Immortality is the prize for St Helens at Old Trafford. On Saturday, Kristian Woolf's side can ensure they are remembered as one of the greatest rugby league teams, perhaps the greatest, the sport has ever seen.
Victory at the Theatre of Dreams will secure a fourth consecutive championship. That has never been accomplished in the Super League era and only once in the history of the sport.
With three consecutive titles to their name, they are already in very esteemed company. Leeds Rhinos' Golden Generation and Wigan Warriors' all-conquering side of the 1980s and 1990s are the only other sides to achieve such a feat. They're widely regarded as two of British rugby league's greatest ever teams.
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There have been some extraordinary teams over the years. Huddersfield's Team of All Talents were the first, going all the way back to 1914. The other standouts were the aforementioned Wigan and Leeds sides.
Trying to compare is near impossible. Despite that, many are quick to dismiss the qualities of this current Saints side. Nostalgia can, unfortunately, skew people's minds. While attempting to compare teams from different periods is practically impossible, comparing their accomplishments is not. Saints win on Saturday and they will have achieved what only one other side has since 1895, and that's a fact. You can throw a Challenge Cup in for good measure.
If you want to get more into the intricacies, it's worth pointing out that the Wigan side that won everything for years did so at a time when they were full-time and the majority of their opponents were part-time. Perhaps the fairest point to raise is that the game has changed drastically. This Saints team, as a group of athletes, are far superior to any team we have seen. Whether they possess the skill the teams of the past have is up for debate.
Regardless, there is little doubting the excellence of this Saints side. Their reign of dominance has also included two League Leaders' Shields and a Challenge Cup. Their win percentage compares to any side of any era. Their ability to physically dominate sides yet also outclass them is telling of their qualities. Within they squad they boast a number of players who will go down in history as not only greats of the club, but greats of the game.
Saints will engrave their name in history if they win at the Theatre of Dreams and, whether you agree with the theory or not, they will enter the conversation as the country's greatest ever team, and you'd struggle to put forward a case to argue otherwise.
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