Impressive St Helens scored a comfortable victory over their 2021 Grand Final opponents Catalans Dragons, winning 28-8, with Tommy Makinson scoring two tries in the opening game of the 2022 Betfred Super League season.
It was an expensive game for the Catalans, with Julian Bousquet breaking his arm in the first half,
The Catalans began the game with prop forward Gil Dudson being sinbinned after only two minutes, but no sooner had he come back on but the Dragons took the lead with a delightful kick over the top from Josh Drinkwater that was collected and touched down by Fouad Yaha, with Sam Tomkins adding the goal for a 6-0 lead.
Saints came back into the game ten minutes later after good work by Morgan Knowles and Sione Mata’utia giving the final pass to Tommy Makinson for the try, although Lewis Dodd couldn’t add the conversion. But they took the lead shortly afterwards, with James Roby supporting a superb break by new recruit Konrad Hurrell to touch down near the corner, with Dodd again failing to convert.
But Dodd was the next tryscorer when he chased his own kick to touch down for the try and this time Makinson was the goalkicker who missed the goal, with Dodd seemingly having damaged his ankle, although he stayed on the field.
Makinson scored his second just before the interval when he took a pass from Jonny Lomax as Saints’ dominance was emphasised.
Dodd opened the scoring in the second half with a penalty under the posts on 54 minutes.
And Saints emphasised their superiority in the final ten minutes when Darcy Lussick and Konrad Hurrell both scored on their debuts, with Hurrell’s try coming when he ran 40 metres after intercepting a Sam Tomkins pass, much to the joy of the St Helens supporters.
Saints: 1 Jack Welsby, 3 Will Hopoate, 23 Konrad Hurrell, 4 Mark Percival, 2 Tommy Makinson, 6 Jonny Lomax, 7 Lewis Dodd, 8 Alex Walmsley, 9 James Roby, 10 Matty Lees, 11 Sione Mata’utia, 12 Joe Batchelor, 13 Morgan Knowles; Subs: 14 Joey Lussick, 15 Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 16 Curtis Sironen, 17 Agnatius Paasi.
Tries: Makinson (23, 38), Roby (28), Dodd (32), Lussick (74), Hurrell (78)
Goals: Dodd 2/6, Makinson 0/1
Sinbin: Napa (72 – seeking retribution)
Dragons: 29 Sam Tomkins, 2 Tom Davies, 3 Samisoni Langi, 4 Dean Whare, 5 Fouad Yaha, 6 Mitchell Pearce, 7 Josh Drinkwater, 8 Gil Dudson, 9 Michael McIlorum, 22 Dylan Napa, 11 Matt Whitley, 12 Mike McMeeken, 13 Benjamin Garcia; Subs: 10 Julian Bousquet, 20 Tyrone May, 23 Jordan Dezaria, 28 Sam Kasiano.
Tries: Yaha (12)
Goals: Tomkins 1/1
Dismissal: Napa (72 – leading with shoulder to the head)
Sinbin: Dudson (2 – seeking retribution)
Half-time: 16-6
Referee: Liam Moore
Scoring Sequence: 0-6, 4-6, 8-6,12-6, 16-6; 18-6, 24-8, 28-8