Super League: Hull FC 34-6 St Helens - Home side sparkle to blow away champions

Jake Clifford put Hull FC in front with a fourth-minute try

Hull FC produced a superb performance to thump St Helens in Super League.

Saints won a Challenge Cup quarter-final at the MKM Stadium on Saturday but were 22-0 down at half-time on Thursday after tries from Jake Clifford, Carlos Tuimavave, Jake Trueman and Chris Satae.

James Bell got the visitors on the scoreboard but Cameron Scott reaffirmed the hosts' lead.

Darnell McIntosh picked up a loose ball to wrap Hull's win up late on.

Victory for the home side ended their 16-match losing run against Saints.

Paul Wellens' men have now lost six games this season, as many as they did in the entirety of the 2022 Super League campaign.

Saturday's cup tie swung when Hull's Josh Griffin's was red-carded for dissent and he was subsequently hit with a seven-match ban for questioning the integrity of the referee.

Despite that disappointment, Tony Smith's men started on the front foot and Clifford gave them the lead after four minutes before Tuimavave crashed over for a second score.

Trueman extended their lead with an incredibly unusual try. He kicked the ball through and Jack Welsby looked to watch it go out of play but McIntosh did brilliantly to run around him and bat it back into play where Trueman, who had gone off the pitch in his kick chase, dived on to it.

The three-time champions were rocked and Satae barged in over some lax defending before Davy Litten nearly extended the advantage with a spectacular finish in the corner but the video referee ruled it out for a knock-on.

No doubt stung by some strong words from Wellens at the break, the away side looked to mount a comeback as Bell got them on the scoreboard after good work from Konrad Hurrell.

However, their slim hopes of turning the game around were short-lived as Scott touched down before the hosts put in some great defensive sets to keep Saints at bay.

Litten then missed out on a try in similar circumstances to the first half, but it mattered little - and McIntosh scooped up a dropped pass to sprint 60 yards and put the seal on Hull FC's first win over St Helens since August 2017.

Smith's side will look to build on this when they host Catalans next Saturday while Saints will aim to bounce back with a home game against Castleford a week on Friday.

Hull FC coach Tony Smith:

"I think when we're all on the same page and getting more consistent we can compete with the top teams.

"I don't think the difference between the top teams and the bottom teams is so drastically different - everybody can challenge each other in this competition.

"We've progressed. I think we're more on the same page with our systems. It's a process but we seem to be getting more rewards for our hard work.

"It's a nice way to bounce back. It's never nice when someone comes on your patch and beats you twice in a row. We were hoping not to let that happen and we were full of energy and determination."

St Helens coach Paul Wellens:

"We are hugely disappointed to put in a performance like that, we came here full of confidence off the back of a good win at the weekend, but we were just not close enough to where we needed to be.

"Part of the problem was we got a little bit complacent. Almost from the start you could see they (Hull) were hungrier and more enthusiastic and we were out-worked and out-enthused.

"It felt like things were gradually getting worse and worse. Effectively tonight we've allowed Jake Clifford to rule the roost, in terms of running around the field and doing exactly what he wanted.

"We showed some response after half-time but we weren't at the level we needed to be. It's a tough learn for us tonight and we've got to take it on the chin and come back stronger."

Hull FC: Shaul, Litten, Scott, Tuimavave, McIntosh, Trueman, Clifford, Fash, Houghton, Sao, Lovodua, Savelio, Cator

Interchanges: Satae, Lane, McNamara, Brown.

St Helens: Welsby, Ritson, Hurrell, Hopoate, Bennison, Lomax, Dodd, Walmsley, Knowles, Lees, Sironen, Batchelor, McCarthy-Scarsbrook.

Interchanges: Roby, Mata'utia, Paasi, Bell.

Referee: Jack Smith.

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