DEADLY DAN DROPS IT TO ’EM!
Saints’ last-gasp glory
DANNY RICHARDSON clinched a dramatic win for leaders Saints with a 78th-minute drop goal.
It was agony for Leeds who went toeto-toe all night and led three times.
But Saints showed cool heads to claim a late try and then kill off the Rhinos with their late winner.
The game was staged against a remarkable backdrop of a furious row between the two clubs’ chiefs.
Leeds boss Gary Hetherington had accused Saints owner Eamonn McManus of being part of an “absurd power-grab”.
McManus – one of the leaders in a bid for more top-flight control – hit back, claiming his comments were inaccurate and destructive.
That row is likely to rumble on for months but at least the battle on the pitch was full-blooded but fair. The P St Helens ..... 18 Wigan ......... 16 Warrington ... 17 Castleford .... 16 Hull ............ 17 Wakefield .... 16 Leeds ......... 17 Huddersfield . 18 Catalans ...... 17 Salford ........ 18 Hull KR ........ 17 Widnes ....... 17 W
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F A Pts
581 226 32
439 242 24
389 297 22
372 322 22
431 351 20
339 313 16
322 353 15
296 516 15
295 415 12
294 425 12
297 452 8
287 430 6 Rhinos came into the clash on the back of a dire run of form, with six defeats in their previous seven league games.
They also had a crippling injury list but neither problem seemed to hinder them as they threw everything at the leaders.
Tom Briscoe drew first blood after hooker Matt Parcell darted past both Zeb Taia and Jonny Lomax.
Magic
But Saints were always capable of magic with full-back Ben Barba and he didn’t disappoint the away fans.
From a standing start, 10 metres out, Barba simply stepped past three Leeds players.
Lomax – one of five Saints players picked to play in next Saturday’s Test between England and New Zealand in Denver – then added a second try for a 10-6 half-time lead.
Leeds twice pulled level early in the second half with tries from Briscoe and Mitch Garbutt either side of one from Mark Percival.
They nudged ahead with a Sutcliffe penalty and then went for Saints throats with a Brett Ferres try.
But Saints refused to lie down and Mark Percival sent in Ryan Morgan, with Richardson converting before then landing his late winner.