HEAVEN FOR SAINT KEVIN
Catalans 10 St Helens 12
KEVIN NAIQAMA wrecked Catalans’ dreams of writing history with his own fairytale ending for St Helens. The giant centre is leaving Saints to return home to Australia but he goes knowing he leaves behind a dynasty.
This was Saints’ third Super League title on the trot – only the second team to achieve that – and they are now without doubt one of the game’s all-time great sides.
Catalans threw absolutely everything at them in their quest to become the first French team to win the Grand Final.
They led twice and had Saints rocking, especially when they had winger Tommy Makinson sinbinned in the second half.
But Saints held firm and, like true champions, came back swinging and landed the knockout blow from Naiqama.
The Fiji international, who went off injured straight after his second try, sobbed openly when the final hooter sounded.
The man of the match said: “I’m so overwhelmed with emotion. I am just so proud of what the boys have accomplished. I just cannot believe we have done it.”
There were times Saints didn’t look like achieving it in an Old Trafford stadium awash with Catalans Dragons flags.
The French had brought several hundred fans and neutrals in the 45,177 crowd also got behind their valiant effort to make history.
But, in the end, the League Leaders Shield winners ended up with nothing – to the dismay of coach Steve Mcnamara.
He looked devastated as he said: “It’s pretty heartbreaking to get this far and lose by two.
“We left everything out there on the field. I could not have asked for more from the players.”
Catalans will live to rue a first half in which they struggled to get a grip on the game.and when they did look like having the chance they spurned it.
James Maloney put them ahead with a penalty and strangely they again opted to go for goal when they were later awarded another penalty. Running it and going for a try, to ram home a spell of pressure, seemed to be the better option. Instead they kicked and went in 6-4 down at half-time.
Saints were ahead courtesy of the first of Naiqama’s double and were denied two others by terrific try-saving tackles.
Makinson was stopped by Josh Drinkwater and Regan Grace was bundled into touch by Tom Davies and Deanwhare.
The lead looked slender and Saints coach Kristianwoolf admits he was worried, saying: “We had a really good first half but did not come away with enough points to be really comfortable.
“When they then scored and we went down to 12 men I started to get a bit nervous.”
Makinson was shown a yellow card for a high tackle on Fouad Yaha and Catalans took advantage, pouncing for a converted try from Mike Mcmeeken to put them ahead 10-6. But Jonny Lomax’s grubber kick was pounced on by centre Naiqama to level the scores, with Lachlan Coote then holding his nerve to land the conversion and
seal victory.