ST HELENS delivered an absolute masterclass with a comprehensive Super League win over Warrington Wolves.
It was and fast and frenetic opening before Konrad Hurrell plucked out a George Williams pass to run home from 30 metres. Jon Bennison missed the conversion as Saints led 4-0.
Jonny Lomax doubled the hosts’ lead moments later with a brilliant dummy to carve open the Wolves. Bennison this time converted to make it 10-0.
Saints were carving up the Wolves with ease and a superb Jack Welsby grubber fell into the gleeful arms of Will Hopoate who dived over for three tries in eight minutes. Bennison converted from out wide for a 16-0 lead after 20 minutes.
With the introduction of Peter Mata’utia and Sam Kasiano, however, Warrington slowly clawed their way back into proceedings with a superb Matty Russell finish. Stefan Ratchford converted from out wide to reduce the deficit to ten at 16-6.
Hurrell blew another chance with ten minutes to go but there was no other score for the remainder of the first-half with Saints up 16-6 at the break.
Saints began the second-half like they started the first – in control. Bennison grabbed his fourth Super League try of the season with a superb individual try, but the winger couldn’t convert as the host led 20-6.
It was an incredibly fierce encounter, but Saints continued to tick the scoreboard over with a Joey Lussick penalty on 66 minutes to make it 22-6.
Some stunning St Helens defence kept Warrington pinned in their own half for a lot of the second-half and even put the icing on the cake with a minute left with a stunning Tee Ritson finish off a Hurrell pass. Lussick converted for a 28-6 victory.
St Helens
1 Jack Welsby
25 Tee Ritson
23 Konrad Hurrell
3 Will Hopoate
5 Jon Bennison
6 Jonny Lomax
7 Lewis Dodd
15 LMS
9 James Roby
10 Matty Lees
22 Sam Royle
12 Joe Batchelor
19 James Bell
Substitutes
14 Joey Lussick
24 Lewis Baxter
30 George Delaney
34 Wesley Bruines
Tries: Hurrell (10), Lomax (14), Hopoate (18), Bennison (44), Ritson (80)
Goals: Bennison 2/4, Lussick 2/2
Warrington Wolves
1 Matt Dufty
32 Matty Russell
21 Greg Minikin
4 Stefan Ratchford
5 Matty Ashton
6 George Williams
7 Josh Drinkwater
8 James Harrison
16 Danny Walker
13 Josh McGuire
11 Ben Currie
12 Matty Nicholson
9 Daryl Clark
Substitutes
2 Josh Thewlis
3 Peter Mata’utia
14 Sam Kasiano
35 Lucas Green
Tries: Russell (25)
Goals: Ratchford 1/1
