In a great Challenge Cup semi-final at Warrington Wolves’ Halliwell Jones Stadium, St Helens came up short against Leigh Leopards in an amazing battle for a spot at Wembley with Leigh now waiting to take on the winner of Wigan Warriors and Hull KR at Leeds Rhinos’ Headingley Stadium.
Paul Wellens’ St Helens were in control of the game at halftime with Joey Lussick’s try making it 6-0 at the interval after the Super League Champions had battered Leigh physically with possession and territory.
However, in the second half, the Saints couldn’t handle the energy Leigh attacked with as the Leopards stormed to the Grand Final.
Wells was left devastated after the game.
“I’m obviously devastated,” Wellens said on Saints TV, “There was a huge prize at stake and the opportunity to go and play at Wembley does not get much bigger.
“I have been in this position before as a player when you lose a semi final and it is never nice and I am gutted.”
He then went on to explain what went wrong: “Perhaps when you look back on the game and the opportunities are very few and far between.
“It’s probably an area of our game where we need to be better: attacking the opposition’s goal line.
“In a game like that where the margins are so fine we probably need to nail one or two more of them and if you do, you are probably on the end of a different result.”
He was also disappointed with the try Saints conceded straight after halftime:
“I was disappointed with the way we conceded that try particularly given the stuff that we’ve worked on during the week in terms of how to defend that threat in particular.
“We probably clocked off a little bit there and got burned early in the second-half which in big games with the small margins make a massive difference.
“And so the way we started the, the second-half was certainly not ideal.”
Saints’ focus is now firmly chasing a fifth consecutive Grand Final in 2023 and perhaps this disappointment will be the driving force for their final push.
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