The seemingly unstoppable Saints were at home in round ten of Super League 2018 as they entertained Lee Radford’s Hull FC who, revitalised with a large number of returning senior players, were hoping that they would be able to inflict just the second loss on the Saints so far this season.
There was only one change for Saints with the return of Jonny Lomax at full back in the absence of Ben Barba who was ruled out with illness, but Hull made wholesale changes with Houghton, Shaul and Logan all back in the starting line up after missing out last week.
An extra incentive was that the Steve Prescott Cup was up for grabs as the great man was once again remembered by the two clubs he represented during his career.
Saints got off the a great start when Zeb Taia collected a Fages high kick to the corner, out of the hands of Albert Kelly to ground easily. Danny Richardson added the conversion from in front of the sticks for 6-0 after nine minutes.
After conceeding it was the Airlie Birds that went on the offensive, taking the game to the home side, and on thirty-one Jordan Lane lost the ball under a Morgan Knowles challenge on the Saints line when he looked guaranteed to score.
The Saints defence held strong and never looked really flustered by the FC attack but Hull were decent enough in defence too and there was little to choose between the sides as they went into the interval with just the one converted try between them.
The second half was just two minutes old when Mark Percival made the most of a Jack Logan dropped ball to go through a gap off a Jonny Lomax short pass. Richardson kicked the extras to double the leading margin.
After a dangerous tackle on forty-eight Richardson added a penalty. With the Saints defence repelling all FC attacks the visitors needed three tries to get a win, it was looking like an impossible ask.
Albert Kelly grabbed a try back for FC on fifty-six when he took a dubiously forward looking pass from Jack Logan and went forty metres through clear air to dive over the line to score. Marc Sneyd added the conversion for 6-14.
On sixty-six Taia sealed the Saints win with his second try when he took a Fages pass and bust between two Hull tacklers to score from ten metres out. Richardson added the conversion for 20-6.
Eight minutes from time Luke Thompson hit the Hull line from eight metres out and rolled over the top of the Hull tackler to ground over the line. Richardson added the conversion for a comprehensive 26-6 scoreline.
Chris Green grabbed a seventy-fourth minute consolation try for FC, rebouding off a post pad off a short pass to drop over the line. Sneyd drop kicked the conversion from bang in front of the sticks for 12-26.
For the first forty there was little to choose between the two sides, especially in terms of defence, but Saint bided their time and wore down the opposition, forcing them into handling mistakes. Saints go six clear at the top of the table ahead of the rest of the round over the weekend. FC will regroup for their trip to Widnes next weekend while Saints have a trip to Wakefield.
Saints: Lomax, Makinson, Morgan, Percival (T), Grace, Fages, Richardson (5G), Amor, Roby, Thompson (T), Taia (2T), Peyroux, Wilkin. Subs: Smith, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Douglas, Knowles.
FC: Shaul, Logan, Griffin, Tuimavave, Talanoa, Kelly (T), Sneyd (2G), Taylor, Houghton, Paea, Washbrook, Lane, Fash. Subs: Bowden, Connor, Green (T), Abdull.
Referee: Robert Hicks.
Half-Time: 6-0.
Full-Time: 26-12.
Attendance: .
