Betfred Super League
Huddersfield (0) 18
Tries: O’Donnell, Swift, Evalds Goals: Russell 3
St Helens (24) 26
Tries: Robertson, Murphy, Dagnall, Delaney Goals: Hastings 5
St Helens held off a second-half fightback by backside membership Huddersfield Giants to go top of Super League.
Paul Rowley’s facet are two factors clear of Leeds Rhinos, who will retake top spot in the event that they win at Wigan Warriors on Friday.
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Five days after a disappointing 32-0 Challenge Cup semi-final loss to rivals Wigan, 4 first-half tries had been sufficient for Saints to register a ninth win in 11 Super League outings.
A way more emphatic victory appeared doubtless when the guests led 24-0 on the interval, with Harry Robertson, Lewis Murphy, Owen Dagnall and George Delaney all crossing in opposition to a Huddersfield facet responsible of quite a few errors.
However, the Giants dramatically improved within the second half and gave Saints a scare with tries by Asher O’Donnell, Adam Swift and Niall Evalds.
Huddersfield’s new head coach Jim Lenihan, who was appointed as Luke Robinson’s full-time successor on 8 May, is predicted to arrive within the UK from Australia early subsequent week.
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His gamers will take encouragement from a a lot better second-half efficiency, having been booed off the sector by a piece of their residence followers after a poor first-half show – which was in the end the chief motive for his or her fourth straight Super League loss.
Saints took management with two tries within the opening 10 minutes as Jack Welsby raced by an enormous hole within the Huddersfield line to arrange centre Robertson, earlier than a dealing with error in his personal half by Lewis Jagger was punished when Murphy touched down within the nook.
After fellow winger Dagnall collected Welsby’s cross to dive over, one other Huddersfield error simply earlier than half-time – Tui Lolohea sending a goalline drop-out out on the complete – led to Delaney’s rating.
Oliver Russell’s 40/20 laid the platform for Huddersfield’s first factors after the break, with Saints unable to collect Lolohea’s lofted kick and O’Donnell greedy the free ball to contact down.
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Ex-Saints winger Swift and full-back Evalds each wove their means by for additional tries, which sandwiched a Jackson Hastings penalty for the guests.
Those additional two factors had been vital, because it meant Huddersfield – regardless of a spell of extended strain close to the tip – had been at all times multiple rating behind within the closing phases.
Huddersfield: Evalds; Swift, Gagai, Jagger, Kershaw; Lolohea, Russell; Rogers, Woolford, Powell, O’Donnell, Patolo, Rushton.
Interchanges: Geyer, King, Milne, English.
St Helens: Sailor; Dagnall, Robertson, Cross, Murphy; Hastings, Welsby; Walmsley, Clark, Klemmer, Wright, Whitley, Shorrocks.
Interchanges: Delaney, Lomax, Davies, Sironen.
Referee: Chris Kendall.