Third place beckoned for St Helens as they faced a
Huddersfield Giants side who snook into tenth place in the league, their
highest position of the season, thanks to the Castleford Tigers getting a
thrashing at the hands of Leeds Rhinos on Saturday afternoon.
Saints were, of course, big favourites with the bookies and
were given a twenty-two point handicap on the coupon but the Giants have been
playing with a newfound confidence with wins against the Catalans Dragons and
Hull FC in the last two rounds.
Saints won the game in round twelve by 46-6 but the Giants aspirations
were to run them much closer than that this time, ideally springing a surprise
or losing by less than seven points to keep them in tenth spot.
The Saints players were queuing up down the left as the
Giants defence scrambled unsuccessfully to cover Daryl Clark causing the damage
as he found Mark Percival to run in for the opener. Kyle Feldt added the conversion for the ideal Saints start.
On seventeen Taane Milne was sin-binned for dissent, making
the Giants task just that little bit harder. Back-to-back sets saw the ball
moved right with Feldt the man on the wing to take the final pass off Harry
Robertson to walk in for the score in the corner. Feldt swung his kick between
the uprights, Saints in full control.
On twenty-three Tristan Sailor jumped to catch a Moses Mbye
high kick ten from the Giants line and run home for the Saints third of the
afternoon. Feldt added the conversion, it was now a matter of how many Saints
would score.
Returning the Giants kick off, Owen Dagnall scored a top
drawer try after taking a Percival pass forty metres out, running across the
field and avoiding the tackles before forcing the ball to ground under the tackle.
Feldt made it four from four for 24-0.
A try saving tackle from Jacob Gagai stopped a fifth Saints
try on thirty-one.
Against the run of play, Joe Greenwood spun out of a tackle
ten from the line and walked past a pedestrian Saints defence to get the Giants
on the board. George Flanagan scuffed his kick wide of the uprights, the Giants
still twenty adrift.
Inside the first minute of the second half, the Saints were
up and running, Jonny Lomax supporting a Sailor break from the halfway line to
take the pass ten out and go in unopposed. Feldt added the fifth conversion of his
afternoon for 30-4.
Morgan Knowles went between two Giants defenders on forty-eight
and slid over the line after taking the ball at first receiver. Feldt added the
conversion.
Saints hit forty on fifty-five, Percival taking a short
Batchelor pass to go through a gap for another simple score. Feldt maintained
his one hundred percent record with another conversion.
Saints were scoring at will as the hour mark approached,
Feldt leaping to take a Jack Welsby kick to the corner and dot down. For once,
Feldt failed with the conversion, but Saints needed just one more try to hit
fifty.
It took less than two minutes. Sailor running down the middle
of the field for a solo, sixty metre, try as he danced through the Huddersfield
defence. Feldt was back on the mark with the conversion.
The Giants managed to maintain their line for the remainder
of the game but never looked like adding to their own meagre tally as they dropped
back below the Castleford Tigers on points difference.
St Helens are back into third spot, two points behind their
arch-rivals Wigan Warriors as they seek a home semi-final in the play-offs, the
two sides meeting on the fifth of September.
St Helens: Sailor (2T), Feldt (2T, 7/
, Robertson, Percival
(2T), Dagnall (T), Lomax (T), Mbye, Walmsley, Clark, Leeds, Batchelor, Whitley,
Knowles (T).
Subs: Welsby, Bell, Paasi, Delaney.
18th Man: Burns.
Huddersfield Giants: Flanagan, Halsall, Bibby, Milne (SB on
17), Gagai, Frawley, Rush, Rogers, Woolford, Powell, Rushton, Greenwood (T),
Cudjoe. Subs: Golding, King, English, Wilson. 18th Man: Carr.
Half-Time: 24-4.
Full Time: 52-4.
Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, (SB), 10-0, 12-0, 16-0, 18-0, 22-0,
24-0, 24-4 : HT: 28-4, 30-4, 34-4, 36-4, 40-4, 42-4, 46-4, 50-4, 52-4 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: St Helens.
Referee: Jack Smith.
