Stunning Leeds triumph has set benchmark for rest to emulate

In delivering that rarity of a truly classic Grand Final, Leeds Rhinos and St Helens have allowed the sport of rugby league to both look back fondly and look ahead with much greater anticipation.

Ask any fan of or commentator on Super League before the Old Trafford decider and they would inevitably offer the opinion that 2011 had not been a vintage year by any means.

There would be the arguments of too many one-sided games, a lack of genuinely compelling action, too many embarrassing off-field episodes such as the licensing debacle surrounding Crusaders and a general feeling that the sport here is still a pale comparison to the NRL.

But Leeds’s stirring Grand Final triumph, having battled to success from the unprecedented position of fifth, has managed to raise people out of that malaise and invigorate the masses.

Ordinarily, seeing the same club win a fourth title in five seasons, as the West Yorkshire outfit have now done, can hardly be viewed as hugely encouraging; it borders on a monopoly which is never good for wider growth.

But, by doing so from fifth, it at last shows others that such astonishing feats are indeed possible.

For so long, only the top two sides have realistically challenged for the title, whether that be Leeds and Saints in recent years or a combination of Bradford Bulls, Saints and Wigan before.

There have been odd exceptions – Hull FC came close in 2006 after finishing second that year – but, it is fair to say, the script generally goes to plan.

However, the barriers have now been broken down. Clubs have been shown that they do not even need to be in the top four – or need that second opportunity in the play-offs – to facilitate a chance of lifting the trophy.

Pioneering Leeds have demonstrated that all is required is a ruthless streak when it matters most; get in the top eight and you are just four wins away from being crowned champions.

You have to battle and jostle all the way through 27 rounds to achieve the best position possible but, in effect, Super League is ultimately a cup competition condensed inside a month.

It needs the vital ingredients of consistency, fitness and performance at the right time of the year but all that is required are those four – three, in some cases – successive victories.

That is why England captain Jamie Peacock is right when he says clubs should forget about aiming to get in the eight and instead concentrate on setting their aim as winning the competition.

He should know having been the only captain to do so from third with Bradford in 2005 and now, in his record-equalling ninth Grand Final appearance, eclipsing that with Leeds.

The 2012 season will be here in no time at all, given the Four Nations extends this campaign well into November, and it can now be relished with far greater optimism.

There are at least five clubs who you would imagine will deem themselves capable of repeating Leeds’s heroics and achieving glory from anywhere in the eight – Warrington, Wigan, Saints, Leeds themselves and, dare I say it, Huddersfield Giants.

Warrington may have been the best side throughout the year but they suffered badly when it came to the punch.

They will only grow from that experience in 2012 and it is hard to imagine them not making their maiden Grand Final soon.

Wigan have some sizeable losses to contend with given the retirement of Paul Deacon and Andy Coley, Ryan Hoffman’s return to Australia and Joel Tomkins’s expected loss to rugby union, while much will depend on how assistant Shaun Wane copes now he has been promoted to the top job.

However, it is hard to envisage them not challenging for more trophies while Saints, even without James Graham and on the back of a fifth successive Grand Final loss, should continue to prosper.

As they begin life in their new stadium, they will see their exciting crop of youngsters augmented with class signings such as Kiwi star Lance Hohaia and Australian Anthony Laffranchi while Leeds will similarly be buoyed by the continued development of their tyros such as Kallum Watkins and Zac Hardaker.

Huddersfield need to advance from perennial nearly men and realise people are fast losing patience with their potential tag. Yet, if anyone can buy into that philosophy of turning Super League into a mini-cup run it should be Nathan Brown’s talented but sometimes naive side.

And then it gets interesting. Catalan, who have made such advances under Trent Robinson this year hurtling from bottom to sixth, have added Leon Pryce, just the sort of player who could throw them into the mix.

Hull FC, meanwhile, under the bold leadership of new owner Adam Pearson, are intent on thrusting past both Leeds and Huddersfield to be entitled Yorkshire’s finest and it will be fascinating what further changes he makes there to facilitate that.

Widnes Vikings may not be ready to pose such a threat on their return to Super League – recruitment is proving a real issue there – but the competition will be better for their presence.

Undoubtedly, Super League still has its problems but that Grand Final result may be a real catalyst for a more competitive era ahead.

All that it needs is for the rest of the clubs to truly believe. Otherwise, it could be a freak one-off and Super League will simply return to the tired old normality of before.