MATCH REPORT: ST HELENS 34-16 HULL KR
Despite showing some promising signs, the Robins were defeated in a bruising encounter against the Saints.
Rovers travelled to the Stobart Stadium looking to banish memories of back-to-back defeats at the hands of Salford and Huddersfield. Coach Justin Morgan named an unchanged side to take on the Saints, in a fixture which saw the Robins go down to a record Super League defeat last season.
After repelling an early attack from the home side, the Red and Whites went on the offensive and created the first good opportunity of the game. Blake Green's cross-kick isolated Gary Wheeler, but Craig Hall was just unable to reel the ball in and knocked-on in the in-goal area.
Despite an indifferent spell of form, the Robins looked in confident mood and were soon on the attack again as Liam Watts slipped through a hole close to Saints' line, only for Paul Wellens to stop him just short.
St Helens responded as Jonny Lomax ducked under a tackle and broke clear before finding Tony Puletua in support. He looked a certain scorer as he plunged for the line, but outstanding cover defence from Josh Hodgson forced Puletua to spill the ball as he crossed the whitewash.
Saints were beginning to find their groove and the home side were soon pressing on the Robins' line once again as Puletua's power saw him shrug off one defender and slip the ball to James Roby, but great pressure from Shaun Briscoe caused the England hooker to knock-on.
Rovers immediately took advantage of their hosts' mistake as they marched up towards halfway before rippling the ball wide for Ben Galea to put Jake Webster through a hole. The Kiwi drew Wellens before finding Kris Welham on his outside, and the youngster raced around under the posts to open the scoring.
Hall slotted over the conversion, but Saints were handed the chance to respond straight from the restart as a mix-up between Green and Peter Fox saw the ball bounce over the sideline.
That gave the home side a scrum ten metres out from the Robins' line, and barely two plays later, Roby's short ball sent Sia Soliola crashing over.
Jamie Foster converted and as the Red and Whites looked to make up for their mistake they conceded back-to-back penalties and were made to pay as another flat ball from Roby put Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook over.
Foster slotted the conversion but once again Rovers' enthusiasm to try and correct their error resulted in a Saints penalty.
Green followed up his own clearing kick and brought down Ade Gardner, only for referee Ben Thaler to somewhat harshly rule that the tackle was high.
That put the home side back on the attack, and McCarthy-Scarsbrook duly collected his second try from a James Graham short ball, Foster converting.
Rovers' bright start suddenly seemed a world away in the face of Saints' three try burst in ten minutes, but they were still looking dangerous with the ball, particularly down their left side.
The combination of Galea and Welham was causing the home side's defence problems, but just as it seemed that the Robins would reach the interval without further damage on the scoreboard, Wellens struck.
Green's clearing kick was returned with interest by Gardner, who burst through a fatiguing Rovers defence before finding his full-back in support to go over.
Foster slotted over the conversion before the Red and Whites were dealt another blow almost on the stroke of half-time.
Briscoe rose high to claim a Lee Gaskell bomb, only to be taken out in mid-air by Lomax, causing the full-back to twist his ankle as he landed - the sight of the England man being helped down the tunnel completing a disappointing first period.
Half-Time: St Helens 24 Hull KR 6
The Red and Whites needed a strong start to the second half to stem the tide of Saints pressure, and that's precisely what they began to build.
Green's long ball put Hall on the outside of Gary Wheeler, but as he looked the offload, the ball went behind Fox and over the touchline. However they were given another chance when Saints spilled the ball two tackles later and Scott Murrell's chip almost provided a try for Sam Latus.
The half-back's kick fell perfectly in-between Gardner and Wellens, and in the mix-up, only Gaskell's wild hack into the stand prevented Latus grounding the ball.
Rovers still had a drop-out, and in the next set, the ball was whisked out to the right, with Green sending Hall cruising through a hole, but as the centre crashed over wide out, the ball was knocked from his grasp.
Saints responded straight away, with a Lomax grubber having to be punched into the stand by stand-in full-back Welham.
The Robins were trying valiantly to hold back an ever-increasing tide of pressure from the home side, but finally the breakthrough came - although the Red and Whites' scrambling defence made the Saints work hard for their score.
Lomax chose to run the ball on the last tackle, dummying and sending Chris Flannery into the clear. He found Wheeler on his shoulder, but a great ankle-tap from Fox brought the youngster down. Wheeler recovered and had to be pulled down by Welham, but not before he slipped an offload away to put Foster in at the corner.
Saints wasted no time in taking advantage of a battered and bruised Rovers side to go over again five minutes later, as Graham crashed in under the posts for a score improved by Foster.
The Red and Whites were behind on the scoreboard and picking up knocks at every turn as Mason, Fox, Murrell, Jason Netherton and Josh Hodgson all needed treatment during the second half.
Despite all of that, the Robins were in no mood to give up, and after Lomax kicked out on the full, Galea's looping pass allowed Webster to slice through and finish well at the corner.
Hall boomed a beautiful conversion over from the sideline, and after Rovers had done well to hold Josh Perry up over the line, they went back on the attack.
Galea again combined with Webster to put the Kiwi into space, he drew two players to him before flicking the ball out to put Latus in at the corner, but the offload had gone forward.
The Robins were still determined to send the army of travelling fans home with something to cheer, and two minutes from the end, the outstanding Welham collected a well-deserved second try.
Green's grubber looked to be bouncing dead, watched by two Saints, but Welham did superbly to dive in between them and ground the ball just short of the dead-ball line to provide a positive end to a much-improved display.
Full-Time: St Helens 34 Hull KR 16
Hull KR: 1. Shaun Briscoe; 2. Peter Fox, 19. Craig Hall, 3. Kris Welham, 4. Jake Webster; 6. Blake Green, 13. Scott Murrell; 10. Joel Clinton, 18. Josh Hodgson, 14. Liam Watts; 23. Willie Mason, 12. Ben Galea, 16. Jason Netherton.
Replacements: 8. Rhys Lovegrove, 9. Ben Fisher, 21. Sam Latus, 22. Scott Taylor.
St Helens: 1. Paul Wellens; 2. Ade Gardner, 3. Michael Shenton, 17. Gary Wheeler, 22. Jamie Foster; 25. Lee Gaskell, 20. Jonny Lomax; 8. Josh Perry, 9. James Roby, 10. James Graham; 13. Chris Flannery, 4. Sia Soliola, 11. Tony Puletua.
Replacements: 14. Scott Moore, 15. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 18. Matty Ashurst, 28. Tommy Makinson.
Referee: Mr B. Thaler Attendance: 7,740
Posted on 02, Apr, 2011
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