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World Club Challenge champions Bradford were aiming to win their second Grand Final in succession by repeating their recent play-off win against St Helens.

But the Saints put in a brilliant team performance, overcoming an early deficit to narrowly beat the Bulls in front of a sell-out crowd at Old Trafford.

The the scores all-square on 79 minutes, scrum-half Sean Long displayed nerves of steel to score a late drop goal and win the trophy by the slenderest of margins.

And Bradford were left to dwell on a denied penalty claim as the Saints reclaimed the trophy.

Send us verdicts on a thrilling final.

This debate is now closed. A selection of your e-mails appear below.

So many UK sporting events fail to live up to the enormous hype which they are given by this country's media - the FA Cup final, every year for example. The Super League Grand Final surpasses everything for sense of occasion, value for money and sheer excitement. For the scant coverage RL gets, the crowds the Grand Final attracts are phenomenal.
Gary, England

This was my first RL match and hugely impressed with the spectacle... except for the disgusting behaviour of Saints and Bulls fans during the one minute silence. It was behaviour not becoming of a family occasion. The catcalls and "c'mon" shouts were not fitting of such an event. Fellow rugby fans died in Bali - show some respect.
Andrew Robbins, England

What a game. It's a pity we are unable to concentrate on just the good things in this fantastic sport we enjoy. Controversy yes, but it's all over now and Saints are the champions.

The fact that Saints played patchy, by their usual high standards, and lacked their usual off the cuff creativity only goes to show just how good they are. To beat Bradford who were on top of their game just goes to show what a resilient, tough team, Saints have become. Thank you to both teams for another evening to savour and roll on 2002.
Rhino Mike, England

What a game, proof that rugby league is the most demanding and exciting game in the world. And proof that the English Super League can match anything the Ozzy Super League can offer.

I'm a Wigan supporter but I'll be cheering the Saints on against Sydney. Best of luck lads.
Andy, UK

What a fantastic atmosphere the whole day was. It made me incredibly proud to be a supporter of rugby league. I look forward to many more fantastic occasions like this.
David, St Helens, England

What an atmosphere - it positively crackled. Voluntary tackle or not, a little controversy makes it all the more exciting. The commitment of these players is like nothing else in the country.
Mark M, London, UK

Rich is correct, Bradford should have capitalised early on. However, WE DID! Why that try was disallowed at 6-0, God only knows...That would have been 12-0 and game over.

Fair play to Saints, they defended well, but Russell Smith was your Man of the Match without dispute. The way Deacon was kicking, 20-19 should have been the score. Yes, I'm referring to the "penalty" or not, in the last minute...We'll be back next year...
Allen Cooper, Leeds, UK

Come off it Bradford, sour grapes or what?! Take the time to look at the ref's performance and see that any doubtful decisions were, to say the least, evenly spread. This 'voluntary tackle' wasn't one of them either - because it never happened.

Sly of your man to try and kid Joynt into going to ground, then stepping back. Typical Bradford. The best rugby did come from the Bulls after the break, but that alone is not enough.

When all is said and done, Saints hung in there to the bitter end, and so were on hand to capitalise when Bradford mucked up. You don't win a Grand Final by accident. Two good teams, one slightly better overall on the night. Just accept it, Bitter Bulls!
Jimmy, The 'Ellins

This was my first Grand Final and it certainly won't be my last. My 11- year-old son thought it was the best game of rugby he's ever seen. There was a fantastic atmosphere, great excitement, and a moment of pure ecstasy when the drop goal went between the posts.

Best of all though was the total lack of racist abuse, and the friendly mix between fans from a variety of clubs. I spotted a lad in a Wigan shirt in the St Helen's End, and wore my Broncos shirt with pride whilst sat between a group of Bradford supporters and a St Helens family. See you all in Cardiff next April for the Challenge Cup final!
Clive Sentance, UK

It was a pity that a great game had to be decided on refereeing mistakes. This is all a result of deciding a full season's work over 80 minutes. OK, keep the play-offs as an end of season tournament but surely the champion team has to be decided on the results over the full season. How big an injustice would it have been if Huddersfield had missed promotion by having just one off-game? Come on RL, get it sorted.
John B, UK

It's interesting to hear all the League fans saying what a fantastic advert the game was. The net result was that all the technology available resulted in two errors, which made a 10 point difference to the scores.
Rodney Lowe, England

Congratulations to St Helens on a fantastic win. Bradford - you played well but didn't capitalise on your early superiority. You had decisions definitely go for you early in the game, so don't ruin it by complaining about one that possibly went against you late on. At the end of the day, Saints knew how to defend and how to finish a game off. Live with it. Well done Saints - and Sean Hoppe: good luck against the Kiwis - you deserve it.
Rich, UK

Bradford Bulls were robbed of what's rightly ours. How can we expect to win against 15 men, 13 players, a ref and a video ref? Other than that, a cracking game of rugby.
Steve, England

Congratulations to the Saints who probably, over the season as whole, deserved to be Super League champions. I would point out that Bradford tried to milk an involuntary tackle by approaching the man as if to tackle him and then jumping back. This is not in the spirit of the game and should not be rewarded.

Rugby League is a game where you collapse under the tackle and often a player goes beyond the point of balance in order to go to ground safely or maybe gain an extra yard. As soon as the tackle was NOT completed he got up and went again.

Rugby League doesn't need a rule where the referee has to judge why a player went to ground (he could have tripped or be exhausted) only that he is not being plain silly.
Peter Hayes, England

A Rose by any other name would smell as sweet..... as long as it's red!
Mal Walker, Australia

St Helens born and bred, the true champions were crowned as champions, but on the night Bradford were robbed.
Alan Pickavance, England

As a lifelong supporter of Wigan Athletic, I wish to congratulate the Saints on another wonderful victory. Keep it up.
Darren Hesketh, Wigan, UK

The Saints came marching in, a great game by both sides, but someone has to lose. As a Saints fan and ex-pat I was on the edge of my seat the whole match, it doesn't get much better than this.
Ed, Malta

I love rugby league! What a fantastic match and the mighty Saints got there in the end. GO SAINTS!
Brad Newman

As a Bulls fan I was gutted by the outcome of the game, but I could go home being proud of the Bulls performance. It was a great day yesterday, apart from Russell Smith and Sean Long ruining it! A great advert for the game of rugby league.
Tom, Manchester, England

Once again Russell Smith robbed the Bulls in a big game. His impartiality has to be very questionable. Some of his decisions need a serious looking at as they have cost the Bulls a great deal of money (World Club Challenge) and kudos (SL Champs back to back).
Paul Mortimer, England

What is the point of a video ref to clear up controversy when they just create it. Plus match officials not prepared to take the toughest decisions. From a very disappointed Bulls supporter.
Nigel, England

It was 15-13 out there. Saints had the referee and the video referee on their side. Bradford were cheated and should have won.
Ross Nolan, England

Quite an exciting finish and well done to St Helens, but I have to say that the standard of British rugby league is woeful. Anyone who thinks otherwise should just look at the NRL. And of course the Kangaroos - GB game earlier in the year.
Ozzie Laaza, Australia

Come on you Saints! 'Ave it!!
Fogue, USA

From a neutral's point of view, it was a classic game but if that wasn't a voluntary tackle in the dying seconds, I don't know what is!
Mark, England

Yet again we have seen the underhand ways of Millward come to the surface. He will use his squad in any manner necessary to secure silverware. If he is not fielding an under-strength squad, his players are sticking the boot in or diving to the ground. A hollow victory for a shallow man.
Mark, UK

As a Saints supporter I was delighted with the result - Saints just won't lie down and they deserved to edge a really tight match.

However, I was amazed by Brian Noble's whinging about the ref being gutless, as I also thought he was gutless in not dealing with the thug Costin, who put Paul Wellens out of the game by leading with his feet and knees into a player on the ground, and then missing the most obvious steal of the ball by Lowes right in front of Bradford's posts in the last few minutes.

To hear Bradford complaining about the alleged voluntary tackle in the last seconds was wonderful - they did just the same in the dying seconds at Knowsley Road two weeks ago. The best bit of the whole night was watching Loser Lowes spit his dummy out - again - at the final hooter: wonderful!!
Tom, UK

Hey Brian - you lost. Bad luck. That's the game. Get over it!
John Robshaw, USA

How good has this year been? First the Roosters win over here, and now my team in England win. Well done Saints!
Chris Denbigh, Australia

As a Saints fan at the match, I wish to congratulate my club on another final success over Bradford. The match could have gone any way and was a fantastic match - if not for the faint-hearted - and rounded off another excellent Super League season.

Let's hope that Paul Wellens' injury will not keep him out of the Test matches. Well done Saints. Bring on the Sydney City Roosters!
Kevin Heywood, England

Fantastic!! I am from St Helens and still follow Saints via the internet. Wish I was there to celebrate, but having a few beers over here! Congratulations to everyone.
Deb, United States

Sorry, Bulls, you deserved it on skill tonight, but Saints know how to win. No point bleating about an irrelevant voluntary tackle which can't be proved as Deacon deliberately backed off from Joynt. The game was won by then. Congratulations Saints.
Alan, UK

PLEASE don't take away the glory from St Helens, It was a good game and as usual someone had to lose. I was PROUD to be a "Northerner" when I saw the good spirit on and off the field of rugby. It was a pleasure to see young and old of all ages.

Keep up the good work of a brilliant and exciting game. To all rugby clubs who are struggling against the high finance of television coverage - don't let us rugby fans be victims of high finance, as we have seen in football!
B. Mark, Cyprus