HULL KR 20 ST HELENS 12
STEPHEN IBBETSON, Sewell Group Craven Park, Saturday
HULL KR will get another shot at Grand Final glory after Oliver Gildart’s two tries helped them see off St Helens and set up an Old Trafford rematch with Wigan.
The League Leaders’ Shield winners were clear pre-match favourites and justified that billing by dominating for large parts, including the entire first half.
But Saints also showed the resilience that got them this far in the competition, finding a way to stay in touch despite being second-best.
Gildart’s eight-minute double proved enough in the end, after tries by Mikey Lewis and Joe Burgess in the opening 40, and Willie Peters’ Robins are now one victory away from completing the treble.
Hull KR were superior right from the start, making their defensive intent clear, and Saints weren’t helped by losing Jon Bennison to a head injury after nine minutes from an unpunished Jared Waerea-Hargreaves tackle.
That brought a positional change as Tristan Sailor moved wide and Jack Welsby to fullback, although Welsby was soon off too for a yellow card.
He pulled back Jez Litten as the Robins hooker tried to chase his own kick following nice offloads from Sauaso Sue and Elliot Minchella, and Arthur Mourgue kicked the resulting penalty for a 2-0 lead.
Hull KR took further advantage three minutes later when a well-worked move through Minchella, Tyrone May and Lewis released Burgess, and Lewis timed his support perfectly on the inside for the try, goaled by Mourgue.
The home side were completely dominating territory, helped by Lewis making good use of the wind with his kicking, and Burgess turned scorer in the 24th minute after a long pass by Litten and an excellent offload from the ground by Gildart.
Saints may have been glad just to make it to half-time at 12-0, although they survived a few close shaves. May failed to pick out Mourgue after Peta Hiku set the halfback away, while Hiku himself lost the ball while going for the line shortly before the break.
Paul Wellens’ side hadn’t had a sniff of the opposing tryline all half – yet crossed it four minutes after the change of ends. A Matt Whitley offload set up Deon Cross, via a dummy, to dash in, and Jonny Lomax converted with assistance from a post.
For just a moment, Saints had some momentum, but a sequence of three penalties on the spin changed that. Rhyse Martin could have taken his side’s lead back to two scores after the last of them, but placed his kick wide.
And when the visitors were gifted an attacking set by Hiku’s dissent while in possession, the centre made immediate amends by forcing a Welsby error and Hull KR marched straight downfield to clinch the match.
Lewis stood up a kick towards the left corner, Cross spilled in the air and Gildart pounced. Martin couldn’t convert from the touchline but Saints were going to need a miracle comeback on the scale of the previous week’s at Leeds to win now.
The Robins, however, are too polished a side to let that happen, and Gildart crossed again nine minutes from time, set up by the playmakers May and Lewis.
They appeared to be in again from the kick-off as Burgess claimed the short restart and burst clear, but the video referee deemed Martin to have obstructed Lomax in the aerial contest.
From that call, Saints created space for Harry Robertson to get four points back, and Lomax a further two from the tee, making it 20-12, but they couldn’t muster a further attack in the four minutes that remained.
GAMESTAR: Oliver Gildart scored two tries and provided another in an excellent display.
GAMEBREAKER: Gildart’s second made sure of Hull KR’s progression towards the end of a chaotic second half.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: Joe Burgess’ try was created by great vision by Jez Litten and a perfect Oliver Gildart offload.
MATCHFACTS
HULL KR
35 Arthur Mourgue
2 Tom Davies
3 Peta Hiku
4 Oliver Gildart
5 Joe Burgess
6 Mikey Lewis
7 Tyrone May
8 Sauaso Sue
9 Jez Litten
10 Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
11 Dean Hadley
12 James Batchelor
13 Elliot Minchella
Subs (all used)
15 Sam Luckley
16 Jai Whitbread
17 Rhyse Martin
18 Jack Broadbent
18th man (not used)
20 Kelepi Tanginoa
Also in 21-man squad
14 Michael McIlorum
21 Jack Brown
24 Eribe Doro
Tries: Lewis (17), Burgess (24), Gildart (63, 71)
Goals: Mourgue 2/3, Martin 0/3
SAINTS
6 Tristan Sailor
5 Jon Bennison
26 Harry Robertson
16 Matt Whitley
36 Deon Cross
1 Jack Welsby
7 Jonny Lomax
8 Alex Walmsley
9 Daryl Clark
10 Matty Lees
11 Curtis Sironen
37 Shane Wright
13 Morgan Knowles
Subs (all used)
14 Moses Mbye
15 James Bell
19 George Delaney
21 Noah Stephens
18th man (not used)
18 Jake Wingfield
Also in 21-man squad
4 Mark Percival
12 Joe Batchelor
23 Jake Burns
Tries: Cross (44), Robertson (75)
Goals: Lomax 2/2
Sin bin: Welsby (12) – professional foul
SCORING SEQUENCE: 2-0, 8-0, 12-0; 12-6, 16-6, 20-6, 20-12
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Hull KR: Oliver Gildart; Saints: Matt Whitley
Penalty count: 5-1
Half-time: 12-0
Referee: Liam Moore