2014 St Helens R.F.C. season


The 2014 St Helens R.F.C. season is the club's 140th in its history; its 119th in rugby league. The Saints will be looking to end a 6-year silverware drought this season by competing for the Super League XIX title as well as the 113th edition of the Challenge Cup. This season marks Australian Nathan Brown's second season as head coach of the club, continuing from his first season in 2013 which ended in a 5th-place finish and an early playoff exit courtesy of an 11–10 defeat at Leeds Rhinos. They began their season by taking on last seasons runner-up Warrington Wolves at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, which ended in an 8–38 win for Saints. This win sent Saints on a win streak that lasted for eight Super League games before being defeated on 18 April 2014 by arch-rivals Wigan Warriors at Langtree Park in the annual Good Friday derby match. Easter was a period to forget for the Saints as they were beaten by Widnes Vikings for their second league defeat in a row, following the Good Friday defeat to bitter rivals Wigan, and then by Leeds Rhinos in Round 5 of the Challenge Cup meaning the Saints will miss out on the trophy for a sixth year. The Saints bounced back however on 1 May with a 48–18 win over the London Broncos. Saints suffered another Magic Weekend to the Warrington Wolves on 18 May with the game ending 41–24 to the Wolves. Results picked up after the Magic Weekend with two straight wins at home against Huddersfield & Salford however the Saints then traveled to Perpignan where they suffered a humiliating 42–0 loss to the Catalans Dragons. Once again, the Saints bounced back with an impressive win over Castleford Tigers at Langtree Park and with another outstanding performance in a pulsating game at the DW Stadium against arch-rivals Wigan Warriors that ended 12–16 in favour of the Saints; the win avenging the Good Friday defeat at Langtree Park. Following this win, Saints suffered a shock 40–10 defeat to Hull Kingston Rovers but bounced back with three straight wins before losing to Hull KR's cross-town rivals, Hull FC, 19–12. However, a 40–16 win over Wakefield Trinity Wildcats & an extremely tight 12–13 win over Leeds Rhinos at Headingley put the Saints in a position where a win against Warrington on 4 September would hand them their first League Leaders' Shield since the 2008 season; with Castleford Tigers being the only other team in contention for the top spot. Despite losing their last two games of the regular season, Saints acquired the League Leaders' Shield following Castleford's failure to beat Catalans Dragons in their last game of the season; meaning that the Saints took their first piece of silverware since 2008. The unlikely success of the 2014 season culminated in a 14–6 win over arch-rivals Wigan Warriors in the 2014 Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford making Saints the Super League champions for the first time since 2006 in an extremely lively, well-fought contest that saw Wigan player Ben Flower sent off for a sucker punch on a defenceless Lance Hohaia in the 2nd minute of the game.

2014 transfers

Players In
PlayerPrevious clubContractDate signed

2014 squad

''* Announced on 15 November 2013:''

Pre Season

Saints began their pre-season by taking on Batley Bulldogs in January 2014; taking a 20–0 victory at home. Following this victory, Saints then took on bitter rivals Wigan Warriors in a 'friendly game', again at Langtree Park, for James Roby's testimonial match, sinking to a disappointing 16–28 defeat. They bounced back however for their last pre-season game before the season began with a 6–62 win away at Rochdale Hornets with a St Helens Select XIII team.
DateCompetitionVsH/AVenueResultScoreTriesGoalsAttTVReport
24/01/14Friendly Batley BulldogsHLangtree ParkW20–0Makinson, Percival, Flanagan, JonesPercival TBCNo
31/01/14Testimonial Wigan WarriorsHLangtree ParkL16–28Swift, RobyWalsh TBCNo
02/02/14Friendly Rochdale HornetsASpotland StadiumW6–62Makinson, Galbraith, Fleming, Ashworth, Gardner, Charnock, Clough, Walker, TisdaleCharnock, MakinsonTBCNo

Super League XIX Fixtures/Results/Table

DateCompetitionRndVsH/AVenueRScoreTriesGoalsKOAttTVReport
13/02/14Super League1 Warrington WolvesAHalliwell Jones StadiumWon8–38Makinson, Roby, Amor, Laffranchi, Swift, WalshWalsh 20:0013,157Sky Sports
21/02/14Super League2 Hull F.C.HLangtree ParkWon34–22Roby, Soliola, Lomax, Makinson, PercivalWalsh 20:0013,488
27/02/14Super League3 Salford Red DevilsAAJ Bell StadiumWon0–38Wilkin, Walsh, Percival, Amor, LaffranchiWalsh 20:006,353Sky Sports
07/03/14Super League4 Hull Kingston RoversHLangtree ParkWon38–18Swift, Lomax, Walmsley, Soliola, Makinson, WilkinWalsh 20:0011,818
14/03/14Super League5 Catalans DragonsHLangtree ParkWon40–22Jones, Makinson, Turner, Mc-Carthy Scarsbrook, Hohaia, SwiftWalsh, Lomax 20:0011,321
14/03/14Super League6 Wakefield Trinity WildcatsABelle VueWon16–24Jones, Soliola, Dawson, Greenwood, MakinsonMakinson 15:005,037
28/03/14Super League7 Leeds RhinosHLangtree ParkWon14–10Walker, Makinson Makinson20:0013,788Sky Sports
11/04/14Super League8 Castleford TigersAThe JungleWon28–30Soliola, Lomax, Makinson, Turner, Wellens, SwiftWalsh 20:006,487Sky Sports
18/04/14Super League9 Wigan WarriorsHLangtree ParkLost14–33Makinson, TurnerWalsh12:1517,980Sky Sports
21/04/14Super League10 Widnes VikingsAHalton StadiumLost40–26Soliola, Masoe, Wellens, Makinson, HohaiaMakinson 15:007,706
01/05/14Super League11 London BroncosHLangtree ParkWon48–18Dawson, Walsh, Lomax, Makinson, Hohaia, Swift, Greenwood, Jones, FlanaganWalsh 20:009,408Sky Sports
11/05/14Super League12 Bradford BullsAOdsal StadiumWon0–50Wilkin, Walsh, Lomax, Makinson, Swift, Soliola, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, RobyWalsh 15:006,311
18/05/14Super League13: Magic Weekend Warrington WolvesNEtihad StadiumLost41–24Walmsley, Turner, Hohaia, DawsonWalsh 17:0028,213Sky Sports
23/05/14Super League14 Huddersfield GiantsHLangtree ParkWon41–22Wheeler, Hohaia, Wellens, Dawson, Wilkin, MasoeWalsh 20:0010,218Sky Sports
30/05/14Super League15 Salford Red DevilsHLangtree ParkWon32–12Wellens, Soliola, Hohaia, WheelerWalsh 20:0011,000
14/06/14Super League16 Catalans DragonsAStade Gilbert BrutusLost42–018:007,276Sky Sports
22/06/14Super League17 Castleford TigersHLangtree ParkWon38–16Makinson, Wellens, Turner, Percival, WalshWalsh 15:0012,648
27/06/14Super League18 Wigan WarriorsADW StadiumWon12–16Makinson, WellensPercival 20:0020,224Sky Sports
06/07/14Super League19 Hull Kingston RoversAKC Lightstream StadiumLost40–10Percival, MasoePercival15:007,611
11/07/14Super League20 Bradford BullsHLangtree ParkWon46–22Roby, Wellens, Masoe, Percival, Swift, Hohaia, MakinsonPercival 20:0010,238
19/07/14Super League21 London BroncosAThe Hive StadiumWon16–58Percival, Amor, Turner, Wellens, Dawson, Thompson, Soliola, LaffranchiPercival 15:001,791
25/07/14Super League22 Widnes VikingsHLangtree ParkWon44–22Flanagan, Makinson, Masoe, Turner, ManuPercival 20:0011,844
01/08/14Super League23 Hull F.C.AKC StadiumLost19–12Makinson, WellensPercival 20:0010,214
15/08/14Super League24 Wakefield Trinity WildcatsHLangtree ParkWon40–16Makinson, Jones, Mcdonnell, SoliolaPercival 20:0011,000
29/08/14Super League25 Leeds RhinosAHeadingley StadiumWon12–13LMS, RobyPercival, Makinson20:0017,682Sky Sports
04/09/14Super League26 Warrington WolvesHLangtree ParkLost12–39McDonnell, ManuMakinson 20:0012,854Sky Sports
14/09/14Super League27 Huddersfield GiantsHGalpharm StadiumLost17–16Makinson, Roby, HohaiaPercival 20:007,244Sky Sports

Super League XIX – Play-Off Series

DateCompetitionRndVsH/AVenueRScoreTriesGoalsAttTVReport
19/09/14Super LeagueQualifying Play-Off CastlefordHLangtree ParkW41–0Roby, Turner, Swift, Makinson, Amor, MasoePercival, Turner 7,548Sky
02/10/14Super LeagueQualifying Semi-Final Catalans DragonsHLangtree ParkW30–12Turner, Swift, Manu, Masoe, PercivalPercival 8,888Sky
11/10/14Super LeagueGrand Final WiganNOld TraffordW14–6Soliola, MakinsonPercival 70,102Sky

Even without key players Luke Walsh, Jon Wilkin & Jonny Lomax for the majority of the second half of the season, Saints managed to battle through the play-offs to reach an unprecedented 10th Grand Final. Even though they also lost Lance Hohaia in the second minute of the game via a disgraceful punch from Ben Flower, Saints overcame the solid defence of Wigans remaining 12 men to claim their 5th Super League title.

2014 Tetley's Challenge Cup Fixtures\Results

DateCompetitionRndVsH/AVenueRScoreTriesGoalsKOAttTVReport-
06/04/2014Challenge CupRound 4 Huddersfield GiantsAJohn Smith's StadiumP Bentham16–17Swift, Makinson Walsh, Walsh 14:157,150BBC Sport
26/04/2014Challenge CupRound 5 Leeds RhinosAHeadingley StadiumR Silverwood32–12Swift, JonesWalsh 14:3012,194BBC Sport