Dagnall try extends St Helens’ winning run over Leeds and lifts them into third
We are still some way from knowing just how significant this victory will be for St Helens in the scramble for the Super League playoffs but in the here and now, it was difficult to escape just how monumental an evening this felt for Paul Wellens’ side.There has been no shortage of adversity stacked against the Saints in 2025.Injuries, poor performances and mounting pressure on Wellens himself has led many to feel that there was next to no chance of this side being in the picture for Old Trafford come the autumn: but things change quickly in the wild world of Super League.Five victories in a row have propelled the Saints from the fringes of the playoffs to the lofty heights of third, overtaking the side they defeated here with a spirited display that felt so much more than two competition points.In many ways, it could prove to be season-defining.
Few would have given the Saints a chance against a Leeds side buoyed by their victory at the league leaders, Hull KR, last week before a ball had been kicked here.Those numbers would have likely dwindled further when Wellens lost both his hookers, Daryl Clark and Jake Burns, to head injuries inside the first half.That left the Saints a man light on the bench in blisteringly warm conditions in West Yorkshire.But they not only emerged victorious here – their seventh straight win at the home of their great rivals – they did so with a character-laden display that underlines this group are playing for their head coach: and they are in the title discussion.There is perhaps still some way to go until we talk about this St Helens side as bona fide, red-hot Grand Final contenders.
But the very fact they are now, all of a sudden, third in the table with nine rounds remaining means they must be in the conversation,“It was a performance delivered under a hell of a lot of pressure and a heck of a lot of adversity,” Wellens declared post-match,“There are things we need to get better at if we’re to take that next step, but that’s a conversation for another day,”The game’s only try came midway through the first half, when Tristan Sailor and Owen Dagnall combined to send the latter over to break the deadlock,Jonny Lomax would later add a penalty to make it 6-0 but incredibly, that was the night’s scoring over before the half-time hooter.
Leeds have made great strides under Brad Arthur and like the Saints, are in the Grand Final discussion.But this was categorically an off night for them, with their star players struggling to unlock a resolute and stern defensive effort from St Helens.They will not look back on this night too fondly.“It was a frustrating 80 minutes,” Arthur said.“We allowed them to frustrate us and with that frustration we had every player trying to come up with something special or win it on their own.
”Leeds certainly tried; you can never question their effort under Arthur.But on nights like these, when the opposition are defending for their lives, the Rhinos do need a little bit more of a cutting edge to their game.Not even the late sin-binning of the Saints prop Agnatius Paasi could craft an opening for Leeds to take advantage of.But this night, in truth, belonged to the Saints.Written off for large periods of the year – perhaps rightly so in some aspects – this could yet prove to be the night where their fans began to believe this could be their year against all the odds.
Ministers propose voting changes for mayoral elections in English devolution bill
Ministers are changing the voting system for mayoral elections in a move likely to make it harder for Reform politicians to take big regions like Lincolnshire and Hull as they did this year.The changes are part of a new devolution bill, intended to bring a “radical reset to local government”, which will take further steps towards merging many district and county councils into unitary “strategic” authorities.The move is likely to please Labour MPs and local authorities after frustration over losses in two recent contests where Andrea Jenkyns, a Reform mayor, was elected on 42% of the vote in Lincolnshire, while Luke Campbell, the Reform mayor in Hull and East Yorkshire, got 35%.In another part of the legislation, mayors will now be elected under a preferential system, rather than first-past-the-post, a change designed to make sure candidates have broader support.The changes reverse a decision made by the Conservatives in 2022 to switch the system to first-past-the-post away from supplementary voting – where voters have a preferred first and second choice and the candidate does not win outright with more than half the vote
Trial UK and France ‘one in, one out’ scheme designed to curb migrant boat crossings to start within weeks – as it happened
Starmer moves to illegal migration.This is a global crisis, he says. But it is also “acutely” a crisis for UK and France.An enterprise run by criminals is leading hundreds of people to their deaths in the Channel.They have agreed “a ground-breaking returns pilot”
Term ‘disabled’ in danger of losing all meaning, says Badenoch
The leader of the Conservatives, Kemi Badenoch, has said she does not believe one in four people are disabled and the term is in danger of losing its meaning, as she used a speech to criticise the size of the welfare state.Badenoch called for restrictions on disability benefits for those suffering conditions including food intolerances, anxiety and mild depression.She made the speech at the Centre for Social Justice a week after Keir Starmer’s government scaled back the extent of its cuts to disability benefits in the face of a huge revolt from backbench Labour MPs and disability rights groups.The backlash continues, with charities saying “huge swathes” of severely disabled people would be affected by the planned universal credit cuts.However, Badenoch said the cuts do not go far enough, with the Conservatives having tabled proposals to stop sickness benefits going to foreign nationals
Tory defections to Reform are disaster for Badenoch – but Farage needs to tread carefully
Jake Berry has had an eclectic political career in the run-up to his defection to Reform UK this week. An enthusiastic campaigner for remain at the referendum, he became a big champion of Boris Johnson, then backed the most moderate candidate, Tom Tugendhat, for party leader.But after Tugendhat inevitably faltered, he became one of the loudest enthusiasts for Liz Truss’s premiership, under which he was given the post of Tory chair. After her brief leadership ended in collapse, Berry was one of the party’s most restive malcontents. Now, he says, the future is Reform
Former Conservative party chair Jake Berry defects to Reform UK
The former Conservative party chair Sir Jake Berry has joined Reform UK in the most high-profile defection so far to Nigel Farage’s party from the Tories.In a fresh blow to Kemi Badenoch, the former cabinet minister said his former party had “abandoned the British people” and said he wanted to see Reform UK form the next government.Berry, a close ally of Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, led the “northern powerhouse” group of MPs but lost his seat at the 2024 election. He said the Conservatives and Labour had “wrecked” the country over the past 20 years.In an article for the Sun, Berry said he was leaving the Conservative party after 25 years as a member and 14 as an MP
Ex-Reform UK MP’s business affairs referred to fraud body
The former Reform UK MP James McMurdock’s business affairs during the Covid pandemic have been referred to the Public Sector Fraud Authority, the Guardian understands.It follows a referral by the Covid corruption commissioner on Wednesday. The authority will investigate the evidence and work with relevant agencies if required.McMurdock, the MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock in Essex, surrendered the party whip last weekend in anticipation of revelations in the Sunday Times, which claimed there were questions over loans totalling tens of thousands of pounds.It was reported that he took out £70,000 in loans in 2020 from the government’s bounce back scheme
My age makes it very difficult to win grand slams, admits beaten Djokovic
Wimbledon 2025 semi-finals: Sinner destroys Djokovic, Alcaraz beats Fritz – as it happened
Second act of English cricket’s great hope Jofra Archer starts with a bang | Andy Bull
England v India: third men’s cricket Test, day two – as it happened
Jasprit Bumrah marvels for India with next level showing to dismantle top order | Barney Ronay
Archer and Bumrah make batters sweat as England and India toil on day two at Lord’s