KRIS CHASE
There is more to come from Woolf’s pack
Catalans 20 36
by Steven Brady
KRISTIAN WOOLF insists the best is yet to come from his Saints following a precise and powerful victory in Perpignan.
Challenge Cup holders St Helens moved into the semifinals after a convincing win but Woolf (right) wants more.
He said: “The last couple of times we’ve come over here we haven’t been great but we were much better today.
“But I’ve just told the team we’ve got a lot more in us.
“We were a bit nervous early on but once we settled down to being us we were well on top.
“We’ve another big game ahead of us with Wigan this week and that’s what gets the players excited.
“The good news is that there
St Helens
seem to be any injury concerns from this game so we’ll be up and ready for Wigan on Friday, for sure.”
The Dragons lost star full-back Sam Tomkins early in the game and his replacement Arthur Mourgue could not inspire them to recover from a 20-10 half-time deficit.
Catalans were first to cross as Fouad Yaha continued his try-scoring streak with a touchdown in the left corner.
Saints struck back immediately. Will Hopoate stretched the Dragons on the right and a simple pass inside to full-back Jack Welsby put the visitors back in front at 8-4 with Tommy Makinson’s conversion. Then Welsby turned provider for scrum-half Lewis Dodd as St Helens tore through Catalans with ease, with Makinson’s conversion pushing them 10 points ahead. Mark Percival punched through some paper-light defence on the left to score Saints’ third try in five minutes, Makinson adding his fourth conversion for 20-4.
Crucial
The game took a crucial turn when Tomkins had to leave the field injured.
Then Curtis Sironen was sin-binned for a high shot on Dragons’ captain Ben Garcia and Catalans responded with a try for prop forward Gil Dudson. Saints struck first in the second-half with a shortdoesn’t range strike by Morgan Knowles from dummy-half. Makinson negotiated a strong wind to land the conversion.
But Yaha scorched in for his second try of the game in the 57th minute and Mourgue’s touchline conversion put the match back in the balance with 10 points between the teams.
Saints resumed their authority with an Alex Walmsley try and Jonny Lomax put Joe Batchelor over with just 10 minutes remaining.
Despite a late Tom Davies try, it was too little too late.
Catalans coach Steve Mcnamara said: “We conceded some soft tries and it was horrible to see it.” CATALANS: Tries: Yaha (2), Dudson, Davies. Con: Morgue (2). ST HELENS: Tries: Welsby,
Dodd, Percival, Knowles, Norman, Batchelor. Pens: Makinson. Con: Makinson (5).