ST HELENS 52 HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS 4
DAVE PARKINSON, Totally Wicked Stadium, Sunday
ST HELENS had fun in the sun as they blasted in for nine tries and played with too much pace and intensity for Huddersfield.
Mark Percival, Kyle Feldt and Tristan Sailor all scored doubles while Jack Welsby made his return from injury off the bench in the second half.
While the Giants wilted after Taane Milne was sinbinned early on, and again in the 25 minutes after half-time, Saints are roaring towards the play-offs in solid form.
The hosts opened the scoring in the tenth minute when Sailor found Daryl Clark, who went straight, then right and left, sending the defence all ways, before ultimately moving the ball left for Percival to score. Feldt converted his first of eight successful goals from nine attempts.
Milne was then shown the yellow card for dissent by referee Jack Smith after 18 minutes, and it proved a costly period for the Giants with Saints scoring three tries in his absence.
Jonny Lomax was just prevented down the left but when the tackle count was wiped, Saints brought play right and Harry Robertson sent Feldt in at the corner.
The home side were on a roll and Sailor got underneath a towering Moses Mbye kick ahead of George Flanagan for the next.
Owen Dagnall then thrilled the crowd, latching onto Percival’s pass around 40 metres out and curving infield, beating the cover before having enough strength to ground despite the attentions of Flanagan.
Only a one-on-one steal from Jacob Gagai stopped things from being worse for the Giants and they finally came forward with eight minutes remaining of the first half. Halfbacks Matt Frawley and Kieran Rush linked and Joe Greenwood strode through to the left of the posts, where Flanagan couldn’t goal.
A blistering break from Joe Batchelor looked likely to result in further Saints points but Clark spilled Percival’s pass, keeping the score to 24-4 at half-time.
St Helens were in the mood though, and showed it after the break with a further five tries.
Huddersfield lost Frawley to injury at half-time and less than a minute into the new half, Sailor made inroads before finding the supporting Jonny Lomax to score.
Morgan Knowles then touched down at the side of the posts after being fed to the line by Clark.
Welsby made his welcome return to action in the 50th minute and nearly come up with a try in his first 60 seconds on the field after creating a break.
Batchelor charged down an attempted kick from Flanagan and then offloaded later in the set for Percival’s second try as Saints continued to stretch away.
Welsby kicked for Feldt to rise above everyone and touch down on the right, and then Sailor claimed a sparkling individual try from distance to bring up Saints’ half-century after 62 minutes.
Thereafter, things became scrappy from both sides and although Huddersfield pushed for further consolation, they founds Saints’ defence too good.
GAMESTAR: Tristan Sailor was involved in most of Saints’ best periods, sparkling with the ball while being solid at the back.
GAMEBREAKER: The first try of the second half, by Jonny Lomax, ensured there was only going to be one winner.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: Tristan Sailor’s second try was a peach, breaking from his own half to score.
ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Tristan Sailor (St Helens)
2 pts Daryl Clark (St Helens)
1 pts Alex Walmsley (St Helens)
MATCHFACTS
SAINTS
6 Tristan Sailor
2 Kyle Feldt
26 Harry Robertson
4 Mark Percival
30 Owen Dagnall
7 Jonny Lomax
14 Moses Mbye
8 Alex Walmsley
9 Daryl Clark
10 Matty Lees
12 Joe Batchelor
16 Matt Whitley
13 Morgan Knowles
Subs (all used)
1 Jack Welsby
15 James Bell
17 Agnatius Paasi
19 George Delaney
18th man (not used)
23 Jake Burns
Also in 21-man squad
27 George Whitby
34 Jake Davies
36 Deon Cross
Tries: Percival (10, 55), Feldt (20, 59), Sailor (24, 62), Dagnall (27), Lomax (41), Knowles (48)
Goals: Feldt 8/9
GIANTS
29 George Flanagan
1 Jacob Gagai
23 Taane Milne
3 Jake Bibby
5 Sam Halsall
35 Matt Frawley
27 Kieran Rush
18 Fenton Rogers
9 Zac Woolford
22 Tristan Powell
13 Harry Rushton
17 Joe Greenwood
21 Leroy Cudjoe
Subs (all used)
8 Oliver Wilson
14 Ashton Golding
15 Matty English
16 George King
18th man (not used)
28 Connor Carr
Also in 21-man squad
10 Tom Burgess
33 Archie Sykes
– Marshall Land
Tries: Greenwood (33)
Goals: Flanagan 0/1
Sin bin: Milne (18) – dissent
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 18-0, 24-0, 24-4; 30-4, 36-4, 42-4, 46-4, 52-4
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Saints: Tristan Sailor; Giants: Jacob Gagai
Penalty count: 4-5
Half-time: 24-4
Referee: Jack Smith
Attendance: 9,826