Shenton looking to bring an end to Leeds’s final hold over Saints

On the back of so much change both on an off the field, they became only the third side in 14 years to qualify for Old Trafford from third place.

It came during a surreal campaign when many expected the famous club’s five-year run of reaching the final would at last come to an end given the size of the changes taking place.

Most notable was the retirement of their talisman Keiron Cunningham, the introduction of another new coach – Australian Royce Simmons – plus a temporary shift to Widnes while a new ground was being built.

Then there was the loss of another legendary player Matt Gidley, the revered Australian centre who had followed his similarly-gifted countryman Jamie Lyon into endearing himself so deeply with the Saints faithful.

Yorkshireman Michael Shenton was given the job of attempting to fill that void and, in his debut season since leaving Castleford Tigers, he has featured heavily as Saints defied the odds to plot their way straight back to Manchester.

The England centre, 25, had left the club where he developed through the Academy because of a burning desire to win trophies.

He is now just 80 minutes from achieving that during his first 12 months and, after a career of struggling to even make the play-offs, is now preparing for his first appearance at Old Trafford.

“It’s all unreal and I can’t really describe it,” he told the Yorkshire Post.

“It’s been a bit of an up-and-down year for us with the club moving forward in different ways.

“Players who have been here years have finished – first Sean Long and then Keiron (Cunningham) – and I suppose there’s a new era with the new stadium, coach and players so there’s a lot going on.

“But to make the final this year was still expected despite everything.

“It’s not easy to achieve that and when you look at the teams that have not made it – Wigan and Warrington – it is a massive achievement.

“We’ve done it pretty hard but it starts again now. Only half the job is done as we’re coming up against a Leeds team in good form.

“For me, it’s all been awesome and I can’t wait to walk out there.”

Shenton has missed only two games all season as he has quietly gone about his business in the Saints’ three-quarter line.

The pressure was certainly on given some of those illustrious predecessors – another Pontefract-born centre by the name of Paul Newlove donned the jersey at the onset of Super League – but he has delivered on his promise.

“I was quite nervous moving to a club so renowned for being successful,” he added, having helped defeat champions Wigan twice in this play-off series to secure their Grand Final place.

“Nobody expects you to lose – ever – or put in a bad performance.

“I took my time to settle in but I think I’ve handled it pretty well.

“It was always going to be tough especially getting some combinations right as the number of injuries we got to players in key positions was just ridiculous

“I started off with Kyle Eastmond as the half-back on my side, then Lee Gaskell came in before Leon (Pryce) returned and then there was Jonny Lomax and Nathan Ashe for a few games too.

“That obviously causes problems for the team but once we started getting some stability we got the performances.”

Saints won just two of Simmons’s first five games in charge but slowly started to find their feet and the emergence of those rookie half-backs Gaskell and Lomax has been a significant factor in their drive.

Shenton has marvelled at how the inexperienced pair – Gaskell does not join Lomax as a 21-year-old until later this month – have taken control of Saints’ game and pushed them forward in such a positive manner.

“They are two very different people,” he said about the local duo nurtured in Saints’ prosperous Academy.

“Both were quite quiet coming into the team but with people like Jon Wilkin, James Graham, Paul Wellens and Leon Pryce – guys you look up to – that’s no surprise. I was the same.

“But for them to come in and have such a major influence like they have this year is a massive achievement.

“You can’t overlook what they have achieved.

“Jonny is a real great trainer who does all the extras. He’s the first one in and last one out.

“Gaskell is a lot more laid-back and is a natural with his kicking game, while Jonny is more of a natural athlete.

“Both have seen all these guys play since they were growing up, have strived to get in this team and both want to keep improving.

“Royce has got them sticking to the game plans which can be difficult with young lads and they’ve played some great stuff.

“But the number of homegrown players in this Saints side is amazing – there was 12 the other night with just three overseas players in.”

Shenton, who has scored eight tries in Super League this year including one in the defeat of Leeds at Headingley, is relishing the chance to face the club who were always Castleford’s biggest rivals.

There have been plenty of well-wishers from the Tigers this week as they urge him to go on and end Leeds’s hopes of reclaiming the title they lost to Wigan last year.

After enduring so much heartache against them during his time at Castleford – not least painfully conceding a last-second penalty to lose at Wheldon Road three years ago – Shenton would love to do so. But he is well aware of the danger Leeds pose, including the in-form Rob Burrow who has been proving a menace off the bench.

“He’s such a threat when he gets his hands on the ball,” added Shenton.

“He’s so dangerous and can change direction so quickly when some of the big blokes are tiring.

“But you can’t look past Jamie Peacock. He’s a real leader – I know from England – while Kevin Sinfield’s directing people around

“They have a lot of confidence and experience of winning Grand Finals. It’s definitely a big ask, but we’re looking forward to it.”

And Saints are keen to send off their latest hero with Graham playing his final game for the club before joining Canterbury Bulldogs in Australia.

Shenton’s England colleague plays in his sixth successive final and is desperate to end on a high.

He has been an inspiration to them all and, while Long, Cunningham and Co all failed to achieve perfect send-offs, there is a real belief in this current Saints crew that 2011 will be a year of transition for more reasons than one.

Pryce omission biggest surprise

England star Leon Pryce has surprisingly been left out of St Helens’ Grand Final squad after coach Royce Simmons questioned his match fitness.

Tom Armstrong, 21, who has been playing on a dual-registration with Leigh, is called up and will vie with Gary Wheeler and Matty Ashurst for a bench place.

Leeds’s Jamie Peacock and Saints’ Paul Wellens will now equal Pryce’s record nine Grand Final appearances, while Rhinos have added Kallum Watkins and Ali Lauitiiti to their 19-man squad but are set to remain unchanged from the side that won at Warrington last week.