For every great sporting dynasty, there is a line-in-the-sand moment. A point when fortunes change for ever, and a juncture when history begins to be written. Depending on who you ask at St Helens, the answer can vary, but the consensus is that it was May 2017 when they began their journey to becoming the greatest team that England – and perhaps the world – has seen for quite some time.
Having sacked the club legend Keiron Cunningham as head coach and languishing aimlessly in mid-table, Saints faced the very real prospect of missing out on the Super League playoffs for the first time. Their squad included long-serving, veteran players with a group of talented youngsters waiting in the wings. They just needed the right man to mould them – and they settled on an unknown Australian, Justin Holbrook.
