Super League: St Helens 44-4 Wakefield Wildcats

Luke Walsh opened the scoring with St Helens' first try against Wakefield

St Helens hammered bottom club Wakefield Wildcats at Langtree Park to move within three points of Super League leaders Leeds Rhinos.

Lewis Charnock, Luke Walsh and Tommy Makinson all scored two tries for Keiron Cunningham's men, who stay second in the table.

Jordan Turner, Adam Swift and Mose Masoe also went over for Saints, who crossed nine times in all.

Wakefield's only try came through teenage winger Tom Johnstone.

But they have now lost 10 consecutive Super League matches and they are five points adrift at the bottom of the table following Hull FC's win over Salford.

James Webster's visitors put in a spirited performance but, after a bright start, they fell behind after 11 minutes when Saints scrum-half Walsh jinked through a gap in the Wakefield defence to touch down under the posts.

The hosts, who gave a start to midweek signing Shannon McDonnell at full-back, went 16 points up when 20-year-old hooker Charnock crossed twice from close range and Makinson went in at the corner to stretch the lead further.

Johnstone scored his first Super League try before the interval, but three tries in the first 10 minutes of the second half ended any hopes of a Wakefield comeback.

St Helens centre Turner went over for his 11th try of the season before the influential Walsh set up scores for Swift and Masoe.

Walsh rounded off a wonderful team move for his second of the match and Makinson completed his brace with his 10th try of the campaign, as Saints took advantage of Leeds' 24-24 draw at Huddersfield on Thursday to close the gap at the top.

St Helens coach Keiron Cunningham:

"We played some really good stuff and threw the ball around like when Sean (Long) and I used to play.

"Young Dougie Charnock was outstanding and it wasn't a calculated gamble playing him.

"We want to try to maintain James Roby's fitness and Dougie came in and did a great job, scoring two tries.

"It was a good solid performance and we are entertaining the fans."

Wakefield Wildcats coach James Webster:

"We struggled because of a lack of physicality. We are a small team in the middle.

"We did some things all right but the telling factor was two 10-minute spells when we didn't touch the ball and they scored 32 points.

"They just went bang, bang, bang, but we will continue to work hard and be up for a fight against Hull KR on Thursday."

St Helens: McDonnell; Makinson, Percival, Turner, Swift; Burns, Walsh; Amor, Charnock, Masoe, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Wilkin, Savelio.

Replacements: Jones, Walmsley, Flanagan, Richards.

Wakefield Wildcats: Riley; Johnstone, Arundel, Ryan, Lyne; Godinet, T. Smith; Scruton, McShane, Kavanagh, Molloy, Washbrook, Miller.

Replacements: Lauitiiti, Simon, D. Smith, Crowther.

Referee: Chris Leatherbarrow

Attendance: 10,001