Ex-NRL star inspires Super League GF victory

2 years ago 188

James Maloney's nonrecreational rugby league swansong failed to nutrient a fairytale arsenic St Helens, spearheaded by erstwhile NRL prima Kevin Naiqama, edged his Catalans Dragons outfit to triumph the Super League expansive final.

The France-based Dragons' bid to go the archetypal overseas squad to triumph the Super League came up conscionable abbreviated erstwhile they mislaid to St Helens 12-10 successful the decider.

St Helens became lone the 2nd squad to triumph a 3rd expansive last successful succession since the English rugby league title became the Super League successful 1996.

Former Knight, Panther and Tiger Naiqama, wearing St Helens colours for the last clip earlier returning to Australia, delivered the cleanable leaving acquisition with a effort successful each fractional astatine Old Trafford.

Trailing 6-4 astatine half-time, Catalans regained the pb with their lone effort done second-rower Mike McMeeken from Josh Drinkwater's lofted footwear portion the Saints were down to 12 men. Maloney, the oldest subordinate to people a constituent of immoderate benignant successful a Super League expansive last astatine 35, converted for 10-6.

But the clincher by Naiqama from a Jonny Lomax grubber footwear came 15 minutes from full-time, converted by erstwhile Panther and Cowboy Lachlan Coote, different playing his past lucifer for the Saints.

St Helens manager Kristian Woolf's broadside completed the league and cupful treble for the 2nd time.

"It hurts," Maloney said.

"I'm shattered for the boys. We've done truthful much, we've worked truthful hard, but they were conscionable excessively good.

"You ne'er play the cleanable crippled of footy... You'll ever look at, 'What if this, what is that?' That ne'er goes distant unfortunately."

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