Huddersfield are outclassed as St Helens lay down a marker
SOMETIMES in sport, you just have to put your hands up and say you were beaten by the better side.
That was the case for Huddersfield Giants on Saturday evening after getting in the way of a St Helens outfit desperate to reclaim their Super League crown.
If Saints' rivals were hoping for a hangover from losing their title to fierce rivals Wigan Warriors, they have been left disappointed.
In the final few hours of their reign as world club champions, Paul Wellens' side outclassed Huddersfield to make it two wins from two at the start of 2024.
St Helens will not have to wait long to add to their trophy collection on the evidence of this round two clash.
Matt Whitley opened the scoring in the 10th minute to make it three tries in two games since joining Saints from Catalans Dragons and the match was as good as over when Sione Mata'utia touched down on the stroke of half-time.
Second-half tries from Jack Welsby, Jon Bennison and Morgan Knowles underlined the gulf between the sides as the Giants were handed a reality check following an encouraging round one win at Leigh Leopards.
Ian Watson's men lacked invention in the absence of the injured Jake Connor in a shutout that highlighted their limitations in attack.
As good as St Helens were, Huddersfield fell flat in the first of only two home games in the opening nine rounds.
The match passed without major incident as clubs elsewhere struggle to get to grips with the stricter head contact laws. Daryl Clark was the only player carded for a professional foul just after the hour mark.
Perhaps conscious of keeping on the right side of referee Aaron Moore, it was a sedate start by both teams as they eased into the game.
Saints' opening try could be traced back to a mistake by Jack Murchie just outside his own 40.
Huddersfield could only hold firm for so long before being unpicked by a perfectly weighted grubber kick from the boot of Jonny Lomax. Whitley raced through to finish and continue his dream start to life at his hometown club.
Lewis Dodd had set up the chance by earning his team a repeat set with a neat dab into the in-goal area. If Saints cannot go through a side, they will find another way to unpick the lock.
Huddersfield had opportunities to turn the screw but could find no way through St Helens' notoriously sturdy defence.
Adam Clune posed the biggest threat to the dethroned four-peat champions in his first outing at the John Smith's Stadium. The Australian half-back forced a repeat set with a neat chip before creating a rare opportunity for Elliot Wallis with a long pass that caused issues for the visitors' left-edge defence.
In true Saints fashion, they scrambled quickly to drag down the Giants winger 10 metres out.
Wellens' men were causing more issues for Huddersfield at the other end. After Mark Percival sent a longrange penalty wide, the Giants were on the right side of a tight call when Lomax's pass that set Dodd free was ruled forward.
Just as it looked as if Huddersfield
would go into the interval with a six-point deficit, they were made to pay for another error. Tui Lolohea – making his first appearance of the season as a replacement for Connor – opted to trap a high kick with his foot, only to miscontrol the ball and gift Saints perfect field position.
The full-back was punished in the next set when James Bell showed a good pair of hands at the line to give Mata'utia the chance to crash over from close range. Percival added his second goal to give St Helens what already appeared to be an insurmountable advantage.
Lolohea forced a drop-out as Huddersfield set about turning the tide at the start of the second half but Saints would not budge.
If the Giants were not deflated enough, St Helens made sure of the result 11 minutes into the half.
A superb cut-out pass by Lomax to Bennison got Huddersfield scrambling and the hosts failed to recover, Saints moving the ball back inside for Clark to slide a kick through for Welsby to finish. Percival made no mistake from in front to put the away side out of sight.
Huddersfield never allowed their heads to drop and stayed in the tussle but did not have the quality to break St Helens down.
The 10-time Super League champions withstood everything that was thrown at them, even during a spell with 12 men following Clark's yellow card for taking out Esan Marsters as he tried to finish Oliver Russell's kick.
Saints put the seal on an impressive win late on, Bennison finishing a fine team move before Knowles went over under the posts after a trademark burst by Welsby. Huddersfield Giants: Lolohea, Swift, Marsters, Naiqama, Wallis, Russell, Clune, Hill, Milner, Ikahihifo, Murchie, Hewitt, Cudjoe. Substitutes: Golding, English, Salabio, Wilson.
St Helens: Welsby, Makinson, Blake, Percival, Bennison, Lomax, Dodd, Walmsley, Clark, Lees, Whitley, Sironen, Knowles. Substitutes: Mata'utia, Wingfield, Delaney, Bell.
■ The 1998 Challenge Cup winners, Sheffield Eagles, dumped Yorkshire rivals York Knights out of the competition with a 32-16 fourth-round away success.
Ben Jones-Bishop, Anthony Thackeray and Eddie Battye were among the try scorers, Corey Aston booting four goals.