Super 8s: St Helens 40-16 Huddersfield Giants

Jonny Lomax scored two tries in the first 35 minutes for St Helens against Huddersfield

St Helens moved into the Super League play-off places with victory over Huddersfield Giants.

Two tries from Jonny Lomax and one apiece for Regan Grace and Mark Percival gave the hosts a 24-6 half-time lead.

Ben Barba, Ryan Morgan and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook were also on the scoresheet for the rampant hosts.

Ryan Hinchcliffe and Jordan Rankin went over for the Giants after the break to add to Oliver Roberts' first-half try.

St Helens moved into fourth, level on 31 points with Wigan, whose game in hand is against Castleford on Sunday.

Defeat would have ended play-off hope for the Saints but they always looked in control, scoring twice in the opening 10 minutes.

Australian Barba, who was at the heart of St Helens' victory, beat three Giants defenders to run in on the left-hand side for the first score of the second half.

The seven-try victory was rounded off when McCarthy-Scarsbrook powered over and Percival added his sixth goal to go with a first-half try for a personal tally of 16 points.

St Helens coach Justin Holbrook: "Our first 60 minutes was really, really good. It was pleasing to see. We played some really good rugby league out there.

"We have a really big game now against Salford. We have said all along that we need to be consistent every week and the points we have scored could come into it.

"The Super 8s have had a few too many dead rubbers (in previous seasons) and this has been an exception. Every game is vital and it's been a very good format this year - you wouldn't want to change it."

Huddersfield coach Rick Stone: "It was a patchy performance at best. We didn't start well and that was our undoing. We got ourselves back in it at 12-6 but we were a bit dishonest defensively. We got caught a few times.

"In the second half the effort was there but the damage had been done. The whole game for us was pretty disappointing.

"We tried to make amends for last week's display but Saints were pretty good in the first stint and they controlled the game."

St Helens: Barba, Makinson, Morgan, Percival, Grace, Lomax, Richardson, Douglas, Roby, Thompson, Taia, Knowles, Wilkin.

Replacements: Fages, Walmsley, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Peyroux.

Huddersfield: Rankin, McGillvary, Mellor, Turner, McIntosh, Gaskell, Brough, Rapira, O'Brien, Ta'ai, Roberts, Lawrence, Hinchcliffe.

Replacements: Leeming, Clough, Smith, Dickinson.

Referee: Gareth Hewer.