2014 St Helens RLFC season explained

Year:	2014
Team Colour:	ffffff
Font Colour:	f00823
League:	Super League
League Rank:	1st
League Wins:	19
League Draws:	0
League Losses:	8
Points For:	825
Points Against:	611
Goal Difference:	+214
Playoff Result:	Grand final – Winners
Cup:	Challenge Cup
Cup Result:	Fifth Round
Cup Wins:	1
Cup Losses:	1
Ceo Title:	Chairman
Ceo:	Eamonn McManus
Coach Title:	Head coach
Avg Attendance:	12,063
High Attendance:	17,980 (vs Wigan Warriors, 18 April 2014)
Top Tries:	Tom Makinson (28)
Top Goals:	Luke Walsh (70)
Top Points:	Luke Walsh (160)
List:	yes
List Link:	List of St Helens RLFC seasons

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.^[1]

2014 transfers

Players In

Player	Previous Club	Contract	Date Signed
		2 Years	May 2013
		2 Years	June 2013
		2 Years	August 2013
		4 Years	September 2013
		2 Years	September 2013

Players Out

Signed for	Contract	Announced
	1 Year	July 2013
	2 Years	July 2013
	2 Years	August 2013
	N/A	September 2013
	1 Year	November 2013
Released	N/A	November 2013

2014 squad

Announced on 15 November 2013:

Other staff

Technical staff

width=300	Name	width=300	Job title
Steve Leonard	Service Area Manager
Nathan Brown	Head coach
Keiron Cunningham	Assistant coach
Jamahl Lolesi	Assistant coach
Matt Daniels	Head of strength and conditioning, head trainer
Joey Hayes] and Nathan Mill	Physiotherapists
Derek Traynor	ASSE Manager & Under 19's Coach
Ian Harris	Training steward
Alan Clarke	Kit manager
Neil Kilshaw	Player Performance Manager
Gaz Tracey	Club Chaplain
Derek Jones	Masseur
Kel Coslett	Gameday manager
Simon Perritt	Club doctor

^[2]

Boardroom staff

width=300	Name	width=300	Job title
Eamonn McManus	Chairman
Mike Rush	Chief executive officer
Paul Sculthorpe	Business development manager
Steve Law	Merchandising manager
Mike Appleton	Media manager
Mark Onion	Marketing manager
Steve Davis	Head of Commercial Operations

^[3]

Pre Season

LEGEND		-		width=100	Win	-		width=100	Draw	-		width=100	Loss	-

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.

Competition	H/A	Result	Score	Tries	Goals	Att	TV	Report
24/01/14	Friendly	H		W	20–0	Makinson, Percival, Flanagan, Jones	Percival (2)	TBC	No	https://web.archive.org/web/20140318061111/http://www.saintsrlfc.com/results/match-report/3674
31/01/14	Testimonial	H	Langtree Park	L	16–28	Swift (2), Roby	Walsh (2)	TBC	No	https://web.archive.org/web/20140318061142/http://www.saintsrlfc.com/results/match-report/3613
02/02/14	Friendly	A		W	6–62	Makinson, Galbraith(2), Fleming, Ashworth, Gardner(2), Charnock, Clough, Walker, Tisdale	Charnock(8), Makinson	TBC	No	https://web.archive.org/web/20140318062038/http://www.saintsrlfc.com/results/match-report/3694

Super League XIX Fixtures/Results/Table

LEGEND		-		width=100	Win	-		width=100	Draw	-		width=100	Loss	-

Competition	H/A	R	Tries	Goals	KO	Att	TV	Report
13/02/14	1	A	Won	8–38	Makinson, Roby, Amor, Laffranchi, Swift, Walsh	Walsh (7)	20:00	13,157		http://superleague.co.uk/report/9910
21/02/14	2	H	Won	34–22	Roby (2), Soliola, Lomax, Makinson, Percival		Walsh (5)	20:00	13,488		http://superleague.co.uk/report/9916
27/02/14	3	A	Won	0–38	Wilkin, Walsh, Percival (2), Amor, Laffranchi	Walsh (7)	20:00	6,353	Sky Sports	http://superleague.co.uk/report/9921
07/03/14	4	H	Won	38–18	Swift (2), Lomax, Walmsley, Soliola, Makinson, Wilkin	Walsh (5)	20:00	11,818		http://superleague.co.uk/report/9931
14/03/14	5	H	Won	40–22	Jones, Makinson (2), Turner, Mc-Carthy Scarsbrook, Hohaia, Swift	Walsh (4), Lomax (2)	20:00	11,321		http://superleague.co.uk/report/9938
14/03/14	6	A	Won	16–24	Jones, Soliola, Dawson, Greenwood, Makinson	Makinson (2)	15:00	5,037		http://superleague.co.uk/report/9947
28/03/14	7	H	Won	14–10	Walker, Makinson (2)	Makinson	20:00	13,788	Sky Sports	http://superleague.co.uk/report/9950
11/04/14	8	A	Won	28–30	Soliola, Lomax, Makinson, Turner, Wellens, Swift	Walsh (3)	20:00	6,487	Sky Sports	http://superleague.co.uk/report/9957
18/04/14	9	H	Lost	14–33	Makinson (2), Turner	Walsh	12:15	17,980	Sky Sports	http://superleague.co.uk/report/9966
21/04/14	10	A	Lost	40–26	Soliola, Masoe, Wellens, Makinson, Hohaia	Makinson (3)	15:00	7,706		http://superleague.co.uk/report/9975
01/05/14	11	H	Won	48–18	Dawson, Walsh, Lomax, Makinson, Hohaia, Swift, Greenwood, Jones, Flanagan	Walsh (6)	20:00	9,408	Sky Sports	http://superleague.co.uk/report/9979
11/05/14	12	A	Won	0–50	Wilkin (2), Walsh, Lomax, Makinson, Swift, Soliola, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Roby	Walsh (7)	15:00	6,311		http://www.superleague.co.uk/report/9988
18/05/14	13: Magic Weekend	N	Lost	41–24	Walmsley, Turner, Hohaia, Dawson	Walsh (4)	17:00	28,213	Sky Sports	http://www.superleague.co.uk/report/10777
23/05/14	14	H	Won	41–22	Wheeler (2), Hohaia, Wellens, Dawson, Wilkin, Masoe	Walsh (6)	20:00	10,218	Sky Sports	http://www.superleague.co.uk/report/9991
30/05/14	15	H	Won	32–12	Wellens (2), Soliola, Hohaia, Wheeler	Walsh (6)	20:00	11,000		http://www.superleague.co.uk/report/9998
14/06/14	16	A	Lost	42–0			18:00	7,276	Sky Sports	http://www.superleague.co.uk/report/10009
22/06/14	17	H	Won	38–16	Makinson, Wellens (2), Turner, Percival (2), Walsh	Walsh (5)	15:00	12,648		http://www.superleague.co.uk/report/10014
27/06/14	18	A	Won	12–16	Makinson (2), Wellens	Percival (2)	20:00	20,224	Sky Sports	http://www.superleague.co.uk/report/10020
06/07/14	19	A	Lost	40–10	Percival, Masoe	Percival	15:00	7,611		http://www.superleague.co.uk/report/10030
11/07/14	20	H	Won	46–22	Roby, Wellens (2), Masoe, Percival, Swift, Hohaia, Makinson	Percival (7)	20:00	10,238		http://www.superleague.co.uk/report/10033
19/07/14	21	A	Won	16–58	Percival (2), Amor, Turner (2), Wellens, Dawson (2), Thompson, Soliola, Laffranchi	Percival (7)	15:00	1,791		http://superleague.co.uk/report/10041
25/07/14	22	H	Won	44–22	Flanagan, Makinson (3), Masoe (2), Turner, Manu	Percival (6)	20:00	11,844		http://superleague.co.uk/report/10048
01/08/14	23	A	Lost	19–12	Makinson, Wellens	Percival (2)	20:00	10,214		http://superleague.co.uk/report/10053
15/08/14	24	H	Won	40–16	Makinson (2), Jones (2), Mcdonnell (2), Soliola	Percival (6)	20:00	11,000		http://superleague.co.uk/report/10060
29/08/14	25	A	Won	12–13	LMS, Roby	Percival, Makinson	20:00	17,682	Sky Sports	http://superleague.co.uk/report/10068
04/09/14	26	H	Lost	12–39	McDonnell, Manu	Makinson (2)	20:00	12,854	Sky Sports	http://superleague.co.uk/report/10074
14/09/14	27	H	Lost	17–16	Makinson, Roby, Hohaia	Percival (2)	20:00	7,244	Sky Sports	http://superleague.co.uk/report/10086

Super League XIX – Play-Off Series

Competition	H/A	R	Tries	Goals	Att	TV	Report
19/09/14	Qualifying Play-Off	H	W	41–0	Roby (2), Turner, Swift, Makinson, Amor, Masoe	Percival (6), Turner (DG)	7,548	http://superleague.co.uk/report/10911
02/10/14	Qualifying Semi-Final	H	W	30–12	Turner, Swift, Manu, Masoe, Percival	Percival (5)	8,888	http://superleague.co.uk/report/10916
11/10/14	Grand Final	N	W	14–6	Soliola, Makinson	Percival (3)	70,102	http://superleague.co.uk/report/10893

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

LEGEND		-		width=100	Win	-		width=100	Draw	-		width=100	Loss	-

Date	Competition	Rnd	Vs	H/A	Venue	R	Score	Tries	Goals	KO	Att	TV	Report
	06/04/2014			Round 4		A		P Bentham	16–17	Swift, Makinson (2)	Walsh (2), Walsh (DG)	14:15	7,150		https://web.archive.org/web/20140408160438/http://www.thechallengecup.com/fixtures__results/match_report/10818
	26/04/2014			Round 5		A		R Silverwood	32–12	Swift, Jones	Walsh (2)	14:30	12,194		https://web.archive.org/web/20140430031928/http://www.thechallengecup.com/fixtures__results/match_report/10845

Notes and References

Web site: St Helens 14 Wigan Warriors 6: Moment of madness from Wales international Ben Flower costs Wigan dear. 11 October 2014 . Daily Telegraph. 15 October 2014.
Web site: Team Coaching and Staff | Welcome to the Official Website of St. Helens R.F.C. . 31 August 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20140221062533/http://www.saintsrlfc.com/team/staff. 21 February 2014.
Web site: Who's Who. saintsrlfc.com. 16 December 2013. 31 August 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20140220130947/http://www.saintsrlfc.com/club/60. 20 February 2014.