One hundred percenters, and Super League top placed, St Helens travelled over the Pennines to the John Smith’s Stadium to take on a Huddersfield Giants side languising in bottom, with just one win to their name, and the second worst points difference in the league.
The visitors were, not unexpectedly, big odds-on favourites with the bookies with little chance being given to Simon Woolford’s side who are still suffering through injuries suffered in pre-season, and who have now lost the services of Aaron Murphy.
The Giants upset the form book by securing a famous first season win away to Wigan last weekend and Justin Holbrook will have warned his side against any complacency. A win would see the Giants up towards the middle of the table but if the Saints picked up the points they would go four points clear overnight.
After an earlier near miss, good jinking footwork from Luke Thompson allowed him to wrongfoot the Giants defence and score under the crossbar. Lachlan Coote added the simple conversion for a 6-0 lead. The early signs didn’t look good for the home side.
But with just under 13 minutes on the clock Jermaine McGillvary flew down the right wing and leapt over the line to score after a twenty metre canter to the corner.Lee Gaskell converted brilliantly with a curling kick to level the scores.
On twenty two a James Roby short pass put Morgan Knowles over, again under the sticks, allowing Coote to kick a simple conversion to regain the six point lead.
The response was swift, thanks to Jordan Turner who took a simple ball from Darnell McIntosh to spin out of two tackles and ground. Once again Gaskell kicked a superb touchline conversion and the sides were again tied up.
Just before the interval a Jonny Lomax grubber to the corner was grounded by Mark Percival to again edge his side in front. Coote had a more difficult conversion attempt which he pushed in front of the posts. Saints 16-12 ahead at the interval but the Giants were still well and truly in the game.
The first score of the second half came through a Coote penalty on fifty-one when a Giants player failed to clear the ruck at the play the ball.
Two minutes later McGillvary got caught in his own goal area trying to return a great kick and as he lost the ball in the in-goal tackle Percival stretched out a hand to score. The try was referred to the video referee as a try and he agreed, Coote added the conversion for daylight between the two sides as 24-12.
After bumping off one attempted tackle Regan Grace created himself the space to go over in the corner on sixty-four. Coote was unable to add the extra two.
McGillvary had a try ruled out on sixty-six for a forward pass. Turning defence into offence Saints moved downfield and when Theo Fages put in a high kick to the corner, Tommy Makinson knocked the ball back and into the hands of Dominic Peyroux to stoop and score. Coote added the extras with ten minutes to go to secure the two league points.
The Giants defence wilted on seventy-two allowing Lomax to reach for the line, shrugging of an ineffectual tackle, to score the Saints seventh try of the evening. Coote added the conversion, his sixth of the game, for a 40-12 lead.
While the Giants did very well to stay in the game throughout the first half, Saints fitness and finesse shone through in a second half which they dominated. The Giants picked up more injuries, including Joe Wardle as they crashed to a comprehensive defeat. The Saints go four points clear at the top of the league, the Giants have much work to do to get them out of their current predicament.
Giants: McIntosh, McGillvary (T), Turner (T), Senior, Uate, Gaskell (2G), Frawley, Ikahihifo, Leeming, Ta’ai, Wardle, Mellor, Lawrence. Subs: Hewitt, Roberts, Matagi, English.
Saints: Coote (6G), Makinson, Naiqama, Percival (2T), Grace (T), Fages, Lomax (T), Walmsley, Roby, Thompson (T), Peyroux (T), Taia, Knowles (T). Subs: Paulo, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Lees, Ashworth.
Referee: Scott Mikaslauskas.
Half-Time: 12-16.
Full-Time: 12-40.
