St Helens: champions of the world. The Merseyside town with a population barely reaching 100,000 has been the beating heart of the Super League in recent years, but now, it is home to the world’s best rugby league side.
This pulsating contest was decided in dramatic fashion, Lewis Dodd kicking a golden point in overtime, but should not be described without first explaining the context that makes this result all the more incredible. St Helens spend around a third of what NRL clubs do on salary. Their opponents here were littered with players who have just helped Penrith win back-to-back NRL titles. That does not happen all that often.
