IN 1998 the plan was hatched to decide the champions by way of a Grand Final at Old Trafford - the finalists being decided courtesy of a top-five play off.

There had been changes and in the off season Saints had sold popular full back Steve Prescott, three-quarter Alan Hunte and second row Simon Booth to Hull.

That money had been used to bring in Paul Sculthorpe from Warrington.

And with the relegation of Oldham Bears from the top-flight, Saints moved in to slot Paul Atcheson at full back and add forwards Brett Goldspink and Paul Davidson.

Aussie centre Damien Smith joined for a year from St George and Chris Smith came in from Castleford.

Shaun McRae – now in his third season at Knowsley Road – found this his toughest yet.

The team had certainly lost a lot of that steel and plenty of that pizazz that had illuminated 1996.

Maybe that was a product of losing favourites like Prescott and Hunte, with players like Sculthorpe and Sean Long yet to really show what they could do.

The fears that the new dawn was over after barely a couple of years was realised at a familiar graveyard of the early part of the decade.

After opening Challenge Cup round wins over Featherstone and Warrington, Saints were knocked out by Wigan, losing 22-10 at Central Park in the quarter finals.

The Warriors would go on to play Sheffield Eagles at Wembley where they suffered the biggest shock defeat since Leigh had beaten Leeds in 1971.

Saints’ form in Super League III was patchy to say the least.

The party was over with early league defeats coming against Wigan, Bradford, Leeds and Halifax.

A further defeat to Sheffield followed by back-to-back July losses to Wigan underlined that. The second of those – a 36-2 defeat in the on the road game at Swansea was Goulding’s last in a Saints shirt.

Saints’ form picked up at the back end of the year, and they strung together some better displays to finish fourth.

In the play-offs they beat Bradford Bulls and third placed surprise package Halifax Blue Sox before succumbing to Leeds in the semi final.

And that was the curtain down on another era, with the two key components of the double winning year leaving after coach McRae followed skipper Goulding out of the club.

The team still had plenty of crown jewels, but things needed freshening up and discipline needed to be restored - and before the year was out Ellery Hanley was announced as the new boss for the following year.