Sam Tomkins scored a dramatic 79th-minute try as Catalans Dragons defeated reigning Super League champions St Helens and advanced to the 2023 Grand Final.
Steve McNamara's side punched their ticket to Old Trafford with a 12-6 semi-final triumph at the Stade Gilbert Brutus, as St Helens' hopes of a fourth-straight Super League triumph were dashed in excruciating fashion.
Defences came up trumps during a tightly-fought first half, where Tom Johnstone briefly thought he had notched the first try of the night for the hosts in the 18th minute, but his effort was ruled out for a foul on Jonny Lomax.
A 29th-minute penalty from Adam Keighran - awarded for Sione Mata'utia's high tackle on Tomkins - was all that either set of supporters had to shout about in the first half, but St Helens rallied to turn the match around early in the second period.
ON ESST EN FINNNALLLLEEEEE 🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/CcsNVZI46a
— Dragons Catalans (@DragonsOfficiel) October 6, 2023
With 51 minutes gone, Will Hopoate found a gap in the Dragons defence and surged through for the opening try, before Mark Percival's clinical conversion put the champions four points to the good.
Keighran cut the deficit in half with his second penalty of the night 15 minutes from the end, and the Dragons crowd received a major injection of optimism in the 72nd minute, as Matty Lees was sent to the sin bin for preventing Johnstone from getting off the ground close to the try line.
Keighran stepped up for penalty number three and confidently drew his side level, and it was backs-against-the-wall time for the champions as the hosts desperately tried to weave a yard of space for the all-important drop goal.
Instead, Tomkins darted through the 12-man St Helens team and touched down for a special solo try one minute before the end, and another successful Keighran kick rubbed salt into the St Helens wounds.
Either Wigan Warriors or Hull Kingston Rovers will meet the Dragons in next weekend's final, with the other two semi-finalists doing battle at the DW Stadium on Saturday lunchtime.
Ben Knapton
