It was a bittersweet occasion at the MKM Stadium as St Helens were in town for the first Steve Prescott Trophy match of the season against a Hull FC side in a city which was grieving the passing of league legend Johnny Whiteley MBE, one of the cities most famous sons.
Channel 4 were in attendance for their second Super League Saturday lunchtime broadcast, looking to replicate the great viewing figures which they achieved for last week´s season opener. FC were without the services of suspended Andre Savelio and Jake Connor while Saints were missing Will Hopoate who hadn´t recovered from a rib injury suffered last time out, and he was replaced by Josh Simm.
It was an error strewn opening from both sides and despite making most of then it was Saints who opened the scoring on nine minutes as Mark Percival found a gap off a Jonny Lomax pass to go over from ten metres out. Tommy Makinson made light of the rain to slot over the conversion.
On eighteen a clumsy spear tackle from Hull, on the fifth tackle, saw Connor Wynne sent to the sin bin. Four tackles after the sin-binning, Simm thought he was in for a try but referee Kendall ruled a forward pass. Saints were in full control and when Hull were penalised a minute later for not forming the scrum correctly, Makinson slotted over the penalty for 8-0.
Saints second four-pointer came on twenty-three with an expansive move to the right from the back of a scrum allowing Josh Simm to go over on a massive overlap off a Jack Welsby pass and ground in the corner. Makinson added the conversion from near the touchline for 14-0, Saints were doing their usual and grinding away, and FC had no answer.
As snow started to replace rain Luke Gale lifted his studs to a kicking Lomax, making contact on the Saints man´s knee, and referee Kendall sent the Airlie Birds captain off brandishing a straight red. Hull FC´s lunchtime was going from bad to worse and they now had fifty minutes with twelve men.
The Welsby-Simm combination put Saints 18-0 ahead on thirty-nine with Lomax making the space for the full back to put the winger in at the corner. Makinson added the conversion as the half time hooter sounded.
Ten minutes into the second half and tempers were fraying on both sides but it was Saints who maintained their composure with Jack Welsby sliding on the waterlogged pitch to dive on his own grubber kick and score under the sticks. Makinson added the conversion for 26-0.
On fifty-six Welsby let a high kick bounce and the loose ball was collected by George Griffin to wrongfoot Percival and go over from twenty metres out. Darnell McIntosh added the extras, his side now twenty behind.
After taking an offload from Agnatius Paasi, a barnstorming twenty metre solo run from Sione Mata´utia saw him close, and under the tackle he slid to the line and grounded the ball. Makinson added the conversion for 32-6 with just over a quarter of an hour left.
Two minutes later a sensational step from Lewis Dodd ripped through the FC defence to score from thirty metres. Makinson banged over the extras, his seventh of the afternoon for a final score of 38-6.
Saints cruised back to the top of the league table when, after a shaky start, they were able to steady the ship and take full advantage of the extra man to give FC a lesson in wet weather rugby. Once the Saints players defrosted they would have been in good spirits as they headed back over the wintery Pennines while the FC supporters were left licking their wounds and pondering how many matches suspension their skipper will get for his brain explosion in the first half.
Hull FC: Shaul, McIntosh (G), Scott, Wynne (SB on 18), Swift, Reynolds, Gale (SO on 29), Fash, Houghton, Sao, Griffin, Lane, Johnstone. Subs: Brown, Lovodua, Satae, Vulikijapani.
St Helens: Welsby (T), Simm (2T), Percival (T), Makinson (7G), Lomax, Dodd (T), Walmsley, Roby, Lees, Mata´utia (T), Batchelor, Knowles. Subs: Lussick, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Sironen, Paasi.
Half-Time: 0-20.
Full-Time: 6-38.
Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 0-8, 0-12, 0-14, 0-18, 0-20 : HT : 0-24, 0-26, 4-26, 6-26, 6-30, 6-32, 6-36, 6-38: FT .
Referee: Chris Kendall.
