SAINTS captain Paul Wellens outlined one huge turning point in Saints' season which saw them kick on to win the Super League title.

Following the defeat away to Hull FC on August 1, the week after Luke Walsh's season-ending injury no-one would have given Saints a chance of going on to win the Grand Final.

But after upsetting the odds to lift the League Leaders' Shield, the miracle was completed at Old Trafford on Saturday night. And for Wellens a team meeting after that loss at the KC Stadium was where it all turned round.

“That meeting after the Hull FC game was a huge turning point. There was a real danger after that game of the season just petering out and we had a choice to make. It could have gone one way or the other. We had a choice, we could have seen the season out and take your break or give it a dig and say why not, anything's possible.

The Saints skipper made a record-equalling tenth Grand Final appearance at Old Trafford, picking up his fifth winners' ring and first as captain.

“This is the cherry on the top for my career. We were disappointed to be behind at half-time but Nathan was very calm and told us to complete sets do what we've done the past few weeks and opportunities will present themselves and you will win this game, he said. And we just stuck to the plan.

“Credit to the boys we could have gone in with our heads down but this proves that we are not quitters and I had every confidence that we could bounce back.”

“Nathan has to take a lot of credit, he came up with a gameplan for us and switched the players around and the effort and the guts from the players was tremendous. Browny will go back to Australia a happy man and he's leaving a great squad behind him and the next few years are going to be special.

“We knew we could come here and win tonight. I just had a gut feeling and looked in the eyes of the boys and saw a determination. It wasn't about proving people wrong, it was about proving us right.

“I don't think anyone can begrudge us this. We're going to enjoy it, these moments don't happen often. This groups of players have now got a bond for life, we'll enjoy it”.

And Wellens dedicated the victory to the Saints fans, who had gone through so much Grand Final heartache in recent times.

“Lifting that trophy was the best feeling, it was unbelievable. This is just so much for our supporters who came here between 2007 and 2011 and saw us lose five times in a row. While the players have changed, the supporters haven't. The same people keep turning up watching us and that was for them tonight.”