ozbash
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http://www.superleague.co.uk/news/3796
Sean Long made history by becoming the first player to win the prestigious Lance Todd Trophy for a third time as St Helens swept to a 42-12 victory over Huddersfield Giants in the Powergen Challenge Cup final at Twickenham.
Saints eventually found their scoring touch to run away with the contest as expected but the scoreline did scant justice to Huddersfields brave efforts.
The Giants, appearing in their first major final for 44 years, stunned the engage Super League leaders with a terrific opening onslaught that had the hottest favourites for years sweating on the outcome.
Huddersfield were good value for their 6-0 lead and trailed only 12-6 at the break but Saints class told in the end as they overwhelmed the underdogs with a typically powerful second-half show which brought them five tries.
Blood-stained second rower Jon Wilkin, who was forced to wear strapping around his broken nose for most of the game, scored two of them but the mastermind behind Saints fifth cup final triumph in 11 years of Super League was scrum-half Long.
The Great Britain maestro scored Saints second try that put them in front for the first time just before the half and put in kicks that brought others for Jason Cayless and Jamie Lyon, who also kicked seven goals from seven attempts to claim an 18-point haul.
It became the most one-sided final since Leeds Rhinos hammered London Broncos at Wembley in 1999 but there was no sign of the rout in a tense and at times brutal first half.
Saints were shocked by Huddersfields aggressive defence and caught out by their neat little offloads that allowed them to make ground with surprising ease.
It was a dream start for little-fancied Giants, who gained the ball back from the kick-off when it rebounded off Leon Pryces careless boot and forced Keiron Cunningham and Paul Wellens back over their own line to earn drop-outs.
The pressure paid off just five minutes into the contest, with Brad Drew accelerating away from dummy half and getting out a nice pass to centre Michael De Vere, who sent winger Martin Aspinwall over at the corner for the first try.
De Vere added the touchline conversion to put the 12,000 Huddersfield fans in dreamland.
Skipper Chris Thorman, showing no sign of any discomfort from the hamstring pull that threatened his participation, and the multi-skilled Drew kept Saints pinned back with their clever raking kicks but gradually the engage Super League leaders clawed their way into the game.
The introduction of substitutes Lee Gilmour and James Graham helped turn the game as they injected vigour that was missing in the opening quarter.
Jason Hooper went close to touching down Longs grubber before centre Willie Talau raced on to a Paul Sculthorpe kick that rebounded fortuitously off the foot of defender Steve Snitch.
Jamie Lyons goal levelled the scores but the Giants went close to regaining the lead when substitute Wayne McDonald broke clear on 29 minutes and sent Robbie Paul into space.
The 10 years that have elapsed since his hat-trick heroics at Wembley have taken their toll on the little man and he lacked the pace to finish off the move.
Huddersfield were then indebted to a last-ditch tackle from full-back Paul Reilly which bundled Saints winger Ade Gardner into touch after he had got past Chris Nero and looked a certain scorer.
The Yorkshiremen produce a near-faultless first half in which they completed every set of their six tackles apart from the last just before the break.
However, the signs of tiredness began to show five minutes before the interval when Lyon came up with a half-break and Gardner continued the move by sending Long over for Saints second try.
Within four minutes of the re-start, St Helens had extended their lead and there was no way back for the fast-fading Giants.
Nero thought he had saved a try when he hauled substitute James Roby short of the line but Huddersfield could not re-group quickly enough to prevent the bloodied Wilkin darting through a gap to touch down.
Wilkin marred his courageous display with a high tackle on Donlan that was placed on report by referee Richard Silverwood and scored a second try on 68 minutes, courtesy of Kieron Cunninghams break.
In between, substitute Maurie Faasavalu followed up a Roby kick to score and Lyon demonstrated a cool head and skilful hands to touch down Longs kick to the corner.
Huddersfield gained some consolation when Paul followed up Drews kick to touch down but Saints had the final say when Cayless pounced on Longs grubber and Lyon maintained his 100 per cent record with the boot.
Sean Long made history by becoming the first player to win the prestigious Lance Todd Trophy for a third time as St Helens swept to a 42-12 victory over Huddersfield Giants in the Powergen Challenge Cup final at Twickenham.
Saints eventually found their scoring touch to run away with the contest as expected but the scoreline did scant justice to Huddersfields brave efforts.
The Giants, appearing in their first major final for 44 years, stunned the engage Super League leaders with a terrific opening onslaught that had the hottest favourites for years sweating on the outcome.
Huddersfield were good value for their 6-0 lead and trailed only 12-6 at the break but Saints class told in the end as they overwhelmed the underdogs with a typically powerful second-half show which brought them five tries.
Blood-stained second rower Jon Wilkin, who was forced to wear strapping around his broken nose for most of the game, scored two of them but the mastermind behind Saints fifth cup final triumph in 11 years of Super League was scrum-half Long.
The Great Britain maestro scored Saints second try that put them in front for the first time just before the half and put in kicks that brought others for Jason Cayless and Jamie Lyon, who also kicked seven goals from seven attempts to claim an 18-point haul.
It became the most one-sided final since Leeds Rhinos hammered London Broncos at Wembley in 1999 but there was no sign of the rout in a tense and at times brutal first half.
Saints were shocked by Huddersfields aggressive defence and caught out by their neat little offloads that allowed them to make ground with surprising ease.
It was a dream start for little-fancied Giants, who gained the ball back from the kick-off when it rebounded off Leon Pryces careless boot and forced Keiron Cunningham and Paul Wellens back over their own line to earn drop-outs.
The pressure paid off just five minutes into the contest, with Brad Drew accelerating away from dummy half and getting out a nice pass to centre Michael De Vere, who sent winger Martin Aspinwall over at the corner for the first try.
De Vere added the touchline conversion to put the 12,000 Huddersfield fans in dreamland.
Skipper Chris Thorman, showing no sign of any discomfort from the hamstring pull that threatened his participation, and the multi-skilled Drew kept Saints pinned back with their clever raking kicks but gradually the engage Super League leaders clawed their way into the game.
The introduction of substitutes Lee Gilmour and James Graham helped turn the game as they injected vigour that was missing in the opening quarter.
Jason Hooper went close to touching down Longs grubber before centre Willie Talau raced on to a Paul Sculthorpe kick that rebounded fortuitously off the foot of defender Steve Snitch.
Jamie Lyons goal levelled the scores but the Giants went close to regaining the lead when substitute Wayne McDonald broke clear on 29 minutes and sent Robbie Paul into space.
The 10 years that have elapsed since his hat-trick heroics at Wembley have taken their toll on the little man and he lacked the pace to finish off the move.
Huddersfield were then indebted to a last-ditch tackle from full-back Paul Reilly which bundled Saints winger Ade Gardner into touch after he had got past Chris Nero and looked a certain scorer.
The Yorkshiremen produce a near-faultless first half in which they completed every set of their six tackles apart from the last just before the break.
However, the signs of tiredness began to show five minutes before the interval when Lyon came up with a half-break and Gardner continued the move by sending Long over for Saints second try.
Within four minutes of the re-start, St Helens had extended their lead and there was no way back for the fast-fading Giants.
Nero thought he had saved a try when he hauled substitute James Roby short of the line but Huddersfield could not re-group quickly enough to prevent the bloodied Wilkin darting through a gap to touch down.
Wilkin marred his courageous display with a high tackle on Donlan that was placed on report by referee Richard Silverwood and scored a second try on 68 minutes, courtesy of Kieron Cunninghams break.
In between, substitute Maurie Faasavalu followed up a Roby kick to score and Lyon demonstrated a cool head and skilful hands to touch down Longs kick to the corner.
Huddersfield gained some consolation when Paul followed up Drews kick to touch down but Saints had the final say when Cayless pounced on Longs grubber and Lyon maintained his 100 per cent record with the boot.
