he match is a repeat of last year’s semi final which Saints clinched with a Faye Gaskin drop goal in the closing minute and another classic is expected between two of the big three of women’s rugby league.

The sides met on the opening day of this year’s Women’s Super League with Saints being punished for an untypically error-strewn first half that has given them plenty to think about ahead of the showdown at Doncaster.

Skipper Jodie Cunningham reflected: “That first 40 minutes at York was probably one of the worst 40s we’ve had.

“We weren’t good and too many errors, too many penalties from our side and I think that’s just a testament probably to the intensity of that game.

“We had had a few games under our belt, but nothing of that level of intensity so it took us a while to wake up.

“We can’t afford to do that against sides like York because we left ourselves with too much to do in the end.

“We know we’ve got to start strong and that’s the main learning we took from that game to be ready from minute one.”

“We know what’s in front of us, it is a big game but it’s a game the girls strive for week on week, if you could play York and Leeds every week you would.

“So it’s one we are looking forward to as well and I probably won’t need to do much this week in terms of getting them up for.

“They’ll be up for it, but we need to get a few things fixed up, get a few things right and give ourselves the best chance.

“There is that rivalry there because us and Leeds are the three best teams in the comp at the minute.

“We don’t get any opportunities to do that every week so when you do you want to put your best performance in and hopefully we can do that on Saturday and get ourselves to another final.”

At one stage the rivalry within the Women’s game was always just about Saints and Leeds, but York have forced their way into the reckoning by investing in the team and attracting some of the better players from other Yorkshire clubs.

Saints skipper Cunningham believes York have shown the way to other clubs that investment in the women’s game can pay off with performances on the field and a raised profile off it.

“Hats off to what York have done,” she said.

“They’ve obviously seen the value in the women’s game and seen the potential to grow and get the York brand out there through the success of having a good Women’s team and they’ve absolutely done that.

“The players on the field have rewarded that investment that they’ve put into them.

“I think it’s brilliant and hopefully more teams will see what York have done and realise what can happen if you do invest properly in your women’s side and take it seriously because they are up there with the best and competing for trophies like year in, year out now.”