The unwanted 30-year record St Helens have set in miserable Super League season

Friday night’s 18-12 defeat away against Leigh Leopards condemned St Helens to their lowest league finish in 30 years, and their lowest-ever in Super League.

Had Saints won the Round 27 clash, they’d have secured a 4th-place finish and with it, a home tie in the eliminator stage of the play-offs next weekend.

Instead, Paul Wellens’ side – who have endured a thoroughly miserable campaign, partly due to an injury-hit couple of months – will now likely finish 6th, meaning they’ll travel to Warrington Wolves next Saturday.

It’s worth noting that their 6th-place finish isn’t even officially rubber-stamped just yet, with Catalans Dragons still able to catch them, though that would take a mathematical miracle.

If the Dragons win at Hull FC on Saturday afternoon in their final game of the campaign, they’ll move level on 30 competition points with Saints, but Wellens’ side have a vastly superior points difference, which will more than likely save their bacon.

The Red V have never not been involved in the Super League play-offs, so that record looks set to remain in tact, but Friday night’s defeat at Leigh brought with it some desperately unwanted records for their 2024 squad.

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The unwanted 30-year record St Helens have set in miserable Super League season

Saints last finished below 5th in the 1993/94 Championship campaign, exactly 30 years ago.

That season, as bitter rivals Wigan won the league, Eric Hughes’ outfit ended 8th having taken 31 competition points from 30 games, losing 14 times.

Wellens’ side’s record ended at 15 wins and 12 losses in 27 ‘regular’ Super League games this term, picking up 30 competition points.

So while things aren’t quite as poor as that 1993/94 campaign, 2024 marks the first year of Super League which has seen a Saints side end lower than 5th, bringing the club’s lowest-ever Super League finish.

Obviously, that would remain the case even if the worst happened on Saturday afternoon and they somehow ended up 7th.

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