Betfred Super League: ‘Wide to Wright’ momentum will take St Helens to Grand Final – Brown

Former Betfred Super League great Kevin Brown believes that the momentum built in the scoring of the ‘Wide to Wright’ try in Saturday’s eliminator at Leeds Rhinos is set to take St Helens all the way to the Grand Final.

Shane Wright’s sensational post-hooter try has already become the stuff of rugby league legend. And Brown says that everything is now pointing to the Saints continuing their epic story by beating Hull KR in Saturday’s semi-final.

Speaking to The Last Tackle, Brown explained: “It’s a free hit now, for me. Emotionally they put so much into that Leeds game, and it was almost season over. All the hard work they’ve done came down to one play.

“The fact that they’ve got themselves on the bus and they’re going over to East Yorkshire, I think it’s the worst possible opponent for Hull KR.”

Saints trailed 14-12 when the siren sounded at AMT Headingley on Saturday, and on their final remaining play delivered a mesmerising 16-pass move which finished with Wright diving over to knock out the hosts and send the Western Terrace into delirium.

And the former Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves half-back says that League Leaders’ Shield and Challenge Cup winners Hull KR will hold no fear for them in Saturday’s semi-final at Craven Park.

“They’ve played them a couple of times away already, they know what it feels like and they’ve nothing to lose,” Brown told The Sportsman Rugby League’s weekly magazine show.

“Hull KR are not a patch on where they were six to eight weeks ago, they’ve hit the brakes and I think they’re running out of a bit of steam.

“We’ve seen it before that teams who win the Challenge Cup final often struggle to back that up. I think they have struggled, and they’ve shown their class by limping over the finish line in the league.

“I thought they were very underwhelming against Warrington’s reserve grade, let’s get it right, and Willie Peters will be looking for form like he had previously to the last six weeks. But with the pressure at home, everything’s there for a big upset.”

That 28-20 victory over Warrington in the final round of the regular season once again displayed KR’s lack of polish following on from the previous week’s defeat at Wakefield Trinity.

And the former voice of rugby league, Eddie Hemmings, says he also expects Saints to have enough to cause a shock on Saturday as a result of Rovers’ dip in form.

“They were fortunate, I think, to win at Wembley this year against Warrington,” ex-Sky Sports commentator Hemmings reasoned. “They were not fortunate to win the League Leaders’ Shield because that shows just how consistent they have been.

“But they have the Saints turning up on the back of the ‘Wide to Wright’ try. I just hope that match for St Helens hasn’t taken the gas out of them.”

Rugby League Odds

The Hull KR-St Helens clash, which kicks off at 17:30 BST on Saturday, is the second of the two Betfred Super League semi-finals which will take place this weekend to determine this year’s Grand Finalists.

On Friday, Wigan Warriors and Leigh Leopards met in a ‘Battle of the Borough’ which has taken on an extra dimension this week due to a very public spat between Wigan CEO Kris Radlinski and the Leopards’ owner Derek Beaumont over ticket allocations,

The local rivals meet at 20:00 on Friday, with the Grand Final slated for 18:00 on Saturday, October 11 at Manchester United’s legendary Old Trafford home.

Saints are 16/5 to win on Saturday night in regular time, and 7/1 to go on and lift the Super League trophy seven days later.

You can read all our latest Rugby League Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights Rugby League content hub.