St Helens began the post-Paul Sculthorpe era in impressive fashion with a seven-try rout of the defending champions to cruise into a third successive Grand Final.

Leeds could still join them in the Old Trafford decider on October 4 by winning the final eliminator but they have just six days to re-group after this mauling and could be without full-back Brent Webb, who limped off on the hour with an ankle injury.

The Knowsley Road fans paid tribute at half-time to popular club captain Sculthorpe, who announced his retirement, but their team have long since learned how to win big matches without the Great Britain loose forward.

There was little to choose between Super League's big two by half-time, when Saints led 12-4, but the League leaders turned on the style with four second-half tries.

Substitute hooker James Roby scored two of them in a five-minute spell but the biggest cheers of the night were reserved for centre Willie Talau and prop Nick Fozzard, who made their final appearances at Knowsley Road.

Saints produced some clinical handling after Francis Meli had been halted down the left-hand side, working the ball swiftly to the left where his fellow winger Ade Gardner took Matt Gidley's pass to cross unopposed for his 30th try of the season.

Leeds, who suffered a 10-8 defeat in this match a year ago, equalised after 14 minutes when Meli fumbled Kevin Sinfield's high kick and stand-off Danny McGuire was on hand to grab the touchdown.

But, with stand-off Leon Pryce shaking off an early knock to his groin to torment the visitors with his elusive runs, Saints looked the more dangerous side and regained the lead after 22 minutes when Gidley took Keiron Cunningham's short, sharp pass to squeeze over for a try.

Sean Long, who hit an upright with his first conversion attempt, found the target from the same position and then added a penalty to open up an eight-point lead.

Saints second-rower Jon Wilkin then raced clear before being pulled back for a forward pass and Leeds substitute Jordan Tansey missed a glorious chance when he failed to take Nick Scruton's neat offload.

Long attempted to stretch his side's lead with a long-range penalty in first-half injury time but his kick bounced back off the crossbar into the grateful arms of defender Keith Senior.

St Helens dominated the opening exchanges of the second half and strengthened their grip on the tie with three more tries in a devastating 10-minute spell.

The superb Pryce scythed through a strangely hesitant Leeds defence and, after standing up in the tackle, took a return pass from the supporting Roby to combine with Talau to get Meli over at the corner.

Captain Cunningham then took centre stage by tearing out of attempted tackles to get Roby over a quick-fire pair of tries, and Long added one conversion to increase his side's lead to an emphatic 26-4.

Wilkin wrapped up the win with an interception try and then raced onto Long's grubber kick to claim a second, with Long taking his goal tally to five from nine attempts.

In between Wilkin's scores, Leeds second-rower Gareth Ellis forced his way over for a solo try, with Rob Burrow adding the goal, but the champions finished a well beaten side.