Saints set up for a Giants showdown

ST HELENS coach Justin Holbrook was pleased to see his side emerge from a “really tough” Super League match at Catalans Dragons with a 21-12 victory as they prepare for their next Super League outing – a trip to meet Huddersfield Giants at the John Smith’s Stadium.

That clash is a week on Friday after the break for the World Club Championship and Saints will go into the game in good shape.

While The Giants collected their first win with a 20-6 home success over Warrington Wolves, Jonny Lomax, Regan Grace and Adam Swift scored tries and Danny Richardson kicked nine points as Saints continued their unbeaten start to the 2018 season.

“I thought it was a really tough game and a really tough 80 minutes,” said Holbrook, whose side opened the campaign with a 46-6 rout of Castleford.

“I thought Catalans really came at us hard and fought all the way and it took a special effort - defensively in particular - for us to get the win.”

The visitors were reduced to 12 men following Morgan Knowles’ sending-off - an incident which left Holbrook a little worried.

“I wasn’t afraid, but you’re always concerned when you go down to 12 men against an opposition that is coming hard at you so it wasn’t ideal, but I’m really proud of the boys on how they lifted at the end,” he said.

“I’m really pleased to get a win here. It’s great that we can look to our players like Richardson, Theo Fages, James Roby, Ben Barba and Jonny Lomax that when times get tough we can go to those players.”

Catalans responded with tries from David Mead and Alrix Da Costa, both converted by Lucas Albert, but did not have enough to overly worry the visitors.

Dragons coach Steve McNamara was satisfied, despite the defeat, with how his team responded to the 40-12 drubbing at Widnes.

“There was a lot of progression out there for us,” he said.

“We were all disappointed last week so we knew we had to be a whole lot better this week and we were.

“We got caught early on and that could have demoralised us but I thought we were very good. Saints are a top team but I thought we were very good against such a champion side.

“I thought our forwards were great and they needed to respond from last week and they did that.

“I thought Lucas Albert and Greg Bird got thrown into the situation at the last minute and Michael McIlorum only lasted 25 minutes - he was a doubt, so, given that, I’ve got to be very proud of the players. “ CASTLEFORD held off a spirited challenge by Widnes to earn their first win of the 2018 Betfred Super League season with a hard-fought 13-12 success.

Last season’s runners-up suffered a heavy defeat at St Helens in their opener and they were well below their best in seeing off the Vikings.

The Tigers dominated the opening 40 minutes but were frustrated by strong Widnes defence until Greg Minikin finished the last play of the half.

Matt Whitley’s converted try nudged the visitors ahead only for Jy Hitchcox to cross to swing the game back Castleford’s way.

Luke Gale booted five points to put the Tigers two scores in front but they were clinging on in the dying minutes after Jay Chapelhow had given the Vikings hope of back-toback victories.

Widnes suffered a double blow on the morning of the match after hookers Lloyd White and Aaron Heremaia pulled out of the squad and they were on the back foot immediately at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle.

Castleford were camped on the Vikings line after Joe Mellor made a mess of the kick-off but they could not take advantage of three drop outs as Widnes held firm.

The Tigers racked up almost 1,000 points in 2017 but they looked disjointed in attack in the face of good scrambling defence.

Jake Webster came closest to breaking the deadlock in a frustrating start for Castleford when he knocked on going for the corner.

Widnes threatened briefly when Whitley had a try ruled out for a forward pass by Tom Gilmore and chances continued to come and go at the other end.

Stefan Marsh denied Ben Roberts with a brilliant one-on-one tackle and Mike McMeeken had an effort chalked off for obstruction.

Castleford eventually broke through on the stroke of half-time when Minikin held off a couple of defenders to touch down in the corner after good centre play by Webster.