Round 7
Hull FC 0 l. St Helens 46

2006 English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: United Kingdom > National > First Grade Competition: English Super League

St Helens
Jamie Lyon [CT] 14 Pts; 1t, 5g
Francis Meli [WG] 8 Pts; 2t
Leon Pryce [F8] 8 Pts; 2t
Jason Hooper [LK] 8 Pts; 1t, 2g
Ade Gardner [WG] 4 Pts; 1t
Vinnie Anderson [BE] 4 Pts; 1t



Saints destroy Hull FC to keep unbeaten record in tact
Sat March 25, 2006
St Helens have continued their unbeaten start to the Super League season winning their 7th successive match to maintain a three-point lead at the top of the ladder after defeating 5th placed Hull FC 46-0 at Kingston Communications Stadium.

The result was never in doubt with the competition favourites racing to a 30-0 lead at halftime. The first 14 minutes was competitive and hard fought with a Jamie Lyon penalty goal in the 10th minute separating the two sides. Lyon crossed over four minutes later for the opening try and from then on the flood gates opened up with tries to Francis Meli in the 21st minute, Ade Gardner 26th, Jason Hooper 31st and Leon Pryce 38th with Lyon landing four conversions and one penalty.

Hull FC showed resistance for the first 20 minutes of the second half as the Saints slackened off but three tries in the final 18 minutes re-confirmed the Saints dominance on the match. Pryce scored his second try with Lyon failing to convert in the 62nd minute. Late tries to Vinnie Anderson and a second to Meli sealed a fine victory for the visitors with Hooper converting both tries.

St Helens coach Daniel Anderson after the match said, "It was very much a team performance. We're working very hard for each other and we're putting it in at training and credit goes to players and the staff.

"We're having a bit of a moment in the sun with health, form and playing well. We'll look to ride the momentum and keep working hard."

St Helens and Great Britain captain Paul Sculthorpe was a withdrawal before the match due to a knee injury. Anderson said of the Sculthorpe situation, "Paul was going to play at Hull. After having surgery in the off-season he has trained and played for six or seven weeks now, and what happens when you play is you don't get to keep the strengthening component that he did in the off-season.

"He misses Friday night and he misses next week and he'll go back to rehab and strengthen his knee. He will then come back and do another six to eight-week block. You can't expect to have major knee surgery and then play 28 games in a row."

Hull FC coach John Kear said, "It was an abject performance. It has been a very long 80 minutes for everyone involved with the Black and Whites.

"I think we all need to look at ourselves, the coaching staff and players. We need to have a serious examination of all aspects of our preparation and more importantly our performance because it was pitiful.

"The people I feel the most sorry for obviously are the spectators who have paid good money to come here and we haven't given them the effort and commitment that they deserve."

There was drama before the match with St Helens fullback Paul Wellens originally not named in the St Helens squad but was a last minute selection by coach Daniel Anderson. Kear said of the matter, "I have spoken to the match commissioner and I think it's up to the RFL."

On Wellens' selection, Anderson said: "I decided Paul was playing when he was cleared by the specialist. He trained on Wednesday and we had to make sure he was comfortable."

St Helens will play National League side Doncaster Dragons this coming Friday night in the 4th round of the Powergen Challenge Cup while defending champions Hull FC face the tough challenge of taking on last years Super League champions and Cup runners up Bradford Bulls next Saturday.

Scoring Details:
10 St Helens Goal by Jamie Lyon
14 St Helens Try by Jamie Lyon
16 St Helens Goal by Jamie Lyon
21 St Helens Try by Francis Meli
23 St Helens Goal by Jamie Lyon
26 St Helens Try by Ade Gardner
27 St Helens Goal missed by Jamie Lyon
31 St Helens Try by Jason Hooper
33 St Helens Goal by Jamie Lyon
38 St Helens Try by Leon Pryce
39 St Helens Goal by Jamie Lyon
----------
62 St Helens Try by Leon Pryce
63 St Helens Goal missed by Jamie Lyon
74 St Helens Try by Vinnie Anderson
74 St Helens Goal by Jason Hooper
80 St Helens Try by Francis Meli
80 St Helens Goal by Jason Hooper

Advanced Search