Saints changed in to second place in character last night as Leeds" counterclaim of their Super League pretension remained in stuttering mode at Knowsley Road.
The poise around the rucks of their dual hookers, Keiron Cunningham and James Roby, valid consequential as Saints recovered from a awful begin to win with something to spare.
With both sides well next full strength, however, not as well majority should be review in to the last outcome nonetheless it will still be honeyed punish for St Helens for all that.
There competence be copiousness of alternative side-shows elsewhere, but the executive story-line in Super League in new years has been the extreme adversary in between Leeds and Saints. Their meetings frequency disappoint, generally when, similar to this, they are the initial reunion given a Grand Final.
Leeds, the victors at Old Trafford in October, could not have proposed this strife any better. Kyle Eastmond put his kick-off out of fool around on the full and the Rhinos pounced on the mistake, with Ian Kirkes crafty one-handed pass around the tackler putting Lee Smith over. Kevin Sinfield combined the acclimatisation and we were still inside the initial minute.
After an opening similar to that, both sides found it majority some-more formidable to measure for a while, Cunningham and Chris Flannery carrying efforts disallowed for Saints and Ryan Hall, rather some-more mysteriously, for Leeds.
That was the evidence for Cunningham, Super Leagues majority battle-hardened campaigner, to emanate a integrate of tries that could not be chalked off.
His heading short passes from dummy-half constructed scores for Scott Moore and Tony Puletua. Jamie Foster, the immature winger kicking in welfare to Eastmond, landed both conversions, as well as a chastisement when Leeds were pulled up for ball-stealing in front of the posts.
Nor was there majority service for the Rhinos when Cunningham went off for a well-earned rest. Shortly prior to half-time his deputy at hooker, Roby, punished them from dummy-half again, reaching over to measure himself and leave Foster a elementary fourth goal.
Saints roughly proposed the second half with an additional mess when Nick Fozzard lost the round in the initial tackle, but Danny McGuire narrowly unsuccessful to hold down.
Instead, on the behind of a integrate of penalties, Saints went down to the alternative end, where Eastmonds glorious pass sent Flannery through. The 19-year-old Foster one after an additional his unblemished kicking prior to Eastmond afterwards cheekily tagged on an additional point with a drop-goal.
There was a glance of Leeds" peculiarity when Brett Delaney dived over on the finish of a sharp back-line move but Roby claimed his second try of the compare prior to Rob Burrow went the length of the margin for a satisfaction late score.
St Helens: Wellens; Gardner, Wheeler, Flannery, Foster; Moore, Eastmond; Graham, Cunningham, Hargreaves, Clough, Dixon, Puletua. Substitutes used: Fozzard, Roby, Ashurst, Fa"asavalu.
Leeds: Smith; Hall, Delaney, Senior, Bush; McGuire, Burrow; Leuluai, Diskin, Bailey, Jones-Buchanan, Kirke, Sinfield. Substitutes used: Buderus, Peacock, Burgess, Ambler.
Referee: R Silverwood (Mirfield).
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