Super League: Hull KR 6-30 St Helens

Ben Barba scored either side of half-time for St Helens

St Helens bounced back from last week's defeat by Leeds by scoring five tries in a comfortable victory at Hull KR.

Luke Thompson and Ben Barba scored in the first half before Jonny Lomax, Dominique Peyroux and Barba's second saw Saints run away with the game.

Hull KR were in touch at half-time with Ryan Shaw's try but went scoreless in the second half as they slipped to their fifth defeat in seven matches.

St Helens remain top of the table, with last week's defeat their only loss.

Saints should have gone behind within seven minutes but Shaw dropped the ball over the line and nine minutes later, prop Thompson collected a short pass to power over before Barba scored his first try following a scrum.

Shaw did go over for Hull KR on the stroke of half-time after Justin Carney's break up the left wing, but it was their only score of the game.

St Helens took control as Zeb Taia cleverly passed inside to send Barba in for his second try and more smart handling by Tommy Makinson put Lomax over to seal the points before Peyroux stepped through a gap for Saints' fifth try.

It completed a poor night for Hull KR, who failed to build on last week's thumping win at Huddersfield.

Hull KR head coach Tim Sheens: "At one stage, we had 12 on the field when they score twice at the back end, which was disappointing for us as we couldn't do anything about it.

"We had a 13th man but he wasn't allowed on because of his HIA (Head Injury Assessment) so we probably had about four head knocks tonight. It was a tough night at the office, very tough.

"(Everyone) is disappointed because the effort was there. We just didn't execute well. But we were very disruptive during the game with the different issues we had, but I think they put up a fight.

"There are a few things we need to fix which would have helped us out. I thought we competed well, we were just not good enough with the ball in hand."

St Helens boss Justin Holbrook: "We were obviously disappointed last week and it's about how you respond as a team and I thought we showed that.

"We saw what a great win Hull KR had last week and we knew they haven't played at home for a while so it was going to be tough and I thought we handled it really well.

"I thought we were more settled with our attack this week. We have been a little bit lost the last couple of weeks so if we get that right then Bennie is going to get the rewards from that.

"I thought our forwards stood up and that helped Bennie play. Luke Dougas, Luke Thompson, Kyle Amor and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook - I thought they were outstanding."

Hull KR: Quinlan, Shaw, Hefernan, Minns, Carney, McGuire, Atkin, Mulhern, Lawler, Masoe, Blair, Clarkson, Kavanagh

Replacements: Lee, Donaldson, Greenwood, Walne

St Helens: Barba, Swift, Makinson, Percival, Grace, Lomax, Richardson, Amor, Roby, Thompson, Peyroux, Taia, Wilkin

Replacements: Fages, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Douglas, Knowles