Super League: Hull FC 6-38 St Helens - Saints saunter to win over 12-man hosts on emotional day
- Published
Josh Simm followed up his opening-day hat-trick with two of St Helens' six tries in the humiliation of Hull
Betfred Super League |
|---|
Hull FC (0) 6 |
Tries: Griffin Goals: McIntosh |
St Helens (20) 38 |
Tries: Simm 2, Percival, Welsby, Mata'utia, Dodd Goals: Makinson 7 |
St Helens ran in six tries as 12-man Hull FC suffered a dismal 38-6 home loss on an emotional day on Humberside.
After marking the sad passing of Hull legend 'Gentleman' Johnny Whiteley before kick-off, the hosts caved in.
Hull played most of the game a man short after Connor Wynne's yellow card was followed by Luke Gale's red.
Saints cashed in as Josh Simm (2), Mark Percival, Jack Welsby, Sione Mata'utia and Lewis Dodd all crossed while Josh Griffin scored Hull's consolation try.
In the brutal wind, rain and snow, Welsby played a starring role for the Super League champions, setting up both of Simm's tries with superb passes, as well as kicking through for an individual second-half effort to maintain his run of try-scoring against Hull.
Welsby has now crossed the whitewash eight times in his past four meetings with the Black and Whites - and on the ground too where his highly fortuitous last-ditch try beat Wigan in 2020 to win Saints the second of their three successive Super League crowns.
Hull beaten by lack of discipline
Although Griffin did at least get a late consolation score, Saints simply benefited from the lack of discipline that let the hosts down on such a momentous day as they eased to a 12th straight win over Hull - and their seventh in a row on this ground, to which Tommy Makinson added some gloss with seven successful kicks.
Already trailing 6-0 from Percival's opening try, the England centre's 100th for Saints, the loss of the sin-binned Wynne for lifting an opposition leg in the tackle cost Hull eight points for a harshly-awarded Makinson penalty and Simm's opening converted try.
But then Gale totally lost his head as he tried to charge down with a raised boot in the air and caught Jonny Lomax's right thigh, a misdemeanour that would have been punished in any era, in any code of football - rugby league, rugby union, association or probably even American too.
Rival captains Danny Houghton and James Roby and referee Chris Kendall were involved in the fitting pre-match tribute to Hull FC legend Johnny Whiteley
It certainly did most to mar the occasion as the Airlie Birds paid tribute to one of their greats before kick-off.
In honour of Whiteley's passing, there were wreath tributes from Saints and the Rugby Football League, a minute's silence backed with a show of cards within the stands, and a rendition of 'Abide With Me' sung by Lizzie Jones.
Hull head coach Brett Hodgson:
On Gale's red card: "I had limited footage. His foot went out but I don't know how much contact there was and I don't want to suggest otherwise until I see some clear vision. It's hugely frustrating.
"You just want consistency and the message to be the same in every game every week. With Connor Wynne, the player literally jumped and put his own head into the ground and they sent him off for a yellow card. It was very harshly dealt with.
"I'm super proud of the effort of my players, who kept working as hard as they could. But when you lose your half-back, you're lost for options a little bit. St Helens were the better team. There were lessons we got taught that we need to be better."
St Helens coach Kristian Woolf:
"They were tough conditions, there's no doubt about that. It was freezing cold. Some of our blokes at half-time were shivering.
"We still played some good footy so I'm really happy overall. We handled it. Our blokes approached the game really well from the start and we were very much on top before the sending-off.
"Josh Simm got his opportunity and he's taken it. He had a really good pre-season - his conditioning is the best I've seen it. He did a great job. He looked really comfortable out there."
On the red card: "Something had to happen there. I'm not quite sure what but you can't jump out at the kicker. We've brought in lots of rules to protect our kickers and that was a bit of an ugly situation. Action had to be taken."
Hull FC: Shaul; McIntosh, Scott, Wynne, Swift; Reynolds, Gale; Fash, Houghton, Sao, Griffin, Lane, Johnstone.
Interchange: Brown, Lovodua, Satae, Vulikijapani.
Sin bin: Wynne (17)
Sent off: Gale (29)
St Helens: Welsby; Simm, Hurrell, Percival, Makinson; Lomax, Dodd; Walmsley, Roby, Lees, Mata'utia, Batchelor, Knowles.
Interchange: Lussick, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Sironen, Paasi.
Referee: Chris Kendall (RFL)
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