St Helens (32) 60
Tries: Gardner, Moore, Wilkin 2, Foster 2, Roby, Eastmond, Lomax, Ashurst, Puletua Goals: Foster 8

Bradford (12) 12
Tries: Worrincy, Sheriffe Goals: Sykes 2

Foster scored 24 of St Helens 60 points against Bradford

St Helens strengthened their claims on second place as Bradford's run without a win stretched to 12 league and cup games - the worst run in their history.

The game was effectively all over after 11 minutes as Ade Gardner, Scott Moore and Jon Wilkin all ran in tries.

More followed from Jamie Foster, James Roby, Kyle Eastmond, Jonny Lomax, Matty Ashurst Tony Puletua and Wilkin.

Bradford finally got on the scoreboard through Michael Worrincy and Rikki Sheriffe but it was too little to late.

Up against a Saints side coached by Mick Potter, who will take over at Odsal at the end of the season, the Bulls began the night hoping not to extend their long losing streak to three months. But that never looked a possibility for a side who have not won now since 14 May.

Having failed to make the play-offs for the first time since they started in 1998 last season, the managerless Bulls have now missed out for the second year running.

St Helens, who started level on points with second-placed Warrington, had the chance to turn up the pressure on the Wolves who do not play until Sunday.

And last weekend's losing Challenge Cup semi-finalists wasted no time in stating their intent as Gardner and Lomax combined well for the first try in the fourth minute.

James Graham then sent Moore on the way for a second before Eastmond's wonderful pass sent Wilkin through for his first of the night.

Bradford had no answer to Saints' verve as Foster, Roby and Eastmond continued the scoring before the break.

After the restart Lomax scorched through a hole in the Bradford defence to cross before Ashurst's burst along the right gave Saints more joy.

Puletua punished some sloppy defending for his try to bring up 50 points and Wilkin powered over for his second.

Worrincy squeezed over in the corner for an unlikely Bradford try before Sheriffe added another, but Foster rounded things off for St Helens as he was put through by Matt Gidley.

St Helens coach Mick Potter said:

"I think our players wanted to respond immediately from last week - and they did.

"They put a lot of effort in last week and tonight they showed, against a team that made a lot more errors, they can score tries. It was a good response.

"We missed Kyle Eastmond last week. It's great to have him back and that's a performance he can build on. I don't think you've seen the best of Kyle yet."

Bradford caretaker coach Lee St Hilaire said:

"We came up against a very good St Helens side tonight, perhaps still smarting from their defeat to Leeds, and we've got the backlash.

"That's not to say we haven't done anything wrong. We got our bums smacked.

"They're trying and they're trying real hard but, once you're in a rut, it's hard to get out."

St Helens: Wellens, Foster, Gidley, Meli, Gardner, Moore, Eastmond, Graham, Roby, Puletua, Flannery, Wilkin, Lomax.
Replacements: Cunningham, Hargreaves, Ashurst, Emmitt.

Bradford: Halley, Sheriffe, Platt, Menzies, Crookes, Kearney, Sykes, Kopczak, L'Estrange, Lynch, Whitehead, Worrincy, Langley.
Replacements: Scruton, Godwin, Olbison, Finigan.

Referee: Thierry Alibert (France).

Attendance: 9,032.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version