Sunday’s Women’s Super League Grand Final between St Helens and York Valkyrie features two of the most dominating sides in the league.
An entertaining match between the Women’s Challenge Cup holders and League Leaders’ Shield winners is set to take place at the Totally Wicked Stadium.
The Saints are chasing a historic treble after beating Wigan Warriors in their play-off semi-final pulling off a 18-4 home triumph.
A successful regular-season campaign in 2024 that saw 13 victories in 14 matches, with their only defeat coming in round one at York, saw the Merseyside outfit winning all their last 16 games in all competitions ahead of the final.
“At the start of the year we did lose a couple of key players to other clubs so others outside of our group might have written us off a little bit and didn’t put us up there,” Saints hooker Tara Jones told the BBC Radio 5 Live Rugby League podcast.
“Hopefully we’ve proven our doubters wrong with the silverware we’ve lifted so far.”
Matty Smith’s squad chase their second Women’s Super League title and could become the second team to do it during the BWSL era, following Derek Hardman’s Saints side in 2021.
It will also be the last game for Saints half-back Faye Gaskin, who announced her retirement at the end of the season.
There is only room for one at the top 🔝
The @Betfred Women’s #SuperLeague Grand Final is this Sunday 🙌
Will the Saints complete another treble or will the Valkyrie go back-to-back? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/hw3n2M2LbR
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) September 30, 2024
York Valkyrie prepare for Sunday’s showpiece with the aim of defending their title, having beaten Leeds 16-6 in last year’s Grand Final. They are hoping to be the first side to retain their title since the formation of the Women’s Super League in 2017.
They sealed their spot in the final by surviving a late fightback to beat the Rhinos in a narrow 12-10 tussle at Headingley thanks to tries from Kelsey Gentles and Savannah Andrade and two Rhiannion Marshall goals.
York have met Saints three times already this season, with league wins being split one apiece, while St Helens easily won the Challenge Cup semi-final tie against the Yorkshire outfit. The Red V won the last match between the two in August 10-6 on their own ground, which was York’s last defeat before a run of six wins took them to third in the table and past Leeds in the semi-final.
“It’s always difficult going to St Helens’ home but we’re going to prepare well, refocus and look back and review on some of the Saints games and improve from there,” stand-off Sade Rihari told the BBC.
St. Helens target a memorable treble against York Valkyrie, in their quest to defend the Betfred Women’s Super League title.
Kick-off at the Totally Wicked Stadium is 4:30pm (BST).
