Welsby hat-trick helps Saints thrash Giants

Betfred Super League

Huddersfield (0) 4

Tries: Bibby

St Helens (22) 46

St Helens continued their recent dominance over Huddersfield Giants with a 46-4 victory which eased the pressure on boss Paul Wellens.

Jack Welsby scored a hat-trick, Tristan Sailor and Curtis Sironen grabbed two tries each and Lewis Murphy also got on the scoreboard on a stunning night for Saints.

Jack Bibby scored the hosts’ only points on a chastening night for the Giants.

Victory for Saints means they have scored a cumulative 86 points over the course of their past two matches having thrashed Catalans 40-0 last week.

Sailor got them going inside 10 minutes and the visitors never looked back. Welsby put in the assist for the try having combined with Jonny Lomax in the build-up.

The Giants’ tough start was compounded when Taane Milne was sent to the sin bin for a professional foul for denying Sironen a clear try.

Moments later, Sironen got on the scoresheet and made them pay, touching down from Lomax’s searching kick, while Welsby added the fourth on 26 minutes in similar fashion from Morgan Knowles’ grubber kick.

Lomax thought he added a fifth just before half time, but video referee Marcus Griffiths judged that he failed to ground Welsby’s kick. and Saints frustration was exacerbated when Alex Walmsley was sent to the bin for a professional foul of his own.

On his return, Walmsley put in an excellent defensive effort to hold up Tui Lolohea and soon after the visitors extended their lead when Sailor turned defence into attack to feed Welsby who raced clear.

Huddersfield pulled a try back through Bibby but Saints denied them any more momentum minutes later when Murphy showed great hands to touch down after swift passing from Lomax and Welsby.

Huddersfield: Lolohea; Swift, Milne, Halsall, Gagai; Clune, Rush; King, Woolford, Greenwood, Rushton, Bibby, Cudjoe

Interchanges: Golding, Wilson, Burgess, Hewitt; Bibby.

St Helens: Welsby; Sailor, Percival, Cross, Murphy; Lomax, Whitby; Walmsley, Clark, Delaney, Sironen, Knowles, Lees

Interchanges: Mbye, Paasi, Stephens, Dagnall; Burns.