Women’s Betfred Super League: St Helens 12-8 York – Saints reach Grand Final

After an uneventful 17 minutes in the low-hanging September sun, Saints grabbed the lead when hooker Mottershead reached over to touchdown on the line under pressure from the Valkyrie defence.

On the half-hour mark, a good move from York on the right saw Peace Lekuru go to the line, but she was adjudged to have been centre-metres short of the try line following a check from the video referee.

It did not matter to York, however, as from the very next play, wing Lekuru rolled back to Tamzin Renouf, who bamboozled the Saints defence to get her side on the board.

Six minutes in to the second period, Casey spun York’s Rhiannon Marshall wonderfully to grab a decisive second score next to the sticks.

A terrific tackle from Saints’ Phoebe Hook then prevented Emma Kershaw from what looked a certain try in the left corner, which would have brought York within to four points, tackling her in to touch with a couple of metres out.

More goal-line defending from Saints then brilliantly kept out York’s Izzy Bibby, who was held up on the line on the final tackle as the home side continued to dig in.

Saints were to be broken down with 15 minutes left though, when Charlie Dagger chased her own kick down and, with help from an error from Hook, dotted down to reduce the arrears.

Marshall then raced to the line in the final minute but was held up on the line again by more scrambling defending, before Saints stole the ball and saw out the game to seal the win.