Super League: Salford Red Devils 10-60 St Helens

Full-back Ben Barba has scored 15 tries for St Helens this season

Ben Barba scored a hat-trick as Super League leaders St Helens ran in 11 tries to beat Salford Red Devils.

Tommy Makinson, Dominique Peyroux, Barba and Ryan Morgan put Saints 26-6 up before Matty Lees saw red for a high challenge on Salford's Niall Evalds.

Regan Grace crossed for the visitors either side of the break while Mark Percival touched down moments later.

Barba completed his treble on the hour mark but was carried off on a stretcher with a shoulder injury late on.

On 15 minutes, Barba scored his first try after linking onto Grace's pass before running the length of the field to double his tally.

The former Cronulla Sharks full-back scored his 15th try of the season later on as he registered his first hat-trick since joining the Super League club last season.

Lees was sent off on his fourth appearance for Saints when video replays showed he had struck the face of Evalds in the build-up to Zeb Taia crossing over for a try that was eventually disallowed.

Evalds failed his concussion assessment and played no further part, while Salford's task was made harder when Junior Sa'u was sin-binned.

There was a lengthy delay late in the game when Barba received treatment and was carried off in a neck brace after landing awkwardly as he attempted to offload the ball.

Theo Fages and Morgan added further tries for the visitors late on, with Tyrone McCarthy and Kris Welham's scores all Salford could manage against an excellent Saints side.

Salford Red Devils head coach Ian Watson told BBC Radio Manchester:

"This week's a different kettle of fish, we just weren't there straight from the beginning against St Helens [after beating Wakefield last week].

"This one will hurt until our next game and all next week in training because that wasn't a performance that we've delivered all year.

"Our forward pack got overrun and they just picked us up on the edges."

St Helens boss Justin Holbrook:

"I'm not 100 per cent sure [on the state of Barba] but hopefully it's just a precaution, with the doctors playing on the safe side.

"Six weeks ago Alex Walmsley copped a knock and actually stood up and walked off so I think the docs might be worried because of that.

"It looked like he fell awkwardly and at first I thought it was his collar bone but the doctor was pressing on his neck and he was trying to get the feeling back."

Salford: Evalds, Johnson, Sa'u, Welham, Bibby, Shrorrocks, Littlejohn, Mossop, Tomkins, Burgess, Griffin, Lannon, Flanagan.

St Helens: Barba, Makinson, Morgan, Percival, Grace, Lomax, Richardson, Amor, Smith, Thompson, Peyroux, Taia, Wilkin.

Referee: C. Kendall.