Two sides, who've not had the best of starts to 2016, clashed at the KC Lightstream Stadium in East Hull as a Hull KR side, under the temporary coaching of Willie Poching, took on Kieron Cunninghams' St Helens.

The Robins and Chris Chester parted company after last weekends loss to Wakefield Wildcats, their seventh consecutive Super League loss, and Poching stepped up as caretaker coach. Saints have lost their last two including the shock loss at Salford Red Devils and the 38-12 loss to the Sydney Roosters last Friday.

Both sides had points to prove, and seasons in need of a kick-start.

The opening score came on four minutes and it was a length of the field effort from Saints. Ben Cockayne was tackled on the Saints forty and the ball was dislodged as he hit the ground. Adam Swift received the first pass and went seventy metres down field before finding Shannon McDonnell in support to score beneath the sticks. Luke Walsh kicked the two for an early lead.

Another mistake also led to KRs opener. Cockayne put in a last tackle grubber which was knocked-on by Luke Walsh and touched down in goal by the kicker. Ryan Shaw kicked the extras and levelled the scores.

On the quarter hour Saints had a try turned down by the video referee after failing to ground and KR took full advantage with a passing move downfield which saw Maurice Blair over in the left corner. Shaw slipped the conversion attempt wide of the left upright but his side were four points ahead.

With skipper Jon Wilkin off receiving treatment Saints got back on level terms when Luke Walsh put a kick into the corner which was caught in full flight by Tommy Makinson and grounded in the corner. Walsh failed with a difficult touchline conversion.

It took just two minutes for KR to strike back and regain the lead when James Green pushed off two tacklers to ground by the right upright. Shaw kicked the two for 16-10 to the home side.

After a slappy punch-up on thirty minutes Travis Burns and James Green both got a ten minute rest seeing yellow from referee Phil Bentham but neither side could use the extra space and the sides were separated by six points at the interval.

Seven after the restart and good Saints pressure culminated in a Matt Dawson try wide left. As Walsh slid the ball wide, Saints talisman James Roby made his first appearance of the evening.

When a dazed Chris Clarkson had a second go in the tackle on his own twenty Luke Walsh accepted the invitation to level the scores at 16-16. Three minutes later and Saints hit the front after a period of extended pressure when Jon Wilkin used his strength to push over. Walsh added the two for 22-16.

The result looked to have been decided on sixty-five when a kick to the corner from Walsh was palmed back by Makinson into the hands of Atelea Vea to walk over and improve the angle. When Walsh kicked the extras he made it 28-16.

An awful attempt at a goal line dropout from Cockayne didn't go ten metres and Walsh kicked the resulting penalty to leave KR needing three tries with just over eight minutes remaining.

With three minutes remaining Saints worked the ball downfield and Walsh slotted over a drop goal from ten metres out without any KR player getting anywhere near him.

The last scoring action of the game came in the last minute when Ryan Shaw was the beneficiary of Rob Mulhern run down the middle as KR moved the ball wide left. Shaw converted his own try as the final hooter sounded and the losing margin ended up at nine points at 31-22.

This was a scrappy game, not one for the purists, but with plenty of tries to keep the supporters happy. Saints are still a long way from the finished article but this was a big improvement from their last Super League outfit. KR are missing a lot of their big stars and they showed tonight that once they return they will be a force to be reckoned with.

KR: Cockayne (T), Sio, Salter, Thornley, Shaw (3G, T), Blair (T), Kelly, Walker, Lawler, Tilse, Horne, Clarkson, Allgood. Subs: Holker, Green (T, SB), Greenwood, Mulhern.

Saints: McDonnell (T), Makinson (T), Peyroux, Dawson (T), Swift, Turner, Walsh (5G, DG), Walmsley, Burns (SB), Savelio, Vea (T), Wilkin (T), McCarthy-Scarsbrook. Subs: Amor, Tasi, Thompson, Roby.


Referee: Phil Bentham

Attendance: