An hour after Leeds Rhinos’ historic third successive engage Grand Final triumph, the Super League trophy was perched in a corner of their dressing room at Old Trafford and a small knot of senior players sat quietly reflecting on the extent of an achievement that was scarcely thought possible in the modern game.

Rugby league’s salary cap, in limiting clubs’ spending to £1.7 million a year, is gradually creating the elusive level playing field sought by the sport’s administrators, although there remains an awfully steep slope at the top end when it comes to Leeds, who had St Helens’ measure in a brutally compelling final for a third year.

Structurally as a club and playing-wise, Leeds represent an immovable force at the present time. The benchmark they have set is not beyond the rest in terms of spending capacity — “every one of those players could go to another club and earn more money, but they choose to sacrifice a few extra quid to play for this great club,” Kevin Sinfield, the Leeds captain, said — but the Rhinos are so motivated and geared up to winning, they have forgotten how to lose.

Whereas Wigan’s 1980s and 1990s heyday was primed towards the end by fear of losing, Leeds are driven by the joy of their continued triumphs. It is a powerful combination of investment, player development, inspirational coaching under Brian McClennan, application of technology and success breeding success.

At a basic human level, Leeds are a side who thrive in each other’s company. “It’s mateship, teamship, a feeling almost of spirituality, of believing in each other, of carrying a little piece of each other on to the pitch,” Jamie Peacock, a record six-times Grand Final winner with Bradford Bulls and Leeds, said. “To make history like this, I can’t think of a better moment. We’re a driven club.”

St Helens remain Leeds’s main rivals, but having finished four points behind them in the regular season, silverware has eluded Saints for the first time in four years. The impetus of a new stadium cannot come quickly enough for a club who are in danger of being caught by a posse of aspiring allcomers.

Overhauling Leeds, though, will require a phenomenal effort. Their unquenchable spirit on Saturday was personified by Sinfield’s man-of-the-match contribution, six weeks after he suffered a hairline fracture to his cheekbone.

“I got a whack on it early, but adrenalin gets you through,” said Sinfield, whose brilliant cover tackle in denying Kyle Eastmond a second try and St Helens a further recovery from 11-10 down proved pivotal. Sinfield first lifted the Super League trophy in 2004, which ended Leeds’s 32-year championship title quest.

Eight of that side played their part in the Rhinos equalling St Helens’ record of four Grand Final victories — years when Sean Long bestrode Old Trafford. Long’s 12-year Saints career fizzled out, his one-man kicking game disappointingly shown up by Sinfield’s measured boot in harness with Danny McGuire and Rob Burrow.

Only the emotion at the end disturbed Sinfield’s equilibrium, who afterwards dedicated the victory to John Holmes, Leeds’s greatest playing servant, who died last month from cancer. “These guys know how to win and I’m just the captain lucky enough to get to lift the trophy,” the 29-year-old said. “I’m fortunate to be surrounded by leaders like JP [Peacock], who’s been fantastic for us and leads from the front in every game, and Keith [Senior], who just keeps going.

“I’ve three years left on my contract and all I want to do is finish my league career at Leeds. We’ve a great squad, we’re well coached, with the best management and best fans. It’s a massive honour to play for this club.”

• Tony Smith, the England coach, will today include Sam Tomkins, of Wigan, the Super League young player of the year, and Eastmond, of St Helens, both 20, in a new-look 24-strong Gillette Four Nations squad to face France, on October 23, Australia and New Zealand.