Saints hold off Giants to go top of Super League

Image source, SWpix.comImage caption, St Helens have won nine of their first 11 matches in Super League this season Tries: O'Donnell, Swift, Evalds Goals: Russell 3 Tries: Robertson, Murphy, Dagnall, Delaney Goals: Hastings 5 St Helens held off a second-half fightback by bottom club Huddersfield Giants to go top of Super League. Paul Rowley's side are two points clear of Leeds Rhinos, who will retake top spot if they win at Wigan Warriors on Friday. Five days after a disappointing 32-0 Challenge Cup semi-final loss to rivals Wigan, four first-half tries were enough for Saints to register a ninth win in 11 Super League outings. A much more emphatic victory appeared likely when the visitors led 24-0 at the interval, with Harry Robertson, Lewis Murphy, Owen Dagnall and George Delaney all crossing against a Huddersfield side guilty of numerous errors. However, the Giants dramatically improved in the second half and gave Saints a scare with tries by Asher O'Donnell, Adam Swift and Niall Evalds. Saints captain Lees out for season with injury Published3 days agoHuddersfield appoint ex-player Lenihan as coach Published6 days agoHuddersfield's new head coach Jim Lenihan, who was appointed as Luke Robinson's full-time successor on 8 May, is expected to arrive in the UK from Australia early next week. His players will take encouragement from a much better second-half performance, having been booed off the field by a section of their home fans after a poor first-half display - which was ultimately the chief reason for their fourth-straight Super League loss. Saints took control with two tries in the opening 10 minutes as Jack Welsby raced through a huge gap in the Huddersfield line to set up centre Robertson, before a handling error in his own half by Lewis Jagger was punished when Murphy touched down in the corner. After fellow winger Dagnall collected Welsby's pass to dive over, another Huddersfield error just before half-time - Tui Lolohea sending a goalline drop-out out on the full - led to Delaney's score. Oliver Russell's 40/20 laid the platform for Huddersfield's first points after the break, with Saints unable to gather Lolohea's lofted kick and O'Donnell grasping the loose ball to touch down. Ex-Saints winger Swift and full-back Evalds both wove their way through for further tries, which sandwiched a Jackson Hastings penalty for the visitors. Those extra two points were important, as it meant Huddersfield - despite a spell of prolonged pressure near the end - were always more than one score behind in the closing stages. 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.

Saints hold off Giants to go top of Super League

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