Saints hold off Giants to go top of Super League

St Helens have won nine of their first 11 matches in Super League this season

Tries:O'Donnell, Swift, EvaldsGoals:Russell 3

Tries:Robertson, Murphy, Dagnall, DelaneyGoals:Hastings 5

St Helens held off a second-half fightback by bottom club Huddersfield Giants to go top of Super League.

Paul Rowley's side are two points clear of Leeds Rhinos. who will retake top spot if they win at Wigan Warriors on Friday.

Five days after adisappointing 32-0 Challenge Cup semi-final lossto rivals Wigan. four first-half tries were enough for Saints to register a ninth win in 11 Super League outings.

A much more emphatic victory appeared likely when the visitors led 24-0 at the interval, with Harry Robertson, Lewis Murphy, Owen Dagnall. George Delaney all crossing against a Huddersfield side guilty of numerous errors.

However, the Giants dramatically improved in the second half. gave Saints a scare with tries by Asher O'Donnell, Adam Swift and Niall Evalds.

Saints captain Lees out for season with injury

Huddersfield appoint ex-player Lenihan as coach

Huddersfield's new head coach Jim Lenihan. who was appointed as Luke Robinson's full-time successor on 8 May, is expected to arrive in the UK from Australia early next week.

His players will take encouragement from a much better second-half performance. having been booed off the field by a section of their home fans after a poor first-half display - which was ultimately the chief reason for their fourth-straight Super League loss.

Saints took control with two tries in the opening 10 minutes as Jack Welsby raced through a huge gap in the Huddersfield line to set up centre Robertson. before a handling error in his own half by Lewis Jagger was punished when Murphy touched down in the corner.

After fellow winger Dagnall collected Welsby's pass to dive over. another Huddersfield error just before half-time - Tui Lolohea sending a goalline drop-out out on the full - led to Delaney's score.

Oliver Russell's 40/20 laid the platform for Huddersfield's first points after the break, with Saints unable to gather Lolohea's lofted kick. O'Donnell grasping the loose ball to touch down.

Ex-Saints winger Swift. full-back Evalds both wove their way through for further tries, which sandwiched a Jackson Hastings penalty for the visitors.

Those extra two points were important. as it meant Huddersfield - despite a spell of prolonged pressure near the end - were always more than one score behind in the closing stages.

Huddersfield interim head coach Liam Finn told BBC Radio Leeds:

"It was a game of two halves - or actually, a game of one quarter and three quarters.

"In the first 20 minutes, we were nowhere near, miles off. [it was] unacceptable on any level, never mind at Super League level.

"We made five errors in the first 10 minutes and against any team, you get punished. We were booed off at half-time and rightly so.

"We needed a reaction at half-time and got one in the second half. We completed 15 out of the first 15 sets [in the second half] and got ourselves back in the game.

"It's not that complicated, our game - it's a tough game played by tough men. In the second half, we went after it and nearly gave ourselves a chance in the last five minutes."

St Helens prop Alex Walmsley told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra:

"We knew it would be a tough game. We had a big game at the weekend, a short turnaround. we were missing a few boys, so it was always going to be a tough ask to come to Huddersfield and grind out a result, but we knew that's what we had to do.

"We're a tough side. we've got a bit of toughness in there to get these kind of jobs done and, thankfully, we saw it out in the end.

"At the start of the year, you're going for three cups and now it's down to two. The first one is the League Leaders' Shield, so that's our priority now.

"Winning games and getting two points, no matter where you are or who you're up against, is vital."

Huddersfield:Evalds; Swift, Gagai, Jagger, Kershaw; Lolohea, Russell; Rogers, Woolford, Powell, O'Donnell, Patolo, Rushton.

Interchanges:Geyer, King, Milne, English.

St Helens:Sailor; Dagnall, Robertson, Cross, Murphy; Hastings, Welsby; Walmsley, Clark, Klemmer, Wright, Whitley, Shorrocks.

Interchanges:Delaney, Lomax, Davies, Sironen.

Referee:Chris Kendall.

**Author: Betfred Super League**