ST HELENS have secured the League Leaders’ Shield in the Women’s Super League after a 98-0 thrashing of Warrington Wolves.
Matty Smith’s side have been the dominant force so far this season, winning twelve of their 13 league games with one to go in addition to claiming the Challenge Cup.
They will lift the Shield at next Friday’s home match with Barrow Raiders at the Totally Wicked Stadium, in what is part of a double-header with the men’s team.
Lowly Warrington were, as expected, no match for Saints, who won 82-0 in July’s reverse fixture and fared even better on the road at Victoria Park.
Saints were ahead inside three minutes, Leah Burke scoring her first of four in the game after Warrington’s defence was easily stretched.
Then came a brutal period of over 15 minutes in which the Wolves didn’t touch the ball and conceded five tries in succession.
More good handling allowed Rachel Woosey to put in Burke, then the impressive Paige Travis led a charge down the middle and set up Faye Gaskin.
Travis scored herself after Beri Salihi joined the attack to great effect, and Salihi was next to cross after Chantelle Crowl made a break and Gaskin linked up.
Space was then left down Saints’ right for Zoe Harris to find Dani McGifford to make it 0-34 after just 25 minutes.
A couple of errors ended their run of possession and momentum, but Warrington struggled to complete a set when they did have the ball and were broken twice more before half-time.
Travis went around the defence for her second, then Jodie Cunningham and Woosey set up Burke’s hat-trick try and a 0-42 score at the break.
Travis secured her own treble in the first minute of the second half, making a strong break and handing off Rebecca Nixon.
Cunningham added her name to the scoresheet with a direct run at the posts, followed by Burke’s fourth after a handy pass under pressure from Woosey.
Erin Stott then scored a five-minute brace, the first off a Zoe Harris offload and the second from a flowing move and Cunningham assist.
Straight from the restart of the latter try, Crowl ripped through the Warrington defence and released Salihi for her second four-pointer, and Warrington lasted little longer from the next as Crowl punched a hole with the first hit-up and Tara Jones then zipped through it from dummy-half.
Good handling provided late tries for subs Megan Williams and Georgia Sutherland, while Williams set up Erin Stott for her third and Saints’ 18th and final try – 13 of them converted by Gaskin.
WOLVES: 5 Rebecca Nixon, 2 Abi Johnston, 17 Louise Fellingham, 4 Nicole Barnett, 33 Albany-D Coates, 6 Millie Bell, 7 Charlie Magraw, 20 Helena Turner, 26 Ellie Jelves, 18 Grace Burnett, 11 Katie May Williams, 35 Emily Baggaley, 12 Sammi Simpson. Subs (all used): 16 Megan Condliffe, 24 Olivia Hill, 25 Olivia Webb, 29 Georgia Bogg.
SAINTS: 1 Beri Salihi, 25 Dani McGifford, 4 Erin Sott, 30 Rachel Woosey, 5 Leah Burke, 6 Zoe Harris, 7 Faye Gaskin, 8 Vicky Whitfield, 9 Tara Jones, 10 Chantelle Crowl, 11 Paige Travis, 12 Emily Rudge, 13 Jodie Cunningham. Subs (all used): 16 Darcy Stott, 19 Katie Mottershead, 22 Megan Williams, 24 Georgia Sutherland.
Tries: Burke (3, 11, 38, 52), Gaskin (14), Travis (17, 30, 41), Salihi (20, 67), McGifford (24), Cunningham (46), E Stott (58, 63, 80), Jones (68), Williams (73), Sutherland (78)
Goals: Gaskin 13/18
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