St.Helens Women suffered a heartbreaking and frustrating 8-18 loss at the Totally Wicked Stadium to York Valkyrie in the 2024 Betfred Women's Super League Grand Final.
Matty Smith named an unchanged lineup from his side’s Semi-Final victory over Wigan Warriors, with Faye Gaskin running out for the final time as a St.Helens player on the biggest stage in the Women’s game, against the reigning champions York Valkyrie.
😇 Our side is locked in to face @YorkValkyrie in the Betfred Women’s @SuperLeague Grand Final this evening, live on @SkySportsRL!
🙌 Saints name an unchanged squad from our Semi-Final victory over Wigan Warriors!
🎨 @FayeGaskin designed by Arabella, age 13!#COYS pic.twitter.com/v8MD8sPIE2
— St.Helens Women (@saints1890women) October 6, 2024
Isabelle Brennan from York got the big event underway with the kick-off and a typically robust straight-at-em carry from Vicky Whitfield got the Saints going.
However, it was the Valkyrie who offered up the first threat, a basic misread from Saints allowed Woman of Steel nominee Georgie Hetherington to break through but Beri Salihi stopped her close to the line and the York player knocked on. More threats from the visiting side came after a spiral bomb was knocked on by Phoebe Hook, gifting a dangerous set 10m off our own line, however going out to their right from the scrum York knocked on. A cagey opening five minutes from Saints.
Coming off our own backline Whitfield and Channy Crowl carried strong, Crowl busting through with a half break was then held down for the first penalty of the game. However captain Jodie Cunninham after we moved into their half for the first time forced a short pass back to Crowl which was unfortunately knocked on. Looking to make up for that error, Saints went after York with strong tackles, Hook taking her opposite winger back with a big collision.
More strong hits from Cunningham and Crowl forced the ball to go loose around the halfway mark, and we took advantage. Spotting a gap on our left, Paige Travis fired the ball out to Leah Burke and Women’s Super League’s top try-scorer turned on the afterburners for 40 metres and beat her opposite player and fullback Hetherington for the opening score. Faye Gaskin could not add the kick from the sidelines, so 4-0 it was with 12 minutes played.
Off the restart more good play by the Red V looked like we may go back-to-back, Gaskin on the last dummied and made a half break but the pass to Travis was no good and saw us knock on. York moved towards our 30m and on their last placed what looked like a scuffed kick up high, Salihi unsure of its trajectory could not take it clean and it came off her foot and into Valkyrie hands. Lacey Owen was the player who collected it, she just managed to round some last defence and grounded the ball under the posts – try given after a video ref review. Brennan from bang in front of the sticks adds the extras for a 4-6 lead, 16 minutes gone.
Halfway into the first act and both teams were looking to complete their sets more, York though had firm control of the territory battle in the opening twenty. More pressure by our own line came with Hook knocking on after a kick was allowed to bounce, however Matty Smith’s troops held Valkyrie out as they looked to power over close to the line. Katie Mottershead and Darcy Stott came onto the field, looking to add a little more zip to our play.
With fourteen left in the half, Saints played it down our right edge and Salihi opened up a half chance, Erin Stott gave it to Hook but rather than be taken into touch she passed back in for a Stott knock on. A let off for the visitors.
St.Helens had wrestled a little more control back into the game, managing to keep Valkyrie in their own half but yet another error from Saints with four York players in the tackle it was deemed a knock on by Salihi. However, the Red V being resilient met them quickly after that and forced them to knock the ball loose.
Burke once more got space on the left wing and broke away, getting to 40m out but was held down and a six-again given, perhaps should have been a penalty as a professional foul but nevertheless Saints had a golden chance before half time. Mottershead causing York issues around the ruck got taken high, 10m out and bang in front of the sticks and Head Coach Smith held up the two fingers to take the penalty. Gaskin knocked the kick over for a level ball-game with five left until the break.
Cunningham early off the restart carried the ball in and was taken high for another penalty, which Gaskin kicked into York’s territory. Jodie would then get another one moments later for a ball strip, again Smith called to take the two. Faye took all the time she could 28m out in the middle of the field and kicked her team back in front 8-6 for the half time break.
⏸️ A try for Burke and four points from the boot of Gaskin has Saints ahead at the break!#COYS pic.twitter.com/RlTaBp3d6s
— St.Helens Women (@saints1890women) October 6, 2024
Gaskin kicked off the second half, the final forty of her sensational career as the rain began coming down heavily. York started the better though, a high hanging kick was not taken cleanly by Stott or Hook and York got onto it, passed in the tackle to former Saint Eboni Partington for a try in the corner. After a video ref check it was given, and loose forward Rhiannion Marshall was on kicking duties and she managed to knock it over for York lead, 8-12 with four minutes in the half gone.
Valkyrie got another golden chance, yet again from a kick towards the Saints right edge and another Hook knock on. York went very close, their right edge was well met by the likes of Rachael Woosey and Burke, with Leah in particular making two needed tackles.
York once more had firm control of the territory and wrestle, but Saints kept turning up, they just needed to find and break their way more into the opposition half. With less than half an hour to go, Megan Williams come onto the field, with the Red V needing to turn this battle back around.
Errors from both were causing more anxiety in the stadium. York got a break away with Hetherington juking around a number of scrambling Saints, then close to the line a short burst from Kelsey Gentles saw her go over the line and under the sticks with the referee sending it upstairs for a check – no try given on field but try given following the review. Marshall made no error adding the extras, 8-18 with 24 minutes to go.
The visitors had the wind in their sails, Jasmine Bell now on the field burst the line but a brave Salihi who was half her size stopped her, and Bell knocked on at the play of the ball. A rare sightline of the York goal gave Saints some needed relief, and a Harris bomb almost came up trumps to get us back in the game but Salihi’s catch saw her then tackled to stop the set.
Just under twenty left in the Grand Final, Crowl and Whitfield came back onto the field and made an impact quickly. St.Helens went close on the left edge with Burke taken into touch, but York penalised for some foul play in the build up to it. Harris then put a short kick in close to the line which Hetherington knocked on, followed by Crowl off a short ball then was judged to be held up, before York had a player stay down to take some pressure out of the situation. Harris again kicked a short one, this time looking for Burke in the corner but York left it to go for a tap 20m restart.
From that set the York kept a firm hold of the control of the game, but were helped by another Saints knock on off a kick, then Crowl giving a high shot away. Lindsay Anfield quick as she could stuck two fingers in the air, whilst Brennan ate all the time she could before missing the kick. 8-18 the score remained with 12 and a half to go.
Smart play by Gaskin on the last after good runs from the Saints saw her reverse into the shortside and then chip ahead, she chased and stopped a York player inches off her own line and close to the wing. Valkyrie got some relief though, late on in a set with a high shot, after being initially pinned in their own half.
After forcing another knock on by York, Saints were running out of time to get back into the game, Harris attempted a hit-out pass to Hook but it went to ground, no good.
With under five minutes to go, the reigning champions kept getting handed opportunities to attack through errors of our own making – with truthfully was the story of the game. No more flash from the Valkyrie, one-up and straight rugby was played by them to see the clock down, especially close to our line.
The timer ticked down, and Saints feel to a heartbreaking, agonising 8-18 defeat, and York were crowned the victors and Women’s Super League Champions for a second successive season.
💔 Saints suffer defeat in the 2024 Betfred Women’s @SuperLeague Grand Final…#COYS pic.twitter.com/Ur1LiDS8QT
— St.Helens Women (@saints1890women) October 6, 2024
Match Summary
Saints team: Beri Salihi, Phoebe Hook, Erin Stott, Rachael Woosey, Leah Burke, Zoe Harris, Faye Gaskin, Vicky Whitfield, Tara Jones, Channy Crowl, Emily Rudge, Paige Travis, and Jodie Cunningham
Interchanges: Naomi Williams, Darcy Stott, Katie Mottershead, Megan Williams
18th player: Georgia Sutherland
Tries: Leah Burke (10)
Conversions: Faye Gaskin 0/1
Penalties: Faye Gaskin 2/2
York team: Georgie Hetherington, Carrie Roberts, Manuqalo Komaitai, Lisa Parker, Eboni Partington, Sade Rihari, Tamzin Renouf, Liv Wood, Isabelle Brennan, Jasmine Bell, Lacey Owen, Savannah Andrade, and Megan Pakulis
Interchanges: Rhiannion Marshall, Kelsey Gentles, Jessica Sharp, Remi Wilton
18th player: Alexandra Stimpson
Tries: Lacey Owen (15)
Conversions: Isabelle Brennan 1/1, Rhiannion Marshall 2/2
HT: 8-6
FT: 8-18
Attendance: 4,813
