ST HELENS head coach Paul Rowley was delighted with his side’s sensational come-from-behind win to snatch the Good Friday derby late on at the expense of Wigan Warriors.
“It was a rollercoaster of a game. Both teams were on the ropes for long periods and it was a real war of attrition, so everything you’d expect from a derby of such magnitude,” he said.
“We dug in and that’s been the story of our season so far with the adversity we’ve got.
“We’ve got twelve players who would be in the starting 17 out but what we do have is a number of young players who continue to defy all the odds, play without fear and are backed up by some quality senior players.
“They kept calm heads in frantic times but every time we scored the noise went up from our fans, the atmosphere was amazing and it was our inspiration to give the fans this day, so that was one of the most pleasing things.”
Rowley heaped praise on a number of players, including on-loan hero Bill Leyland, who scored two late tries to shellshock the Warriors, and Tristan Sailor, who rose to the occasion under pressure.
“I think you could see some visible fatigue in both sides late on and I thought Bill Leyland’s introduction was really important but our boys’ willingness to keep playing was evident,” he said.
“Tristan has been involved in all the big moments for us this year. He’s a talent and he gets involved in those moments. He’s brave, he’s fearless and audacious at times and I thought he was great again today.
“He handles pressure very well and he has a calming influence on the people around him. I love watching him play and coaching him.”
Rowley outlined the importance of stripping back their game in order to rebuild after being thrashed by Hull KR seven days earlier and was pleased with how his side applied themselves.
He added: “After last week it was the perfect storm as it gave us a grounding and a reset in getting back to the fundamentals.
“It was going to be physical and confrontational with it being a derby, so it was important to do the simple things right, and we kept playing which was pleasing.”