First Utility Super League XIX Play-Off Semi-Final Review

So for a third time in the summer era great rivals St Helens and Wigan will battle it out for the First Utility Super League title.

Saints wore down Catalan Dragons as their previous two great wins on the road caught up with them.

Wigan left it very late to edge past Warrington Wolves in a tense game at the D.W. Stadium.

St Helens 30
Tries: Turner, Swift, Manu, Masoe, Percival
Goals: Percival 5

Catalan Dragons 12
Tries: Escare, Oldfield
Goals: Bosc 2

Att: 8,888

St Helens booked themselves a place at Old Trafford by seeing off Catalan Dragons at Langtree Park.

The Dragons came into this one on a high and full of confidence after surprise wins at Leeds and Huddersfield , but they faced a rejuvenated League Leaders who despite being down on numbers had a welcomed week off as they prepared for thier home semi-final.

As both sides cancelled each other out in the first quarter, the visitors from Perpignan took the lead when Elliott Whitehead collected Sam Williams' high kick and offloaded superbly to Thomas Bosc, who produced another miraculous pass to get Morgan Escare over for his 29th try of the season. Thomas Bosc added the extras to make it 6-0.

But within four minutes Saints were back on terms when Jordan Turner forced his way over from close range and then the St Helens loose forward then turned provider in thier second score.

Play was switched from right to left and Paul Wellens gave the final pass for flying winger Adam Swift to race away and squeeze over at the corner.

Mark Percival converted his second goal from the touchline as the homeside led 12-6 at Half-Time.

After the resumption it did not take long for Saints to get back in thier stride as Willie Manu finished off a break by winger Tom Makinson to score.

Percival added a 56th-minute penalty before big prop Mose Masoe barged his way over the line as St Helens booked thier place at the Grand Final.

Percival then scored his side's fifth try before Catalan winger Michael Oldfield went over for a consolation try straight from a scrum on halfway, with Bosc kicking his second goal

So St Helens will have an opportunity to claim their first title since 2006 and hopefully end thier five match losing streak at the Theatre of Dreams.

Wigan Warriors 16
Tries: Tomkins, Gelling, Burgess
Goals: Smith 2

Warrington Wolves 12
Tries: J. Monaghan, O'Brien
Goals: O'Brien, Ratchford
Att: 15,023

Wigan Warriors made it back to the Grand Final with a narrow late win over local rivals Warrington Wolves in a tense game at the D.W. Stadium.

After playing one of the games of the season three weeks ago, there was going to be more of the same as these great rivals went at it again.

After having a week off last week, Wigan were quickest out of the blocks and despite thier early dominance they only had an 8^th minute penalty from Matty Smith to show for thier efforts.

Warrington were forced to concede back-to-back goal-line drop-outs but defended magnificently to keep the Warriors out, until on 23 minutes they were finally broken when Blake Green dummied his way through a gap and sent the supporting Joel Tomkins over to score next to the posts.

Smith kicked the conversion and the visitors suffered another blow when key player Chris Bridge limped off the field on the half hour mark.

Three minutes before the interval, the Wolves got a lifeline as Richard Myler's attempted cut-out pass took a ricochet off his team-mate's head and Joel Monaghan was on hand to score his 34th try of the season as the gap was down to 8-4.

Now full of confidence, five minutes into the second half Warrington took the lead when Gareth O'Brien re-gathered his own kick over the defence to touchdown. O' Brien kicked the extras but four minutes later Wigan hit back.

Joe Burgess combined superbly Dan Sarginson and the play was switched to the right with centre Anthony Gelling finishing the move off out wide.

Smith was wide with the conversion and the Wolves drew level on 65 minutes with a Ratchford penalty goal and this setup a very tense last fifteen minutes.

As both sides went in search of the extra point, there were no fewer than five attempts at one-pointers and with golden point extra time looming ever nearer there would be a sting in the tale.

With just two minutes left on the clock 19-year-old winger Burgess took Wigan to Old Trafford by taking a superb from his skipper Sean O'Loughlin to score the most important try of his fledging career and keep alive his sides hopes of retaining thier crown, as the poor Warrington Wolves missed out again.