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Matthew Elliott on the one that got away: Wide to West

Former Bradford Bulls head coach Elliott on what it was like to be on the losing side in one of Super League's most iconic matches

Listen to former Bradford head coach Matthew Elliott on the 'Wide to West' try

"Long fancies it…it's wide to West…Dwayne West, inside to Joynt…Joynt…Joynt!"

Those were the words from Sky Sports rugby league commentator Eddie Hemmings which accompanied what has become one of the most iconic moments of the Super League era.

It was Chris Joynt who scored the try on the final play of the game which snatched a 16-11 win for St Helens over Bradford Bulls in the 2000 play-offs, although Hemmings' commentary means it will be forever known as 'Wide to West' and associated as much with Dwayne West for his run down the Knowsley Road touchline which led to the try.

It is a moment which will never be forgotten by anyone who witnessed it, least of all then-Bradford head coach Matthew Elliott, who joined Hemmings for the latest The One That Got Away podcast to look back on that night

"It's probably a moment I would have preferred not to be involved in, particularly as we were playing away from home, in a semi-final and we'd done enough in 80 minutes to win a game," Elliott told Sky Sports.

"That's what we say - you've just got to play for 80 minutes. Well, I didn't quite nail that in my coaching speech before the game because I don't know how long after the bell St Helens scored that amazing try, 30 seconds perhaps?

"But they kept the ball alive and while I've got to say it's not my greatest moment, it was a great moment to be involved in even though I dropped behind the wall when the try was scored."

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It's probably a moment I would have preferred not to be involved in, particularly as we were playing away from home, in a semi-final and we'd done enough in 80 minutes to win a game.
Matthew Elliott

If the final decade of winter rugby league in this country had been all about Wigan, then the switch to summer saw St Helens and Bradford emerge as the new forces in the sport.

Between them, they won seven of the first eight titles of the Super League era, faced each other in the Grand Final twice and battled it out for Challenge Cup glory at Wembley in 1996 and 1997, with Saints emerging victorious on both occasions.

The close-fought 1999 Grand Final at Old Trafford, which saw St Helens emerge 8-6 victors, had further stoked the fires of the rivalry heading into the new millennium.

"We were probably a little hard done by in the Grand Final," Elliott said. "There was an intercept where Leon Pryce went the length of the field, but they said it was knocked on and it was really quite an interesting game.

Pix : Ben Duffy...COPYWRIGHT PICTURE>>SIMON WILKINSON>>01943 436649>>.St.Helens fans joy at Grand Final victory..
Image: St Helens had the edge over Elliott's Bradford team in the 1999 Grand Final

"But there was such a strong rivalry between the two teams, and it was always neck and neck. We were close to 50-50, but they did win some big games against us and you have to congratulate them for the way they conducted themselves."

Another refereeing decision was to go against the Bulls in the play-off clash at St Helens' ground the following year, with tries from Jamie Peacock and Henry Paul, plus a conversion and a drop goal from the latter, having seemingly done enough to earn them a one-point win.

However, Bradford were penalised by match official Russell Smith for dragging a player into touch after a tackle had been completed just before the hooter sounded, giving St Helens one last chance to attack - albeit from their own 20-metre line.

Having opted to tap and go, followed by Sean Long firing a kick across to the right side of the field, St Helens were able to work the ball out to West - playing in the first and only play-off game of a career which was ended prematurely due to injury - who sprinted away before passing inside for forward Joynt to finish, snatching an unlikely victory.

St Helens Captain Chris Joynt goes over the line to score his second try against Wigan in the Tetleys Bitter Super League Final at Old Trafford.
Image: Chris Joynt scored the game-clinching try for St Helens

"They've had their last play-the-ball and the bell goes, so all we've got to do is execute one play," Elliott said. "They certainly lit the field up and did all they could.

"We only needed to make one tackle, knock the ball out or whatever, but we weren't able to do that because of the skill they had in their team.

"That's what happens at the elite level, you don't win all the time. What you've got to do is learn from it, but don't be scared of admiring the opposition for coming up with what was an incredible play.

"Remove the other 80 minutes, that one play was incredible."

We only needed to make one tackle, knock the ball out or whatever, but we weren't able to do that because of the skill they had in their team.
Matthew Elliott

Elliott left the Bulls at the end of the season to return to his homeland of Australia as Canberra Raiders head coach, while St Helens went on to lift the title by defeating old rivals Wigan in the Grand Final.

The 55-year-old still looks back fondly on his time at Bradford, with his first head-coach role having yielded a league title in 1997, a Challenge Cup success in 2000 and him being named as Super League's coach of the year twice. However, he has never been allowed to forget 'Wide to West'.

"The last Lions tour out here, I did a boat cruise and there were some English fans on it," Elliott said.

"We're on this harbour cruise in Sydney and there were a load of Bradford fans singing 'We love you Matty, we do!' and there was a whole lot of St Helens fans.

"I couldn't work out what they were singing, but it was 'Wide to West', so I do get it occasionally when I run into fans from the UK."

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