'Left to Wright' etched into Super League history as St Helens come up with one of sport's most dramatic moments
St Helens came up with one of the all-time great Super League tries with no time left on the clock to defeat Leeds Rhinos in the play-offs and set up a semi-final meeting with Hull KR; watch both Super League semi-finals live on Sky Sports on October 3 and 4
Tuesday 30 September 2025 10:19, UK
Sixteen passes. 38 seconds. Shane Wright etches his name into Super League history as St Helens experience the ecstasy that sport can provide.
With just two seconds left on the clock and then the hooter sounding, Jonny Lomax starts with the ball and it goes to Jack Welsby, Tristan Sailor, Welsby again, Lomax again, Wright, Welsby again, Matt Whitley, Sailor again, Harry Robertson, Sailor again, Lomax again, Whitley again, James Bell, Welsby again, and then Wright to go over and send Headingley's away end into pandemonium.
A club with the tagline 'Never Write Off The Saints', they have become known for their ability to keep playing over their 30 years at the top of the sport. However, their recent stagnant attack has seem them suffer. Not on this night, though.
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Twenty-five years ago, St Helens' most immortal try was scored on September 22, 2000 as they managed to defeat Bradford Bulls with 'Wide to West', one of rugby league's greatest moments.
Sky Sports Rugby League's stalwart Eddie Hemmings' immortal commentary went: "This is the last play. Long kicks it wide to Iro. Iro to Hall, Hall is trapped.
"Back it goes to Hoppe, over the shoulder to Hall, there is Jonkers.
"Here is Long and Long fancies it, Long fancies it. It's wide to West, it's wide to West, Dwayne West, inside to Joynt, Joynt, Joynt, Joynt!
"Oh! Oh! Fantastic! They have won it. They have won it. Chris Joynt has won it. It is unbelievable here. It is frankly unbelievable.
"Chris Joynt has won the match for St Helens. What a final passage of play. What a run. What a try. What a match. What drama."
On September 27, 2025, exactly 25 years later, St Helens head coach Paul Wellens went from celebrating on the pitch as a player to going even more berserk as head coach as they went 'Left to Wright'.
Now, Sky Sports Rugby League's Dave Woods has uttered the soon-to-be immortalised words: "Leeds desperate to put hands on bodies to stop things from happening.
"Whitley, Sailor, it is with Robertson. He cuts back on the inside with so many bodies ahead of him.
"Robertson on the outside, ducks underneath tackles, Robertson plays it back and a flick back to the middle.
"Whitley, Lomax... Oh! They are going to score, they are going to score.
"It is going to be a dive for the line for Shane Wright.
"Have you ever seen anything like that? That is utterly, utterly extraordinary."
While sport is known for serving up moments even script writers would deem ridiculous, Wellens felt there could have been something "written in the stars".
"It's quite ironic that I was at the press event Monday and that was brought up to me a few times around its 25 year anniversary (of Wide to West)," he said.
"Some people believe in fate, some don't but it's pretty peculiar that the game is won in a very similar fashion to what it was 25 years ago.
"I spoke to the team about that numerous times throughout the course of the year, saying you are never done till you are done and keep going at the game."
And on his massive celebrations? He is rolling with it... for now.
"I don't know whether I'm going to be regretting that in time to come or not but I think the game's about emotion isn't it and passion and you know I'm not going to apologise for that," Wellens added.
"I mean it's just at the time I was obviously ecstatic for my team and the players and the staff who worked so hard so yeah I reacted in the way I did and I looked behind the sticks and saw the fans who supported us home and away all year and had tough moments, had good moments.
"It is important that you celebrate moments like that I think it's key."
Left to Wright: In pictures
How social media reacted
Leeds' Arthur: It is a 'shattering' moment
While some of sports greatest moments leaves 13 players, their coaches, and set of fans on cloud nine, there are 13 other players, coaches, and set of fans who are left in disbelief at what they have just witnessed.
Indeed, Leeds Rhinos head Brad Arthur admitted he was "shattered" by the moment.
"Yeah, it's shattering, mate. Not for me, like I'm disappointed and shattered, but just shattered for the players," Arthur said.
"They worked their backsides off all year, put a heap of effort into that, invested so much into that performance.
"Shattered for our fans who have invested so much into the team. It's a cruel game sometimes.
"I don't think we deserve for it to end like that, but it did and we have to deal with it.
"It's going to be a tough pill to swallow for a while, but it's going to have to make us better."
Super League fixtures
Knockout stage
Elimination play-offs
- Fri September 26: Leigh Leopards 26-10 Wakefield Trinity
- Sat September 27 Leeds Rhinos 14-16 St Helens
Semi-finals
- Fri October 3: Wigan Warriors vs Leigh Leopards - 8pm
- Sat October 4: Hull KR vs St Helens - 5.30pm
Grand Final (Old Trafford)
- Sat October 11: TBC vs TBC - 6pm
Watch every Super League game live on Sky Sports. Watch both Super League semi-finals live on Sky Sports on October 3 and 4.
