St Helens defeat Hull KR
29 Mar 2019
St Helens had to come from behind to maintain their unblemished Betfred Super League record, defeating plucky Hull Kingston Rovers 36-24.
It required late tries from Saints’ Aaron Smith and Regan Grace to end resilient Rovers’ late charge, but it could have been a different story if the Robins had maintained their composure midway through the second period when they leaked crucial scores.
At 16-0 the game looked over as Saints raced to a three-score lead thanks to tries from Lachlan Coote, Jack Welsby and Luke Thompson, but the visitors bounced back in style.
Kane Linnett crossed over for a brace of tries as Scott Oakes and Shaun Lunt claimed one apiece, while winger Ryan Shaw added the extras.
In reply, Coote - who also kicked over four conversions - contributed two penalties and Kyle Amor claimed a smash-and-grab effort before Smith and Grace sealed the victory.
Saints boss Justin Holbrook said: “It was definitely a difficult game for us and a huge win. That was due to them playing well and the chopping and changing we had to do last minute.
"We had a mixed bag in terms of players missing but we got the job done. Some of the young players have really stepped up and Thompson was our best player."
Hull KR head coach Tim Sheens said: “Tonight we had our chance (to win) but we have to take some of those opportunities that presented themselves. We were in the game and we just lost it.
“Injuries do break the rhythm. We don’t have the depth of a Warrington or a St Helens. We need our best side to be competitive. You can only go so far. Hull FC are experiencing a bit of that themselves.??
