MAK BELIEVE
Tommy holds off Rhinos’ charge
TOMMY MAKINSON snuffed out a thrilling late fightback from holders Leeds to keep Saints’ Challenge Cup dream alive.
The Super League champions haven’t won the Cup for 13 years and very nearly extended that dire run with a late wobble.
A weakened Rhinos side, who were down to 12 men for 35 minutes, put the match on a knife edge with two tries in five minutes from Brad Dwyer.
But Makinson, who had already scored one touchdown and kicked five goals, settled the nerves with a killer 79th-minute converted try.
Saints coach Kristian Woolf said: “We did not play our best and gave the opposition a chance at times but we get to live another day and that’s all that counts.
“It became a bit ugly and we got flustered. Then once we got on top we thought it was done and it wasn’t.
“We let in some soft tries. We need to be better”
Leeds were without 12 key players, including most of their first-choice backs. And they did in a gutsy first half in which they only trailed 8-6.
But the doom mongers would have been out in force again when Leeds forward Zane Tetevano saw red for a late high tackle on Theo Fages in the 45th minute. Once again Rhinos were under the cosh and once again they stood tall, almost pulling off victory thanks to Dwyer’s double.
They couldn’t finish off their heroics with victory but coach Richard Agar only had praise for his battlers.
He said: “I’m proud of the performance from start to finish. We came within a whisker.
“To do that for 35 minutes with 12 men was a magnificent effort. I really applaud our guys.
“We do not want to be gallant spirited losers and the boys are gutted but I know how much they put into that.”
Saints took the lead after three minutes through Makinson but Mik
Oledzki powered over minutes later to haul Leeds level.
Saints also suffered the early blow of match-ending injuries to Matty Lees and Sione Mata’utia.
The disruption seemed to rattle them into a string of mistakes and Leeds’ confidence started to build.
St Helens blew a string of chances but the sending off of Tetevano finally settled them into some sort of rhythm.
Regan Grace touched down in the corner and when he added a second and at 20-6 ahead they looked safe.
Instead Dwyer caught them cold with two sucker-punch tries from dummy half to set up the nail-biting finish.