Last week was the bonfire of the wannabes, this week the Betfred Super League campaign reaches the final four contenders vying for Grand Final glory on October 14.
Reigning champions St Helens kept their bid for an unprecedented five Grand Final wins in a row alive with a hard-fought 16-8 win over Warrington Wolves in their Eliminator clash, while Hull Kingston Rovers avenged their Betfred Challenge Cup final defeat to Leigh Leopards with a 20-6 victory.
Saints now travel to Catalans Dragons in a repeat of the 2021 Grand Final, while Hull KR face League Leaders' Shield winners Wigan Warriors, and here we profile the four teams fighting it out to reach Super League's showpiece at Old Trafford…
- St Helens into semi-finals after tough victory over Warrington Wolves
- Hull KR seal semi-final spot with win over Leigh Leopards
- Stream the best rugby league and more with NOW for £21 a month for six months
Catalans Dragons vs St Helens (Friday, 8pm kick-off)
Catalans Dragons
Regular-season finish: Second.
Best play-off performance: Grand Final runners-up (2021).
Head coach: Steve McNamara.
Player to watch: Since moving to the south of France from Wakefield Trinity over the winter, Tom Johnstone has gone from strength to strength and finished the regular season as Super League's leading try-scorer with 27. Will his exploits be enough to help Les Dracs go all the way and take the trophy back across the Channel for the first time though?
St Helens
Regular-season finish: Third (beat Warrington Wolves 16-8 in Eliminators).
Best play-off performance: Grand Final winners (1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022; also won Super League title finishing top of table in 1996).
Head coach: Paul Wellens.
Player to watch: A young man who wrote his name in Grand Final history aged just 19, Jack Welsby is already a bona-fide superstar of the competition and earned a third Dream Team selection following his stand-out displays at full-back this year. The 22-year-old England international will be key in Saints' bid to make it five straight Grand Final wins.
Wigan Warriors vs Hull Kingston Rovers (Saturday, 12.45pm kick-off)
Wigan Warriors
Regular-season finish: First, won League Leaders' Shield.
Best play-off performance: Grand Final winners (1998, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2018).
Head coach: Matt Peet.
Player to watch: Wigan fans are used to watching a player with the surname Farrell starring for them and that has been no different for Liam Farrell - a distant relation of now-Ireland rugby union head coach Andy - over the past 13 years. Appointed captain for the 2023 season, the back row has enjoyed another superb campaign which earned him a sixth Dream Team nomination and will hope to cap it off with Grand Final glory.
Hull Kingston Rovers
Regular-season finish: Fourth (beat Leigh Leopards 20-6 in Eliminators).
Best play-off performance: Semi-finalists (2021).
Head coach: Willie Peters.
Player to watch: The sole Robins player named in this year's Dream Team, Shaun Kenny-Dowall has been a stand-out player for the club since joining ahead of the 2020 season. The former New Zealand international centre brings the curtain down on his career at the end of the season and will be aiming to sign off on a high, particularly after finishing on the losing team in this year's Challenge Cup final.
How to watch
Both of the semi-finals are live on Sky Sports. Coverage for Catalans' clash with St Helens starts at 7.30pm on Friday, October 6 on Sky Sports Mix, with coverage for Wigan's match against Hull KR beginning at 12.15pm on Saturday October 7 on Sky Sports Arena.