IN 1999, when Saints won the Super League Grand Final for the first time after edging Bradford Bulls in the final, the trophy presentation party was made up of two figures strongly associated with Wigan.

Dave Whelan's then company JJB were sponsors of the title and Wigan Warriors had just moved into the new stadium bearing that name.

And Maurice Lindsay, who at that stage was in his final year as Chief Executive of Super League, had been the biggest architect of Wigan's dominance from the mid 80s - building a team that would be the bane of Saints' life for a decade.

More than a few Saints supporters - with memories of the late 80s and early 90s - smiled when Chris Joynt - another Wiganer - went up to collect the trophy from the pair.