Leeds victory puts pressure on Saints boss Wellens

Betfred Super League

St Helens (0) 4

Try: Whitley

Leeds (10) 17

Leeds Rhinos sealed a Magic Weekend win over St Helens which cranked up the pressure on Saints coach Paul Wellens.

The Rhinos forged ahead in a bright opening with tries from Riley Lumb and Lachlan Miller but the game degenerated into a messy affair with both sides making unforced errors.

Matt Whitley struck back for Saints early in the second half but Lewis Murphy’s sin-binning, a Jack Sinfield drop-goal and Morgan Gannon’s late try ensured Leeds took the win which sends them fourth in Super League.

Leeds leapfrog their opponents with a third win in four games, a run only spoiled by their defeat by leaders Hull KR last week.

They got that loss out of their system in the opening phase as Gannon’s smart kick popped up nicely for Lumb to pounce and score after Gannon and Ash Handley had opened up the defence.

Ten minutes later more enterprising attacking play from the Rhinos saw Harry Newman send Alfie Edgell racing down the right, and he passed the ball inside to send Miller over and establish a 10-point lead at half time.

Lumb pulled off a try-saving tackle on Jon Bennison but Saints rarely troubled the Leeds line in the first half.

Wellens sent on experienced pair Daryl Clark and Jonny Lomax, the latter controversially dropped a fortnight ago, and for a short while they started to piece their game together and shortly into the second half they cracked the Leeds defence as Whitley went over.

That sparked an attacking spell for Saints, with Leeds errors inviting pressure and Saints squandering it with scrappy disorganised rugby.

Tristan Sailor’s interception and sprint downfield set Saints up perfectly but an incorrect play-the-ball cost them possession in a threatening position, a moment that summed up their game.

Murphy’s sin-binning took the wind out of their sails and came as he leaped high to gather a kick and caught Edgell in the face with his knee, as the Leeds man kept his feet firmly planted on the ground.

Murphy was disconsolate and Wellens infuriated, and Leeds took advantage by going up the other end, with Sinfield coolly drop-kicking the ball between the posts.

St Helens boss Paul Wellens:

“The start of the game really did hurt us. We were winning exchanges in terms of the defensive side of things but both edges got done and we made it very difficult for ourselves from that point on.

“We dug in, rallied, went down to 12 men and dug deep through that period as well. There were certain bits of the performance that were okay in that respect but I feel like in some ways I keep repeating myself.”

On Lewis Murphy’s yellow card:

“I thought it was ridiculous. Lewis Murphy goes up and contests the ball. He’s got eyes for one thing and one thing only and that’s the ball.

“We had Jake Wingfield in a Challenge Cup game at Warrington knocked out cold and we were told then it was just an accidental rugby injury.

“So what’s the difference between that then and this here tonight? It’s quite flabbergasting to be honest because that was a big momentum shift in the game.

Leeds Rhinos head coach Brad Arthur:

“I thought the boys were brave and tough. It’s been a long six weeks for us. We’ve had some big games and every game we’ve had to fight really hard.

“We’ve probably got what we deserve I think and put ourselves in a position. Those past six games to win every one of those games, we’ve made it hard even for ourselves tonight and we’re still learning but we found a way.

“We came out in the second half and looked a bit flat and a bit tired at times but we hung on and that was a result where we’ve worked extremely hard. The attitude and effort has been outstanding.”

On Lewis Murphy’s sin binning:

“It’s accidental but at the end of the day the rules are it’s the player’s responsibility to make sure you don’t make contact with the head. And that’s what’s been officiated for the past nine or 10 weeks, so you can’t change it now.

“It was accidental and I feel sorry for the fella but that’s the rules.”

St Helens: Sailor; Bennison, Cross, Percival, Murphy; Welsby, Whitby; Paasi, Mbye, Lees, Sironen, Whitley, Knowles

Interchanges: Lomax, Walmsley, Clark, Delaney

Leeds: Miller; Edgell, Newman, Handley, Lumb; Connor, Sinfield; Palasia, O’Connor, Oledzki, McDonnell, Gannon, Watkins

Interchanges: Holroyd, Lisone, Bentley, Jenkins