Round 2
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 29 d. St Helens 22

2007 engage English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

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

Rooney inspires Wildcats as Saints lose again
Mon February 19, 2007
Source: www.superleague.co.uk

Jamie Rooney provided the inspiration as St Helens slumped to another humiliating defeat ahead of Friday's World Club Challenge against Brisbane Broncos.

The Wakefield stand-off produced a stellar display which included a try and a drop-goal to complete an astonishing comeback from John Kear's men.

Trinity trailed 18-6 at the break but went on to run in four second-half tries with a blistering performance which left Saints stunned.

Trinity deserved their victory for their second-half masterclass but St Helens will feel they should have offered some stiffer resistance.

Saints, who last season won all three major trophies with something to spare, endured a shock defeat against Harlequins RL in their opening game and lost out again at Belle Vue.

The conditions were perfect for running rugby but a series of handling errors and defensive errors condemned the reigning engage Super League champions to another morale-sapping defeat.

They will require a significant improvement for Friday's showdown against the Broncos at Bolton's Reebok Stadium.

With Lee Gilmour and Paul Wellens returning to the side, Anderson played his strongest available team - but Wakefield were the better side.

Rooney, an instrumental figure in all Trinity's best moves, landed a 40-metre penalty in the opening exchanges to give his side a platform on which to build.

However, Saints woke up in the 15th minute when Mike Bennett barged through a gap to cross the line for a try which Sean Long converted.

Keiron Cunningham's intricate probings from acting half offered Saints their customary attacking threat but too often passes were misplaced and undercooked.

In the 22nd minute, however, their second try arrived when Long found James Graham with a neat offload and he showed brute force to cross.

But, on the half-hour mark, Trinity hit back when Ben Jeffries sent Brett Ferres over for a neat try which Rooney failed to convert.

And four minutes before the break it looked costly as Leon Pryce showed some nimble footwork to engineer the space to burrow over the line from point-blank range.

Long again landed the goal but St Helens can scarcely have imagined what lay in store for them after the restart.

Wakefield were simply awesome and destroyed Saints with some superb rugby. They reduced the deficit shortly after the break when replacement Ned Catic bustled over the line after capitalising on weak defending from Saints.

And on the hour mark Ryan Atkins did likewise after darting through a space in the visitors' rearguard.

Trinity were now in total control and Rooney's moment of magic came with 14 minutes remaining when he embarked on a delightful weaving run which took over the Saints line.

Matt Blaymire then added a fifth try before Rooney sent over a drop-goal to take his personal haul to 13 points.

Ade Gardner's last-minute try was nothing more than consolation for Saints, who had long since surrendered the points.

Report source: www.superleague.co.uk

Article: Anderson: Loss the most embarrassing yet

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