Wigan Warriors 4-8 St Helens: Saints crowned Super League champions thanks to dramatic Jack Welsby try in Grand Final

Jack Welsby is the toast of St Helens after scoring a last-gasp try to see them crowned Super League champions at the expense of their bitter rivals Wigan Warriors.

The teenager scored touched down after the full-time hooter to see Saints secure back-to-back Grand Final wins.

The match looked set for extra time when Tommy Makinson’s attempted drop goal hit the post.

Wigan’s Bevan French was favourite to get the loose ball but hesitated allowing Welsby to dive over to score. To add to the drama the TMO was needed to decide if the try could count, which it eventually did.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Grand Final wasn’t played at Old Trafford but staged at Hull FC’s KCOM Stadium instead.

And the ferocious final didn’t see the deadlock broken until the final minute of the first half when Lachlan Coote kicked a penalty.

It took until the 65th minute for the game’s sole try when Jake Bibby dived over into the corner. Zak Hardaker’s conversation attempt came off the bar, allowing Coote to level with seven minutes remaining with his second penalty of the night.

Both teams tried to win it with drop goals before 19-year-old Welsby, the youngest player on the pitch, wrote his name in Saints folklore.

While Welsby is starting out his career, it was a fitting finale to St Helens, England and Great Britain legend James Graham who left the sport a winner once again.

That fate wasn’t afforded to Wigan talisman Sean O’Loughlin who also retired after Friday night’s drama.