Women's Challenge Cup final: Women of Steel hold key St Helens v Leeds Rhinos

St Helens are the reigning women's Challenge Cup holders after beating York City Knights in last year's final

The showdown between rugby league's three Women of Steel could decide who wins the Challenge Cup when all-conquering St Helens face fellow giants Leeds in Saturday's final at Elland Road.

St Helens are hot favourites to lift the trophy after a clean sweep of all the major silverware in 2021 and having reached this year's knock-out finale without conceding a try.

But Saints' captain, and current Woman of Steel holder, Jodie Cunningham has warned her team-mates not to take Leeds lightly - especially as the Rhinos line-up will include the only other two women to win the game's most prestigious individual award.

"They have threats all over the park, but the one I'm excited, and a little nervous to see, is Georgia Roche," admitted Cunningham, in this week's 5 Live Rugby League podcast.

"She's come across from Castleford this season and in the semi-finals she stood up as a dominant half-back. She's added a completely different dynamic to Leeds.

"She's one of my England team-mates as well, so I know the quality she has."

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Roche was only 18 when she was named the inaugural Woman of Steel in 2018 after helping Castleford to the Challenge Cup final. She was also shortlisted for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year in the same year.

Twelve months on Courtney Winfield-Hill became the second Woman of Steel after moving from Australia to England and switching from cricket to rugby league with the Leeds Rhinos.

Winfield-Hill will partner Roche in the Leeds halves this weekend.

"Courtney recently got brought into the England set-up and we've had one training camp together and she was outstanding," said Cunningham.

"I've played against her and I've seen the talent she's been able to show on the pitch in a Leeds shirt. But that was my first opportunity to see her train with us and see what she was like as a person.

"And she is fantastic. She is a brilliant leader and she will be dominant for them. And adding Georgia Roche to that is a perfect combination.

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"It's not great for us at St Helens, but I think the potential of that for England later in the year is a very exciting one.

"The way the two of them play is really good. Georgia likes to play at the line, both of them have a great running game and the kicking game from Courtney is one that always causes us problems.

"But there's talent everywhere and I know people are talking of us as favourites, but we're definitely not speaking that way. We know what Leeds can do. They have turned us over in the semi finals of the Challenge Cup and the play-offs in 2019."

But Cunningham says she and her team-mates are still confident of lifting a second successive Challenge Cup.

"Because we were so successful last year we've got that target on our back. Everyone is putting all the pressure onto us," added the 30-year-old loose forward.

"There have been times this season where we have fallen away sometimes, especially in the second half of some games.

"But that last performance, in the semi-final against Featherstone, it was an all-round 80-minute performance and it gives us a lot of confidence going into this game.

"We haven't conceded a try in the whole of the Challenge Cup campaign so far, so defensively we're really proud of what we have been able to achieve.

"As much as the nerves are there I think that confidence in what we've been able to achieve so far is making us feel good."

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