A 40-metre field goal from James Maloney buried St Helens in extra time on Sunday morning as the Catalans Dragons confirmed their first-placed finish in the English Super League.
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The 31-30 triumph looked impossible in the dying stages as the formidable Saints held a commanding 30-12 lead with just over four minutes to go.
Entering the match as outsiders, the Dragons made the most of the some field position in the 77th minute as former Penrith Panther, Dean Whare exploded onto a short ball before Maloney's boot brought the deficit to 12.
In the ensuing set, front rower Gil Dudson scored a rare try to bring the Dragons within six, but there was still plenty of work to be done at 30-24.
After marching 80 metres in the next set, St Helen's fullback Lachlan Coote failed to reel in a Maloney bomb, giving the French side another crack.
Another former NRL man would be the hero in regulation time as Sam Kasiano snatched a Josh Drinkwater cross-field bomb out of the air, locking things up as the clock expired.
The Dragons were on the front foot in golden point as Agnatius Paasi was sent to the sin-bin for a dangerous tackle, before Maloney delivered the decisive blow with less than two minutes to go.
The degree of difficulty on the field goal was high as the sharp shooter was on the blind side and under pressure when he casually dropped it onto the toe.
It wasn't the prettiest strike, but just cleared the cross-bar as the small contingent of Catalans fans at London's St James' Park erupted.
"I didn't actually know if I was going to have a crack or not," Maloney told Sky Sports after the match.
"I was under pressure and I was just going to kick to a corner but had a bit of a chance so I thought I'd chance my luck... I'll probably never kick one from there again."
As for how the contest unfolded, the 35-year-old knows the performance wasn't perfect.
"We've still got some work to do because there was plenty we didn't get right today but to come back in that fashion is really impressive.
"There were a few hiccups in extra time, and we weren't perfect but I think we're league leaders now so it's a really good reward."
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