Suffering Saints smashed by Aussies again
ST HELENS’ horror start to the season continued as they suffered a battering in the World Club Series for the second year in a row. Keiron Cunningham’s side were given a rugby league lesson by Sydney Roosters whose pace, power and handling was on a different level to anything their English counterparts could offer. It was an ominous echo of last year’s 39-0 mauling by South Sydney Rabbitohs and raised fears that Super League could suffer a successive whitewash in the three-match series. Saints, beaten 44-10 by Salford Red Devils a week earlier, had aimed to recover some pride last night but found themselves 22-0 down at half time thanks to tries by Kane Evans, Aidan Guerra, Blake Ferguson and Dale Copley. They were given brief hope when Ferguson dropped the ball under his own posts and Dominique Peyroux was alive to touch down the loose ball. But Guerra hit back and Shaun Kenny-Dowall also went over to mean that Peyroux’s second try of the night was little more than a consolation for the side from Merseyside. Wigan host Brisbane Broncos in the second match of the series today — a repeat of the tie that the Australians won with a 14-12 golden point in extra-time 12 months ago. Warriors coach Shaun Wane said: ‘We know it will be a tough, close encounter and we’ve had two of those already this season so we feel like we’re in good shape. There is a lot of desire from the way it went last year. The boys want another crack at it.’