -of-honour for the 22-strong Super League champions of1996 by Saints' giants of 1966, with Warrington director Alex Murphy magnanimously leading out the squad he skippered with distinction a generation ago.

Talk of individual heroics is almost an embarrassment given a scenario when all were heroes, but for the record inventive two-try Tommy Martyn claimed the McEwan-Lager man-of-the-match award, while the Majestic Windows accolade went to strong-running Alan Hunte who notched an hat-trick and, like Martyn, has battled back after horrendous injury.

Up front there was yet again a performance almost beyond the call of duty from Apollo Perelini, while his fellow front rower Adam Fogerty had arguably one of his best games in a Saints' shirt, and the same could be said for young Chris Morley, whose tackling and work-rate continue to exceed superlatives.

As for the game itself it is fair to say that it was resolved as a serious contest after 30 minutes due to Saints' total superiority, although a Warrington side lacking in genuine pace had cause to rue missed the chances and elementary errors which, had it been otherwise, might have meant that what followed was not purely academic

An omen that it was to be Saints' day despite the rain came within just 53 seconds when Keiron Cunningham and Karle Hammond put Joey Hayes away, and when the winger chipped ahead Martyn 'stole' the ball from Mark Forster and Ian Knott to touch down, with Goulding converting.

Warrington hit back when Paul Hulme plunged over after Willie Swann's 'bomb' had Saints in a tangle but the score was disallowed for a knock-on, and the home side capitalised on the gaffe when Fogerty, Hunte, Martyn and Joynt swept downfield for Anthony Sulllivan to apply the finishing touch.

Perelini, Cunningham, Goulding and Martyn then took up the running to feed Paul Newlove, and the Warrington defence simply melted away as the Test super-star thundered over with Bobbie 'G's conversion attempt rebounding from an upright, leaving Saints 14-0 up with only 12 minutes on the clock.

However, there was a lull in what had been one-way traffic when the 'Wire's' Paul Sculthorpe kicked ahead for Forster to display ball control worthy of Ryan Giggs in scoring between the pavilion end posts, and with Knott adding the goal Warrington were back in contention, albeit of a fleeting nature.

For Saints then proceeded to take a stranglehold before half time with further tries from Hunte, Newlove and Martyn plus one conversion from Goulding, while Warrington fluffed an heaven-sent chance to reduce the leeway when Richard Henare dropped the ball in the act of touching down in face of a determined challlenge from Sullivan.

Half-time arrears of 28-6 did not deter a Warrington side whose best player was Kelly Shelford, and indeed the 'Wire' enjoyed the better of the early second-half exchanges without making the vital break, and it was Saints who went further ahead on 45 minutes when Hayes kicked ahead for Hunte to race in for another six-pointer. What developed into a second half 38-point bonanza for Saints was highlighted by further brilliant tries by Derek McVey, Sullivan, Hunte, Goulding, Hayes and Fogerty, while the fact that Goulding landed only seven goals from 14 attempts shots was a mercy for Warrington in avoiding a repetition of an 80-point hiding suffered at Knowsley Road in January.

Nevertheless, the visitors commendably refused to throw in the towel completely, and were rewarded with consolation tries from Henare and Mateaki Mafi and, although comprehensively beaten, Warrington were generous in their congratulation of super Saints, which is totally in keeping with the spirit of Rugby League.

What seemed hours after the final hooter - with presentations over and celebrations still at fever-pitch - champions Saints left to a reception fit for heroes, and no doubt there was a vote for thanks for London Broncos skipper Terry Masterson, whose last-gasp goal against second-placed Wigan made it all possible.

Let's hope there is no action replay on Sunday at Knowsley Road!

Saints: Prescott; Hayes, Hunte, Newlove, Sullivan' Martyn, Goulding; Perelini, Cunningham, Fogerty, Joynt, Morley, Hammond. Substitutes McVey for Fogerty (27), Pickavance for Morley (53), Matauita for Newlove (59), Haigh for Prescott (63), Fogerty for Perelini (69), Perelini for Joynt (75).

Warrington: Knott; Forster, Kohe-Love, Roper, Henare; Shelford, Swann; Jones, Watson, Chambers, Hulme, Cullen, Sculthorpe.

Substitutes Finau and Davies for Jones and Cullen (13), Mafi for Forster (63) Rudd for Roper (65), Cullen for Hulme (67).

Referee: David Campbell

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.