Keighley Cats captain Jodee Loader expressed her delight after her team were crowned “the best of the best” in the Women’s Rugby League Conference.

In a year that has seen Keighley Cougars relegated after just one season in the Champion-ship, Cats brought some success to the town by winning the Conference Grand Final last Saturday.

They beat Stanningley 18-14 at Haslams near Derby in thrilling fashion thanks to a golden-point try from Saima Hussain.

The victory saw them clinch the national crown after going unbeaten for the whole season and Loader said: “It’s nice to be up there with the best of the best.

“It proves that we are a good team and it’s great to bring the silverware home for Keighley.”

The major trophy – thought to be the first one Cats have won – came after Keighley topped the Women’s East Division, won their Champion-ship play-off group and beat Wigan in the semi-final to set up their final clash with Stanningley.

“We’ve played them (Stanningley) twice before and every time they have got harder and harder to beat,” admitted Loader.

The Cats have had the same core of around eight players for several years under boss Sarah Walsh and Loader said: “I think it was just our time to win something.

“We could have trained harder in the past but we have a talented group of players who know each other’s game really well and I think that helped.”

Being crowned champions also compensated for Cats’ narrow defeat to Bradford Thunderbirds in the Challenge Cup final in April, a trophy which is part of the winter competition rather than the summer-time Conference.

Keighley lost 30-22 as Thunder-birds completed a third successive Challenge Cup title but Cats pushed their rivals all the way, having led 12-8 at the break.

Loader said: “I think we deserved to win the Challenge Cup but our fitness let us down.

“This makes up for it and also gives us closure as we are not playing in the winter competition this year.”

Loader said she hoped Keighley’s win would encourage more people in the town to watch the female version of rugby league.

She said: “Compared with rugby union, women’s rugby league doesn’t get the credit it deserves.”

She also paid tribute to Keighley’s golden-point hero Hussain, who was the first Asian rugby league player to feature for Great Britain.

She said: “Saima is an important part of our team and has been for many seasons.”