ST HELENS took on St George Illawarra Dragons this morning in game one of their Pre-Season Challenge.
Morgan Knowles was withdrawn by head coach Paul Wellens before kick-off as James Bell came in for the reigning Super League champions.
Saints started the brighter of the two sides when a superb little kick through from James Roby fell gleefully into the arms of Lewis Dodd in the tenth minute. Tommy Makinson converted for a 6-0 lead.
The English side were playing at a different tempo to the Dragons and Saints had their second from a scrum. Dodd’s superb looping pass over the top gave Makinson the time to run and offload to Jack Welsby near the line. Makinson missed the conversion as Saints led 10-0.
The Dragons hit back through Zac Lomax after Ben Murdoch-Masila picked up a loose ball, with the centre converting to bring St George back to within four at 10-6.
St George took the lead through a neat Treigh Stewart run and a Lomax conversion just after the midway point in the first-half.
Makinson added a penalty to level the game at 12-apiece on the half-hour before the winger dotted down just before the break to make it 16-12.
The second-half proved to be a much tighter affair, though the Dragons did go close on 57 minutes, but Sione Mata’utia’s try-saving tackle kept Saints’ lead intact.
There was finally a four-pointer in the second-half when Joey Lussick scampered over from dummy-half with ten minutes to go. Ben Davies’ conversion made it 22-12.
And that became 28-12 shortly after as Tee Ritson grabbed his first try in Saints’ colours. Davies again converted to hand the Super League side a 16-point lead.
Savelio Tamale did respond for the Dragons before the end as Alex Lobb converted, but the result belonged to Saints as Davies added another penalty to end the score at 30-12.
