Super League: Hull KR 26-14 St Helens - Robins beat Saints for first time since 2015

Mikey Lewis was a thorn in St Helens' side after a dominant display

Hull KR recorded a first win over reigning Super League champions St Helens since March 2015 thanks to a dominant second-half display.

The first half was an equal affair, with a try from Mikey Lewis cancelling out Jonny Lomax's score for Saints.

With Matty Lees in the sin-bin, Lewis' second put the hosts in front and ex-Saint Lachlan Coote added a third try.

Jez Litten's score gave Rovers enough of a gap to render Joey Lussick's try academic as Saints slipped to defeat.

Willie Peters' third-placed side have now beaten both Wigan Warriors and Saints on home turf this season, have won their past four, and had a perfect gameplan to counter Saints' threat and cause problems.

Against a side shorn of the pack bulk of Alex Walmsley, Morgan Knowles, Sione Mata'utia and Joe Batchelor, their own big men such as Sam Luckley and George King thrived.

On the back of that, Jordan Abdull's kicking game pinned Saints at the back and took away space from winger Tommy Makinson, who is usually a return threat from backfield.

Lewis' tries came from elusive running and an eye for a gap, plus the ability to track kicks - and that was mirrored by Litten's score.

Coote finished off a slicing move at pace, with Saints struggling to contain that speed, a common theme as the home side dictated the flow.

Saints' absentees were certainly a mitigating factor, but their inability to gain territory and field position after the break was an Achilles heel.

Lomax's score came from slick attack early on, but his side were unable to maintain their momentum, and Lussick's try - a trademark dummy-half sneak - was too late to make a real difference.

Lees' sin-binning just before the break was a damaging one, as Rovers scored their second try right on the cusp of his return and kept up the pressure to take the game away from the off-colour champions.

Hull KR head coach Willie Peters:

"In the first half I was a little bit worried. We were off in areas which we pride ourselves in. The most pleasing part was we regrouped at half-time. Our kick-chase set us up for the second half.

"We got ourselves into a little bit of trouble towards the back end [of the game] but we defended well. I thought there was a huge energy in that second half.

"It's where we want to be, in the top four. There is a long way to go but we are getting there."

St Helens head coach Paul Wellens:

"We're disappointed but on the balance of play Hull KR were the deserved winners.

"I've no complaints with the result and I am proud of our guys' efforts, the way they worked hard for each other was pleasing.

"We came up with too many errors and I'm a coach who doesn't mind making errors if you are making them in the right way. What we had tonight was too many concentration errors, losing the ball in contact. We were the contributors to our own downfall."

Hull KR: Coote; Kenny-Dowall, Opacic, C Hall, R Hall; Lewis, Abdull; Kennedy, Parcell, King, Hadley, Linnett, Minchella.

Interchanges: Halton, Litten, Storton, Luckley.

St Helens: Welsby; Makinson, Hurrell, Hopoate, Bennison; Lomax, Dodd; McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Roby, Lees, Percival, Royle, Bell.

Interchanges: Lussick, Wingfield, Ritson, Delaney.

Referee: Ben Thaler

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