St Helens owner reveals what he regards as a greater achievement than four in a row

St Helens current crop achieved immortality last Saturday when they won a fourth consecutive Grand Final making history as the first team to win the Super League title in four successive seasons.

Record breaking, it goes nicely alongside their record for the most Grand Final appearances, the most Grand Final wins and the most Super League titles having secured the inaugural Super League title via finishing first in 1996.

There is an argument now being made, unsurprisingly, that this St Helens side is not only the best Saints side but also the finest Super League team.

In terms of the debate around being the best Saints side, the likes of the 2006 treble winners and the back-to-back Champions at the turn of the century would be contenders whilst Leeds’ Golden Generation, and the finest Wigan and Bradford sides would be alternates to the Saints in the argument about who is the greatest Super League side.

Either way, the Saints have achieved something no other has in winning four consecutive titles, but for owner Eamonn McManus, that isn’t the thing he is most proud of.

Speaking on the Eddie and Stevo podcast, he noted that his pride lies in something else other than the four in a row.

“It is something that you don’t expect to achieve in a game as competitive as this,” McManus said, “Winning any big competition back-to-back is difficult so to win four in a row is something pretty special.

“Personally, what I’m more proud of is that we’ve won 10 championships in 27 years of Super League, we’ve been to 14 Grand Finals and we’ve never missed the play-offs.

“That’s what I want this club to be: contributing to our sport at the top level.”

When you hear those stats, it’s hard to say any other club has defined the summer era in the same way St Helens have.

That said, their rivals will be hoping to break their recent monopoly of success in the coming years.