Two-try Jack Welsby saved England team-mate Tommy Makinson’s blushes - and made sure St Helens didn’t suffer a Challenge Cup hangover.
Six days after being dumped by Leigh in their semi-final, the Super League champions looked like being downed by Leeds, too. Winger Makinson missed a simple conversion attempt and then threw the ball away to give Rhinos the chance for Nene Macdonald to strike in the 63rd minute. Rhyse Martin’s touchline conversion put the visitors 18-16 ahead.
But just three minutes later, Leeds’ Blake Austin fired a kick straight into touch to put Paul Wellens’ side back on the attack. Jonny Lomax slipped Welsby through the middle and the England full-back scorched through from 40m for a brilliant try. Lewis Dodd took over kicking duties from Makinson and didn’t miss as Saints - missing eight regulars - kept their top-two hopes alive.
Welsby had also set up the excellent Will Hopoate’s opener and Wellens enthused: “Jack Welsby’s try was absolutely breathtaking. There’s probably only him, Jai Field and Bevan French who could score that try in Super League. The way he injected himself into the game at that moment was brilliant to watch. And I still think his best strength is his running game.
“Fans on the terraces come to see moments like that. But also what defined us was how we defended our tryline so well time and again. It’s been a challenging week for us as a club but you have a choice on what you want to do with that disappointment (of Cup loss). They wanted to rectify that disappointment. And they don’t make excuses.”
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Wellens had had a rant at the RFL earlier in the week after claiming four of his players were injured by “reckless and dangerous” John Asiata tackles. Forwards Agnatius Paasi, Alex Walmsley and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook were all ruled out of this one but Morgan Knowles did recover in time to feature. And barely 72 hours after flying in from Sydney, ex-Queensland State of Origin hooker Moses Mbye came on for his debut in the 55th minute.
St Helens' Jack Welsby in action against Leeds Rhinos (PA)Saints flew out of the blocks when Jack Welsby dabbed a kick through for Will Hopate to score in the fourth minute. Makinson added a penalty soon after but Lomax was needed to produce a try-saving tackle on Rhinos full-back Richie Myler before David Fusitu'a fumbled burrowing for the line on the last tackle. That saw the big Tonga winger depart for an HIA and he didn’t return.
But it didn’t deter the visitors. After Welsby sailed a kick straight into touch, Aussie stand-off Austin pulled off a pearl of a pass for Ash Handley, the winger who cleverly tipped it straight back infield for Martin to storm over. Martin slotted the first of his three goals. And then Rohan Smith’s side pushed ahead, Aidan Sezer’s short ball seeing big Sam Walters slip past Dodd and then impressively round Welsby.
Leeds Rhinos' Richie Myler and St Helens' Morgan Knowles come together (PA)Tempers flared when Myler took offence to a Knowles challenge on James McDonnell although, in this instance, the notorious Saints hothead hadn’t done anything wrong. And it was his side who levelled just five seconds before the break, Hopoate’s pass giving winger Tee Ritson just enough space to get over, Makinson doing the rest.
Walters had a try disallowed at the start of the second period. And in the next set, Welsby smuggled himself over for his first try after a brilliant late offload from Hopoate. Makinson missed that kick - but his mate got him off the hook. Smith said: “We had a couple of defensive reads there we’d like back. But the game didn’t have any real rhythm. We had an opportunity to create more points and didn’t take it.”
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