The dust has settled on the fact that St Helens have missed out on play-off rugby for the first time after their seventh-placed finish in Super League. The analytical dissection of how this happened has been ongoing by fans and pundits for the best part of two years. Some supporters would say longer.

The next 12 months will give an indication of how long those with power inside the four walls of the club have realised that their trajectory has been downwards. Can the smallest of changes lead to significant outcomes in the most complex of systems? If this low ebb for Saints is their tornado, what exactly was the flap of the wing? For that, we need to rewind to 2019, when they picked up their first Super League title in five years. Midway through 2017, St Helens were sitting mid-table and made the decision to part ways with head coach Keiron Cunningham and bring in Justin Holbrook.

After a Luke Gale drop goal saw Saints heartbreakingly fall in the semi-finals in 2017 and somehow miss out in 2018 despite the genius of Ben Barba, 2019 marked the year when they were simply the best team around. Their 23-6 win over Salford Red Devils in the Grand Final was the moment that cemented that St Helens were here once again. It was a star-studded team with the likes of Jonny Lomax, Tommy Makinson, Alex Walmsley and Lachlan Coote all in their mid-to-late 20s and in their prime.

A mix of homegrown talent and hand-picked Australian superstars was running the show. They had to then overcome a change of head coach but, under Kristian Woolf, success would continue...