BY JOHN DAVIDSON
What an ending. What drama. What a game.
Rugby league has an amazing ability to deliver the expected, and watchers on Saturday night at Headingley were treated to one of the best finales in recent memory.
Let’s be clear, St Helens were not great. Their attack was poor, their execution was off and Leeds dominated most of the match.
But Saints hung in there, defended like animals and gave themselves a chance. They never gave up, threw their bodies into every tackle and would not drop off. Like Ali in Zaire, they stayed alive and rope-a-doped their way to the ultimate ending. When the chance finally came to strike late, they took it, Harry Robertson zig-zagging his way down the left flank before a series of cheeky offloads ended with Shane Wright unexpectedly diving over on the right side.
Brian Carney couldn’t believe it. Commentators Dave Woods and Barrie McDermott were in shock. Headingley was in silence. Social media went to meltdown.
It was ‘Wide to West’ reincarnated.
We’ve seen some audacious last-minute winners in rugby league, this year and in years previous.
The Miracle of Mudgee. Reece Walsh inspiring Brisbane to come from behind against Canberra. The Million Pound Game in 2016. Thurston’s field goal in extra-time in the 2015 NRL grand final. Darren Albert’s 1997 grand final winner for Newcastle against Manly. Mal Meninga’s try in the Ashes in 1990.
And on and on and on.
Enter the Heartbreak of Headingley.
Leeds never really looked like losing the game. With five minutes left they were 14-6 ahead and appeared home. They were the better team for 75 minutes. But sport is a cruel mistress at times, if you’re a Lioner anyway, and there was the sting in the tail to come.
It will take a while for the Rhinos to recover from this. Jake Connor was heartbroken. Harry Newman was in tears. The emotion of what had happened, the unbelievable, was so difficult to comprehend for them and their supporters. From planning for a grand final qualifier against Hull KR to their season suddenly being over, all in the matter of a few minutes. For Leeds, the injustice of it all.
But that is where the beauty, and the beast, comes in. Beauty and elation for Saints, for their fans. For Paul Wellens, storming onto the field with eyes wild. For the hardy souls who had traversed the M62 to get to Headingley and got the late reward.
And the beast for the Rhinos faithful. The bitter ending. The punch to the gut. The brutal shock that they never saw coming.
What an ending. What drama. What a game.
Rugby league remains undefeated.