MAX PAIN Jonny leads the punishment
JONNY LOMAX helped Saints move up to second by piling on the misery for top-flight newcomers Toronto.
The Wolfpack are still looking for their first win in Super League and, on this display, that could be some way off.
They failed to score for the first time in their four-year history and also had Bodene Thompson sent off for a shoulder charge on Matty Lees.
Saints were rarely in top gear but they didn’t have to be in this fixture at Warrington – one of Toronto’s on-the-road ‘home’ games.
Kristian Woolf’s men had vowed to use the disappointment of losing to Sydney Roosters in last weekend’s World Club Challenge as motivation to blitz Super League.
They were true to their word, stunning the Wolfpack with an early bombardment which resulted in the opening try after eight minutes.
James Roby’s short ball was set up perfectly for Lomax to race on to, with Tommy Makinson adding the conversion. Toronto were struggling to even get out of their own half, let alone land any serious blows in this mis-match of a fight.
Full-back Tony Gigot gave the handful of Wolfpack fans in the Halliwell Jones Stadium a lift with a break but then wasted the chance with a poor punt up field.
Sonny Bill Williams was also finding life difficult and it’s on nights like this that the Kiwi dual-code superstar must wonder just what he’s let himself in for.
When he lost possession in a hefty tackle, it prompted a huge cheer from the Saints fans and Williams’ embarrassment soon got worse.
As a result of his mistake, the champions attacked again at speed with Roby and Lomax combining again for a carbon copy of the stand off’s first try. Makinson added the conversion and they immediately went hunting more points, seizing on a knock on from Gigot inside his own half.
Saints fed the ball to centre James Bentley who raced through a gap.
The punishment was relentless but at least the Wolfpack managed to hold up Zeb Taia to prevent the big forward adding another try after more good work by Lomax.
Makinson’s three conversions and a penalty made it 20-0 at the break and the writing was well and truly on the wall for Brian McDermott’s side. Toronto’s defence at least tightened up in the second half and it took Saints 16 minutes before they grabbed their next try through Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook.
But Gigot then went off injured and Toronto’s problems grew even worse when Thompson was sent off in the 67th minute.
Aaron Smith rounded off the victory with Saints’ fifth try, with Makinson taking his goals tally to six.