Super League: St Helens 24-6 Wigan - Lachlan Coote shines as Saints outclass Warriors

Tempers flared at the end of a fiery first half when Wigan's Kai Pearce-Paul was sin-binned for an ugly challenge

St Helens outclassed old rivals Wigan with a relentless display in torrential rain at the Totally Wicked Stadium.

Wigan's fifth consecutive Super League loss was as good as sealed by half-time as the hosts built an 18-0 lead thanks to tries by Regan Grace and Lachlan Coote, who also slotted five kicks.

Mark Percival cut inside three men to stretch the advantage against an increasingly ill-disciplined Warriors.

Liam Farrell got the visitors on the board but a comeback was never likely.

Saints had not played for 17 days, their most recent fixtures against Hull KR and Castleford having been postponed because of their opponents both recording positive Covid tests.

But the Challenge Cup finalists looked sharp and focused from the outset, with Coote orchestrating play as well as scoring a try and kicking a total of six goals throughout.

The damage was done in the first half, with Grace pouncing to touch down for the opening try after Jake Bibby spilled a high kick by Coote under pressure.

Coote's third try of the season, coming when he scooped up a loose pass and crossed from close range on the back of a fine initial break by Morgan Knowles, put the visitors firmly in control.

Warriors, who have now slipped from top to sixth in the space of five games, then had Kai Pearce-Paul and Willie Isa sin-binned either side of the break, as a lack of composure cost them dear.

The teeming rain contributed to Saints dropping the pace in the closing stages despite returning England centre Percival's fifth try of the season after missing the whole of June with hamstring issues.

Farrell darted over for his sixth try of the campaign in reply after good work by Pearce-Paul as a much-improved Wigan rallied, but Saints closed out a victory with little fuss in the first meeting between the sides since that enthralling Grand Final climax last November.

St Helens head coach Kristian Woolf:

"We were terrific in the first 40 minutes. I really liked the way we started. We had a strong defensive set and backed it up with the ball.

"Wigan had a real energy about them in the second half but we defended really well."

"Mark Percival was the best player on the field. Every time he touched the ball it looked like something would happen.

"And Lachlan Coote has been integral to us. He has been a really big part of our success in the past couple of years. You know what you are going to get every week."

Wigan head coach Adrian Lam:

"I know five losses in a row is not ideal but I know in my heart we will turn the corner very soon and, when we do, we will get on a roll.

"The last month has been really difficult. We've lost confidence and we're in a bit of a rut - but hopefully we'll get some bodies drip fed back over the next month.

"It was a weird game to be honest. We had a lot of penalties go against at critical times. I was really frustrated because there was nothing illegal about them. Let's not sin-bin players for the sake of it.

"Saints looked very fresh after nearly three weeks off and we had a four-day turnaround but the players were courageous. There were moments there where I was really proud of them, especially their front-foot defence."

St Helens: Coote; Makinson, Naiqama, Percival, Grace; Lomax, Fages; Walmsley, Roby, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Mata'utia, Batchelor, Knowles.

Interchanges: Amor, Pa'asi, Welsby, Dodd.

Wigan: Hastings; Bibby, Isa, Gildart, Marshall; Smith, Leuluai; Singleton, Powell, Bullock, Farrell, Pearce-Paul, Havard.

Interchanges: Byrne, Partington, Shorrocks, O'Neill.

Sin-bin: Pearce-Pau (40), Isa (45).

Referee: J. Child (RFL),

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