Super League: St Helens 58-0 Hull FC - 10-try Saints thrash dejected visitors

St Helens bounced back from their Challenge Cup exit as they thrashed Hull FC to go top of Super League.

The hosts led through Tommy Makinson crossing in the corner and Jonny Lomax touched down soon after.

Waqa Blake and James Bell went over to extend Saints' lead and Joe Batchelor ran in a fifth try after half-time.

Mark Percival, Konrad Hurrell and Curtis Sironen added to Hull's woes as Blake's second broke the 50-point mark before Jack Welsby added a 10th try.

Saints are now top of a tight table on points difference from second-placed Wigan and Catalans who drop from first to third.

Hull came into the match off the back of sacking head coach Tony Smith with half-back Fa'amanu Brown and full-back Tex Hoy following him in leaving the club.

Richie Myler also took over as director of rugby prior to the trip to the Totally Wicked Stadium during a chaotic period of change for the Super League strugglers.

However, interim coaches Simon Grix and Francis Cummins could not stop Hull's seventh defeat in eight league games.

St Helens had suffered a chastening loss to the Wire in the Challenge Cup quarter-final on Sunday after a second half capitulation against Sam Burgess' side, but there was to be no repeat in a resolute performance where they rarely looked threatened.

Their opener came in stylish fashion as a succession of passes, starting with Lomax's offload, eventually saw Hurrell feed Makinson to touch down.

Hull FC were carved open again inside the opening quarter of an hour as Sione Mata'utia sent Lomax through with ease while some quick hands under pressure saw Saints keep the ball alive to send Blake through for their third.

Bell soon weaved his way past a dejected Hull defence to make it 24-0 at the break.

Saints picked up from where they left off in the second half as Lomax sent Batchelor through with a move straight off the training ground.

Lomax teed up another Saints try as he set Percival up to follow up his fine work with the boot and Hurrell later continued the rout on his 100th Super League appearance.

Sironen crashed over just before the hour mark and Blake ran in virtually unopposed for his second before Welsby cut in to wrap up a thumping victory.

Hull FC interim coach Simon Grix told BBC Radio Humberside:

"If you judge the game on the scoreboard alone it's not pretty, obviously. I think our effort was good, especially our young lads. I told them to come with enthusiasm and energy.

"I think we came undone through inexperience at times against a determined and relentless St Helens team who were really good and you tell they were hurting and they did a really professional job tonight.

"For what I asked of them, I wasn't judging them on the scoreboard tonight.

"Obviously we all want the two points but we're not there at the moment. We need to get our effort and talent to where it needs to be and I don't think it was far off tonight."

St Helens: Bennison; Makinson, Hurrell, Percival, Blake; Welsby, Lomax; Mata'utia, Mbye, Lees, Whitley, Batchelor, Knowles

Interchanges: Bell, Sironen, Delaney, Davies.

Hull FC: Moy; McIntosh, Litten, Sutcliffe, Martin; Charles, Smith; Ese'ese, Houghton, Pele, Lane, Scott, Cator.

Interchanges: Balmforth, Gardiner, Jebson, Laidlaw.

Referee: Tom Grant.