• St Helens 4-18 Warrington• Man of the match Daryl Clark seals victory with late try
No matter how good you are, and how strong you think your nerve is, you can never account for the importance of pressure in games like these. The great sides learn to thrive under it, and those who come desperately close to success are ultimately afflicted by it. Time will tell whether this St Helens side can rid themselves of the disappointment surrounding this performance and regroup in the months ahead, but to be perfectly honest, this is not their moment.
Warrington, thoroughly deserved Wembley winners here, know all too well how their opponents will be feeling. Twelve months ago they arrived at Wembley heavy favourites against Catalans and succumbed to the pressure when it mattered. Steve Price’s claim they were the biggest underdogs in the final’s history here was slightly hyperbolic but he was right about one thing: nobody gave them a chance. Just like nobody gave Catalans a chance this time last year.