Warrington Wolves 32 Saints 18 - Review

Saints are sliding the wrong way down the Super League table after a second consecutive league loss. 

It was a sixth league defeat in a row to the Wolves which saw Paul Wellens’ men drop to fifth in the table. With all of Warrington, Leeds and Catalans now joining Saints on 10 competition points the red vee will likely find themselves out of the top six if they lose to the Rhinos at the Magic Weekend in Newcastle on Saturday (May 3). That’s dangerous territory for any Saints head coach to be occupying.

 

Saints lost Joe Batchelor during the 24-14 loss at Wigan a week previously. That meant that Matt Whitley reverted to his back row slot with Dayon Sambou getting the nod to start at centre. He had been on the bench for the 26-14 win over Wakefield Trinity on April 11. George Whitby continued to keep club captain Jonny Lomax out of the side while there was a first opportunity since early March for Noah Stephens to take a place among the interchanges.

 

Wire coach Sam Burgess named an unchanged starting 13 which meant more of Danny Walker in the halves with George Williams set to miss a couple of months. There was one change on the bench where James Harrison came back into contention replacing Max Wood.

 

A big contributor to Saints’ loss at Wigan on derby day was the amount of errors they came up with. The balls-up tally was up 50% on their season average in that one. Another filthy dozen against Wire made things very difficult. Saints don’t have the most terrifying attack to start with. If that attack is constantly putting the ball on the turf it becomes even harder to win.

 

Despite the dropsies over the last two weeks Saints can usually rely on a solid defence. Yet the way Toby King dismissed Sambou for the opening try of the night had nothing in common with the way Saints have defended in the recent past. Sambou’s attempt was apologetic as King easily brushed him off to bag his fourth try of the season. Marc Sneyd had a rare problem with the conversion to leave his new side having to be content with a 4-0 lead.

 

The former Hull and Salford man was inflicting more pain on the visitors when he produced a dizzyingly accurate 40/20 kick. That set up the position from where Sam Powell, Walker, Ben Currie, Matt Dufty and Sneyd put Matty Ashton over in the left hand corner. This time Sneyd was on target and suddenly a match that had started out as a tight set for set struggle had a two-figure difference between the sides by the end of the first quarter as Wire led 10-0.

 

It was Sneyd’s third 40/20 of the year which is more than anyone else in Super League. By contrast Saints - widely accused by even their own fans of having a weak kicking game - still await their first. It would be a handy skill for someone to have in a team which is increasingly struggling to get the ball down the field into good field position. 

 

Saints have also been accused of not being clinical so far this term. That couldn’t really be levelled at them in this one if only because they didn’t create that many chances. They made their first count when Tristan Sailor’s restart from the Ashton try crept into touch on the bounce between a couple of bemused Warrington defenders. That allowed Daryl Clark, Morgan Knowles, Whitby, Sailor and Mark Percival to shift the ball quickly to Jon Bennison in space on the right. He sneaked over in not dissimilar fashion to how Ashton had previously. Whitby couldn’t land his first attempt but Saints were back in it at 10-4.

 

The scoring flurry would continue as Ashton grabbed his second soon after.  To describe it as highly dubious might be an understatement.  A Sneyd pass went to ground and was competed for by King and Bennison.  It looked like both had got a touch before King gained possession and shunted it out to Ashton in space.  He raced away to score but referee Liam Moore ordered a review.  Video referee Tom Grant decided somehow that King had picked it up cleanly after it had been touched by Bennison.  It looked a pretty poor call, but Sneyd didn’t hang around to debate it and added two more to give his side a fairly commanding lead at 16-4.

 

It would be a stretch to claim that this call decided the game given how far off the mark Saints were by the end.  But it didn’t help.  And it was yet more evidence that technology does little or nothing to achieve its supporters oft stated aim of getting all decisions right.  There were other examples later as we shall see. The introduction of captain’s challenge has worsened things to the extent that the game is now often devoid of any rhythm or continuity. It is instead frequently reduced to a series of video clips on which it now relies to create most of the drama.  I would get rid of it all tomorrow irrespective of whether calls go for or against Saints or anyone else.

 

Having been switched to the right edge following Sambou’s abject attempt to stop King scoring earlier Percival showed how the move might just improve Saints’ ailing attack.  An ill thought through offload by Lachlan Fitzgibbon was too much for Dufty to deal with which gave Saints excellent field position.  They didn’t waste it, Clark, Morgan Knowles and JackWelsby moving it quickly on to Percival who skipped around King as easily as the Warrington man had beaten Sambou earlier.  It was majestic from Percival.  There might just be something other than coincidence in the fact that you don’t often see him put on a move of such grace and skill when he is playing on the left. Whitby was unsuccessful with another conversion but at 16-8 Saints were in the argument at least.

 

They were closer still when Percival added his second try just a few minutes before the break.  This one was all his own work as well, although it wasn’t quite as easy on the eye as his first effort.  He took an inside drop off from Clark and barged over with defenders all over him. So the inside drop off does work sometimes.  Not that many Saints fans would ever recommend it.  

 

It was reviewed again but there seemed little point.  None of the available angles could locate the ball through the mass of bodies involved.  Yet since Moore had sent it up with an on-field call of try there was little option for Grant but to support that decision.  It was dubious to say the least.  Technology eh?  Still, Wellens’ men were not about to sniff at it and when Whitby found the mark for the first time with his third attempt there was just two points between the sides at 16-14. 

 

Dubious or not it was further evidence of how Percival is so much more effective playing on the right.  Harry Robertson will eventually come back into the reckoning and Deon Cross has been added to the ranks recently after joining from Salford Red Devils.  If neither are able to play on the left at centre then arguably you are just solving one problem and creating another by switching Percival permanently.  Yet on this performance Percival’s creativity might just be worth weakening the left edge a little.

 

And do you leave Robertson out for Cross when the former is fully fit?  Probably not.  Might we be about to go from having a total dearth of options in the centre apart from Percival to having an actual selection decision for Wellens to make week on week?  Or will the Head Coach choose to shoehorn Robertson into the team somewhere else?  He has previously played both fullback and stand-off. Could Sailor’s place be under threat in that case?  Robertson has adapted to every challenge thrown at him since breaking into the first team so you wouldn’t put it past him to be able to adapt again.  It would be criminal if Cross’ arrival kept him out of the side at this stage in his development.

 

The other notable feature of Percival’s second try – other than bringing Saints to within a penalty goal of parity – was Sneyd’s exit from the action.  Already without Williams, Warrington lost their other star halfback when he suffered a head injury in trying to stop Percival getting over the line.  He was sent for an HIA and did not return.  Surely now that they were in touching distance with a full 40 minutes left to play Saints could get over the top of a Wolves outfit having to use Walker and Ben Currie at halfback?  Er..well no actually as it turned out.  In fact, Saints had arguably competed far better with Sneyd on the field than they would manage to do in his absence.

 

That sorry decline began with Ashton’s hat-trick try.  It was another close finish in the corner after good handling from Powell, Harrison, King and Currie.  But it was Ashton who had earned the field position with a searing break down the left.  It was confirmed by Grant after one of the most needless reviews in living memory.  Referees’ fear of making a mistake on a try scoring play has reached fever pitch if Moore’s insecurity about whether Ashton had put a foot in touch is anything to go by.  Ashton had acres to spare.

 

He has now scored 12 tries in 14 appearances against Saints and is far too often proving to be a difference maker when these sides meet.  His treble also lifted him up to second in the list of Super League try scorers in 2025.  He has nine now, two behind the early pace-setter Jai Field. With Sneyd out of the action Josh Thewlis took on the goalkicking responsibility but was off target with his first attempt.  That kept Saints within a converted try at 20-14.

 

Percival has not scored a hat-trick since a 30-12 win over Warrington in March of 2018.  He’s made nearly 150 appearances for Saints since then.  He thought he had it in this one when he chased a neat low kick by Sailor and won the race with Ashton to touch down.  However, more video evidence took it away from him as Grant ruled that the centre’s foot had been on the dead ball line before he had grounded the ball.  It looked a fair enough call but since it had been sent up by Moore as a try there is maybe an argument that the evidence was not totally conclusive and that the referee’s call should have been backed.

 

If that doesn’t convince then consider that there was a slight shirt pull on the Saints man from the Wolves winger.  Considering how close it was to being a try there is every chance that this made all the difference.  But a penalty was not forthcoming – much less a penalty try – as the transgression was ignored.  We didn’t know it at the time but we could probably look back now and see this as something of a turning point in the game.  

 

There was a lot going on around them but you would be forgiven for thinking that this had now become a battle between Ashton and Percival.  Both were putting in a monumental effort to lift their sides over the line and both knew that they could be the difference maker on the night.  That they faced each other on the same flank – albeit not directly with one a centre and the other a winger – made the whole subplot that bit more compelling.

 

Wire missed an opportunity to push the lead out to two scores when Sambou was penalised for an escort.  It wasn’t hugely physical but the youngster did run a dubious line towards a Warrington chaser as Sailor got set to diffuse another bomb. Saints burned their captain’s challenge in disputing this one as teams continue to struggle to get to grips with the latest and most needless of technological intrusions into the game. 

 

Thewis’ penalty looked good from the angle we were given from behind the kicker but the touch judges thought otherwise and waved it away. This happened twice to Warrington in their recent meeting with Hull FC. It didn’t prove the difference in this one but these sorts of decisions could be crucial at other times.  Perhaps we are reaching the time when Rod Studd’s suggestion of an NFL style net behind the posts could be a goer.  I always thought that if a ball sailed over the height of the posts but in line with the upright that a goal would be given.  It has not been the case for Warrington in recent weeks.  

 

I would rather have seen Warrington given the goal than endure what happened next.  Possibly irked and thus suitably motivated, Thewlis broke down the right hand side and found a pass inside to Rodrick Tai. The centre began to stumble with the line at his mercy but managed to slide over for what looked a potentially decisive score.  Thewlis took no chances with the touch judges’ eyesight this time, smacking the conversion straight between the posts for a 26-14 lead.  It’s tough to overcome a 12-point deficit when your attack is largely reliant on Percival.

 

His adversary left the scene soon after as Ashton sustained a head injury. His failed HIA kept him out of the remainder of the game and like Sneyd he will miss the Magic Weekend meeting with Wigan at Newcastle this weekend.  Ashton’s departure did at least offer a debut to teenage halfback Ewan Irwin who became active as 18^th man following the loss of a second Warrington player to a head injury.  And they needed a halfback given what happened to Sneyd and the current unavailability of Williams.  

 

Five minutes later any lingering hope was extinguished when Dufty got over for a try.  Receiving the ball from Walker he bumped off another weak Sambou attempt at a tackle and raced away from the cover to score. In a rare moment of regret in an otherwise stellar performance Percival had handed the initiative to Warrington with a ball steal on Joe Philbin. Another Thewlis conversion later Saints were down by 14 at 32-18 with only just over 10 minutes left.  

 

There was still time for Bennison to get his second try of the evening. Percival got the assist after linking with Sailor and Welsby to get Bennison in at the right corner again.  It was the 26^th try of his 67-game Saints career.  He is unmistakably not a winger but if you give him the ball in space in that position he can finish.  Meanwhile Percival registered the third assist of his 2025 campaign.  I’d expect that figure to grow if he remains on the right hand edge of the attack.  Whitby has not yet solved the goalkicking problem as many thought he would and another miss kept Saints at arm’s length at 32-18.

 

Inside the last 10 minutes Wellens saw fit to unleash Stephens.  To be fair to the young prop there is not a lot he can do in that sort of time especially with the scoreboard as it was.  He should not be someone who gets thrown in late when a game is gone.  He may be young but he is a genuine hope in terms of helping Saints gain the yardage that they need to be able to control games more.  More game time is a must for one of Saints’ more dynamic props.  

 

Having given the nod to Percival earlier Grant took pity on Saints in a similar situation late on when Paul Vaughan crashed over.  He was ruled short of the line though there didn’t seem to be much evidence either way.  As in cricket the on-field call is all important where proof is hard to find, and Moore had sent it up as no try initially.

 

Afterward Wellens accepted the defensive weaknesses which had led – in particular – to the tries from King and Dufty.  He also suggested that players are trying to do things as individuals rather than as a team.  That may be a fair criticism but had it not been for Percival pulling off feats of individual quality then the scoreline could have been even more of a grim read.  He’s probably right that there is a lack of cohesion but he shouldn’t forget that it is his job to fix that.  

 

Next up is a Magic Weekend date with Leeds Rhinos.  Brad Arthur’s side are an improving outfit and will provide a real test. Defeat seems unthinkable for Wellens following the last two losses, particularly in view of the fact that it will likely see Saints drop out of the playoff places.  They have a proud record to protect of having appeared in every playoff series since their reintroduction in 1998.  It’s still relatively early in the season but care is needed to avoid missing out. You wouldn’t want the first failure in 27 years to be on your watch.  

 

If Saints find themselves on the outside looking in come Saturday evening then the noise around a possible change of leadership will only get louder.  

 

Warrington;

 

Dufty, Thewlis, Tai, King, Ashton, Walker, Sneyd, Yates, Powell, Vaughan, Russell, Fitzgibbon, Currie.  Interchanges: Harrison, Philbin, Musgrove, Crowther

 

Saints;

 

Sailor, Bennison, Sambou, Percival, Murphy, Welsby, Whitby, Walmsley, Clark, Lees, Sironen, Whitley, Knowles.  Interchanges: Paasi, Stephens, Mbye, Delaney

 

Referee: Liam Moore

 

Video Referee: Tom Grant

Wigan Warriors 24 Saints 14 - Review

Defeat wasn’t a particularly surprising development as Saints went down 24-14 to Wigan at the Brick Community Stadium on Good Friday (April 18). 

It’s a result that leaves Paul Wellens’ side fifth in the Super League table with just six points now separating the top nine sides going into this weekend’s fixtures. Wigan’s victory sees them stay second, two points behind leaders Hull KR. 

Mark Percival returned for Saints having missed the previous week’s win over Wakefield due to concussion protocols. Yet as one starting centre came back another missed out as Harry Robertson started what could be a six-week absence with a quad injury. Daryl Clark came back in on the bench in place of James Bell who is facing a similar period on the sidelines as Robertson because of a foot injury.

We were told last week that Jonny Lomax could have played against Trinity but that Wellens had long since earmarked the game for an opportunity for George Whitby. That hinted that maybe the more experienced Lomax would come back in on derby day but he did not. It looks quite clearly a selection decision but will we see it continue? Whitby has certainly improved the kicking game since being drafted into the first team and you wonder if Wellens has finally decided to move on from his veteran former teammate in favour of the younger man. 

Wigan were still without Adam Keighran so Zach Eckersley continued at centre. Patrick Mago had been due to take a place on the interchange bench but was a late withdrawal. Tom Forber was the man to step in. Otherwise it was as you were for Matty Peet’s side with Sam Walters earning another start at prop while some bloke called Thompson who we no longer talk about nursed a calf problem. 

So, where to start? Errors. And lots of them. It took around five minutes for them to arrive as the sides went set for set initially. Yet ultimately Saints’ inability to hold on to the ball pretty much cost them any chance they had of bringing home the bragging rights. Wellens’ men committed 12 handling bloopers, significantly up on their average of 8.5 per game coming in.

Alex Walmsley suffered more than most and it was his drop from a Moses Mbye pass which led to Saints being caught offside and gifting Harry Smith the two points to get the scoring started. 

Walmsley was also involved in a botch-up which cost Saints their first opportunity to cross for a try. He had made a typically rampaging break from half way but after he freed an arm and attempted to dish the ball inside Mbye could not hang on. To add insult to the hurty spot the ball then ricocheted into Whitby who was stood in front of Mbye and therefore offside.

It seemed unthinkable a short time ago but there is now some justification for a debate about Walmsley. He’s still fifth among all metre makers in Super League in 2025 and none of the four above him are forwards. Yet some are questioning whether the man who turned 35 less than a fortnight ago is the right man for what they hope is a more exciting, expansive future under the tutelage of Lee Briers. 

On this showing he is maybe not, but he still did more than any other Saint to get his side down the field as he racked up another 130 metres. Only winger Liam Marshall bettered that for Wigan. Father Time dictates that Saints’ future is one without the ex-Batley man. How to manage that transition is one of the more perplexing riddles that Wellens has to solve. If he is in charge for long enough to make the call. Walmsley is contracted to the end of the 2026 season and probably deserves to go out on his own terms. But will that sort of sentiment slow down what is looking like a very much needed rebuild?

The big prop wasn’t the only one coming up with errors. Though they were managing to hold on to the ball a bit more successfully than Saints the home side were not immune to a bit of slapstick. First Jai Field butchered a Whitby bomb deep in his own half. Soon after, Kruise Leeming failed to pick a ball up from the base of a scrum in his own territory. Wigan were offside in the ensuing set to allow Whitby to tie the scores at 2-2. 

The first sniff of a try was Wigan’s. Smith received the ball and stepped inside Joe Batchelor before holding off two tacklers to reach over and score. However, referee Chris Kendall thought he might have seen an obstruction by Tyler Dupree who had run through the defensive line initially but somehow become marooned on the Saints try line. Kendall’s suspicions weren’t enough to stop him handing it up to video referee Liam Rush as a try. The latter thought otherwise and chalked it off. Whether he meant it or not Dupree had made clear contact with George Delaney as the Saints youngster tried to get over to help bring down Smith. 

The reprieve lasted all of three minutes. An otherwise becalmed Bevan French sent a clever kick arrowing in towards the Saints posts where Field was on hand to react first and dot it down under the posts. The conversion was a simple one for Smith who - despite being a backup goal-kicker to Keighran - has taken advantage of the absence of the former Catalans Dragon and is now fourth on Super League’s goal-scoring list in 2025. His latest effort gave Wigan an 8-2 lead.

Five minutes later Saints were in a 10-point hole. Given the state of things, and Wellens’ oft stated belief and philosophy that 18 points should be enough to win any game I can’t have been the only one feeling pessimistic about the prospects of a try-laden comeback. Old fears resurfaced when Smith’s left to right lob was competed for by French, Eckersley and Percival. Another review showed that French had been the one to get a hand to it before it fell kindly for Abbas Miski to touch down. French’s touch went backwards so Kendall’s initial call of a try was confirmed. Smith was off target from the right hand touchline but Wigan led 12-2.

Discipline has been a recurring problem for Saints this year and it was again when Mbye was sat down for 10 minutes just before halftime. The makeshift hooker charged into a tackle on Eckersley trying to force an error and a late first half possession in an attacking area. However in doing so he hit the Wigan man directly to the head with a shoulder. Commentator Dave Woods’ assertion that it wouldn’t even have been a penalty in years gone by seemed fanciful. Yet it is fair to suggest that it has only produced yellow since the crackdown on head contact in the face of legal threats from old pros. In the modern climate Mbye had to go. 

At the break Wellens was faced with the task of instilling belief in a side 10 points and one player down at the home of a bitter rival who also just happen to have won the Super League title in each of the last two seasons. I mean, who else would you want for the job, right?

Mercifully the numerical disadvantage disappeared early in the second half. Walters had been a royal pain in the proverbial throughout the first half, steadfastly refusing to leave the field for a breather despite playing in the front row. He was forced to depart a few minutes into the second half when he caught Jon Bennison high. Another which may have been overlooked years ago but is an automatic spell in the bin these days. 

As if Saints don’t have enough injury problems with Robertson, Bell and Kyle Feldt all currently sidelined they then lost Joe Batchelor. It has since been confirmed that the back rower has a hamstring problem which will keep him out for a couple of months. Bound for Hull in 2026 the ex-York man’s Saints career is in danger of reaching an underwhelming end. Whether it is down to injuries and in particular his hamstrings he has not hit the heights attained by his peak 2022 self over the last couple of campaigns. In the present it meant that Matt Whitley would shift back into his more familiar second row position with Dayon Sambou introduced from the bench into the three-quarter line. 

Desperation was starting to set in, characterised by a wild offload leading to another try for Field which seemingly put the tin hat on things. Agnatius Paasi turned in the tackle and scooped the ball out aiming to connect with Morgan Knowles. He could only find Miski. On the next play Smith’s short ball bewildered the Saints defence as the Wigan fullback strolled over for his second try of the afternoon. There was no way Smith was missing the extras from in front of the posts. If a 10-point deficit inspired a degree of pessimism then a 16-point hole might as well have been the Sarlacc from Return Of The Jedi. 

There followed a five minute period in which Saints were the side with the numerical advantage. Mbye returned a couple of minutes after Field’s second try with Walters still sidelined. That also prompted Wellens to throw Walmsley back into the action but it didn’t take a whole lot of effort for Wigan to hold on until Walters was back on the field too. The lack of opportunities created in that spell was extremely telling.

With that Wellens went to another plan. One which many will argue should have been implemented much sooner. Clark was unleashed from the bench. The timing of it could have been down to the procrastination of the Head Coach but it could also be an indication that the former Castleford and Warrington man was not fit enough to play for any longer than the final 25 minutes. He has been bothered by a hip injury in recent weeks. 

There will be those who will argue that selecting a fully fit if inexperienced Jake Burns would have been preferable to going with a half fit Clark but in many ways there is no right answer to this one. Leave Clark out and have Burns in relief of Mbye and the criticism would be that you have to pick your best players over young players when facing the best teams in the hottest atmospheres. Whenever there is a result like this we can all be wise after the event.

As it happens Clark was very close to offering hope to the cause. In a rare moment of ingenuity from Saints Whitby dummied the Warriors defensive line into oblivion, surging through the gap he had created. With Clark pushing up in support on his inside the young half delayed a fraction too long and the pass drifted forward. There was nobody to stop Clark from crossing but play had already been pulled back. 

Still there was what seemed a slight raging against the dying of the light as Lewis Murphy got over just moments later.  A set restart had Saints in very healthy field position where Tristan Sailor hit the winger for a spectacular dive in at the corner. It had to be verified once more but Rush gave it the all clear. A sensational, nerveless effort from the touchline from Whitby reduced the arrears to 10 once more with still around a quarter of an hour to play. 

Incredibly Saints weren’t quite finished there. No doubt on a mission to make up for the error which had led to Field’s second score Paasi was next to get over. He took the ball from dummy half and crashed through both Field and Leeming to register his eighth try in Saints colours and his first since February. The extras were simple for a kicker of Whitby’s quality and somehow - from somewhere - Saints were within four at 18-14. 

Yet the red vee had one last, fatal cock-up in them. Returning the ball from deep inside his own half and with only two minutes on the clock Sailor allowed it to squirm from his grasp under pressure from French. It was quickly scooped up by Eckersley who shifted it to Miski to put an end to feint but raising hopes of a comeback. It was reviewed to check for a knock on by French in the tackle but Rush saw it as a loose carry.

I’m not sure if this episode was just fresh in the minds of fans as they took to social media post game to get their spleens vented but Sailor absorbed much of the flying flak. It’s only a week since there was nods of approval all round for his switch to fullback to allow Jack Welsby to operate alongside Whitby. Now the natives are restless once more, demanding further change. There are certainly flaws in Sailor’s game and as mistakes go this one was a whopper which could not have been more poorly timed. But before the amnesia becomes permanent let me remind you that he was brought in to address the chronic lack of pace which characterised much of the 2024 campaign. He hasn’t solved that problem by himself but he’s done his bit. I’m Sailor in, despite everything. I suppose the debate is how you use him and Welsby to get the best out of both. 

We have touched on how an arguably fading Walmsley nevertheless led the way for his side in metres made with his 130. Welsby added 125, Sailor 107 and Knowles 104 but it was another quiet day on the ground gaining front for Matty Lees with just 67 off 11 carries. As Walmsley comes to the end of the line surely Lees has to step up a gear or two in this department. 

Lees did a shift defensively, his 38 tackles second only to Knowles’ 40 among the visiting team. Sironen made 36 and Mbye 31. 

There were surprisingly few statistical standouts on the other side with ball in hand. Marshall’s 142 was the best on either side while Miski added 112 to his two tries. Walters was the only Wigan forward over 100 with his 105.

Walters capped a fine performance by leading all tacklers with 44, while Kaide Ellis managed 39 and Liam Farrell 38. Wigan’s overall error count of eight tells a story too. They were more composed and clinical in attack and equally if not more monstrous than Saints in defence.

As if we haven’t seen enough of them recently it’s Warrington next for Saints. Around 24 hours after you read this the pair will meet for a third time in six weeks. Despite their recent run of wins over Saints the Wolves have their own problems. Defeat to Leigh at the weekend saw them slump to ninth in the table. In what is essentially a nine horse race for six playoff spots that’s a dismal effort eight games in by Sam Burgess’ troops. Adding to their angst is the loss of George Williams who will be sidelined for a couple of months with an ankle problem. Yet in Matt Dufty and Matty Ashton in particular there are still plenty of threats in primrose and blue. 

A fourth defeat in nine Super League games would do nothing to secure Wellens’ position. Some might say it’s a must win for the former fullback. Others would argue that it’s a season of transition with a chance to get more experience into excellent youngsters such as Robertson when he recovers and Whitby. Many have been calling for Noah Stephens to be included more also, while George Delaney is also still developing.

That’s the long term view. But this is Saints. We always need to win now. Which is…awkward.

Wigan; Field, Miski, Eckersley, Wardle, Marshall, French, Smith, Byrne, Leeming, Walters, Nsemba, Farrell, Ellis. Interchanges: O’Neill, Forber, Dupree, Hill

Saints; Sailor, Bennison, Whitley, Percival, Murphy, Welsby, Whitby, Walmsley, Mbye, Lees, Sironen, Batchelor, Knowles. Interchanges: Paasi, Delaney, Clark, Sambou

Referee: Chris Kendall 

Video Referee: Liam Rush

Saints 26 Wakefield Trinity 14 - Review

It was a case of back on the metaphorical horse for Saints as they put their Challenge Cup exit behind them to record a fifth win from their first seven Super League outings. Paul Wellens’ side made a hot start against Daryl Powell’s Wakefield Trinity side before the inertia kicked in and they limped to a 26-14 victory. 

It was good enough to keep Saints in the top four, just two points behind current pacesetters Hull KR. It’s tight at the top. Meanwhile the Trin are in eighth spot after this loss, but they too are in the playoff mix just two points off Leeds Rhinos in sixth.

Wellens made changes for this one, some forced, some maybe not. Something had to be done differently after the cup loss to Warrington last week and a string of other unconvincing performances. The headline was that captain Jonny Lomax missed out. There had been some talk earlier in the week that the 34 year-old had taken a knock. Yet the thought that he had been stood down after some recent insipid performances was irresistible. As we will see later Wellens’ post game comments did not eliminate those suspicions. Eighteen year-old George Whitby came in to replace the skipper.

That may or may not have influenced the coach’s decision to switch Jack Welsby and Tristan Sailor around. Welsby has been the regular fullback since Lachlan Coote’s departure but many have long felt that he would be a better fit at stand-off. All of which ignores the fact that he has won three Grand Finals, a Challenge Cup and a World Club Challenge in the number one position. England coach Shaun Wane has used him at stand-off at international level and who is That Saints Blog to argue with a man who has violently rampaged his way to three Grand Final wins and a humiliating World Cup semi final defeat to Samoa? 

Sailor has some experience of playing fullback with Brisbane Broncos so it’s not seismic change for Wellens to make. Yet to observe most people who advocated the switch it seemed to be based more on getting Welsby’s hands on the ball more at six than on getting the best out of Sailor. I hope there isn’t a blast from Wendell on its way. He has previous for that. It’s deck chairs on the Titanic stuff for me but fine - whatever works. 

Mark Percival was missing after sustaining another head knock at Warrington but that loss was arguably offset - for a while at least - by the return of Harry Robertson. Lewis Murphy - who hadn’t been seen since the opening day’s phoney war with Salford - started against his former club. He took Dayon Sambou’s spot on the wing but the inclusion of the latter among the interchanges was a heavy suggestion that Murphy might not be fit enough for 80 minutes. Nobody puts wingers on the bench without good reason. Not even Wellens. 

Daryl Clark missed out with that troublesome hip of his but it was utility man James Bell rather than specialist nine Jake Burns who made the bench and looked the most likely alternative to Moses Mbye at dummy half. The selection of Sambou meant no place on the bench for Noah Stephens. He would have hoped to get a chance with Jake Wingfield on concussion protocols but it was left to Agnatius Paasi and George Delaney to back up starting props Alex Walmsley and Matty Lees.

Russells Matty and Olly were out for the visitors but Lachlan Walmsley returned. Jay Pitts was pressed into a Jon Wilkin-esque stint at halfback alongside Mason Lino while Josh Rourke continued at fullback in the absence of the excellent Max Jowitt. There was a debut at second row for 20 year-old Seth Nikotemo while Renouf Atoni came in at loose forward. I did the Renouf-Sailor joke when we played Trinity in Round 3 so we’ll move on.

With Lomax not involved Morgan Knowles was skipper for the night. It took only four minutes for the armband to inspire him to his fourth try of this Super League campaign and his 34th in Saints colours. Wakefield had been under some early pressure and took an ill-advised decision to try a short dropout. It had all the accuracy of a Bryson Dechambeau approach shot on the back nine at Augusta. Yet the way Tom Johnstone managed to nudge it back over his own try line as he challenged for it in the air with Murphy was still bewildering.

It fell straight into the arms of Knowles who despite the attentions of Pitt managed to fall over the line. Video Referee Aaron Moore was asked by on-field whistler Tom Grant to look firstly at the challenge between the wingers and then to check for a double movement by Knowles. Replays showed that Pitt had just fallen off the tackle which was enough to allow the new sheriff in town to make the second effort to score. Whitby took over the goal-kicking from Percival but was not successful with his first attempt.

Yet Whitby made a very telling contribution less than 10 minutes later. Receiving possession on the left from Sailor the young half offered up a delicious pump fake before planting a perfect short ball on to the chest of Matt Whitley. Playing as a makeshift centre the ex-Widnes and Catalans man just had to dive over the line for his first Super League four-pointer of 2025. He has two other efforts in Challenge Cup ties but if Percival and/or Robertson are out for any significant length of time he will be well placed to add to that tally. Particularly if the service is going to be as good as it was for this one. Whitby followed his magic trick with his first goal of the night and Saints led 10-0.

A quarter of the way into the game Saints were in again. A classy step by Welsby created the space for Robertson to fend off a defender to touch down. The position was set up by a Sailor break from near his own line after Isaiah Vagana had failed to hang on to a Lino pass just as Powell’s men were threatening to get onto the scoreboard. There was also a mesmeric offload by Curtis Sironen just before Welsby took matters into his own hands. Who says Lee Briers hasn’t had an influence? Whitby’s second goal pushed the lead out to 16-0. 

One of the main sources of outrage - including on these pages - when Saints limped to victory at Catalans Dragons recently was the decision not to take an easy two points when leading by a converted try at 12-6. That criticism seems to have been taken to heart. Wellens’ men opted for two Whitby goals before halftime to keep the score ticking over. The first came when Trinity were caught offside near their own line following Delaney’s surge through the defence to within a whisker of grabbing a try. It was routine for Whitby. Saints’ lead was now 18-0. 

The second arrived six minutes later and for a similar defensive infringement albeit from further out. I guess the logic of this one is that it was an opportunity to turn a three score lead of 18-0 into a four score lead at 20-0. But should we be worrying about that with such a sizeable lead at home against opposition that - despite our flaws - we would still expect to beat? Some would argue that the two penalty goals were over compensation for a poor decision in Perpignan which almost cost us. 

In between the two goals Saints’ already battered back line suffered another catastrophe. Robertson succumbed to a leg injury picked up a few minutes earlier and did not return. It was subsequently confirmed as a quad injury. It seems unlikely to disappear fast enough for the Saints youngster - upon whom Saints are increasingly dependent for an attacking spark - to face Wigan in the derby on Good Friday. 

Sambou came off the bench to fill Robertson’s centre berth. So much for managing Murphy’s comeback. But Sambou’s availability did at least limit the damage caused by the reshuffle. Almost as if Wellens had foreseen it. 

Murphy would be withdrawn with around 10 minutes to go, leaving a back division of Jon Bennison, Sambou, Whitley and Sironen. You wouldn’t win the Championship with that and I bet Wellens did not foresee it. As much as Saints have stunk the gaff out at times this year they have also had some cruel luck with injuries. It feels as if as soon as one key player gets back to fitness another goes lame. If there is anything the medical team or the coach can do with the training or preparation to reduce the likelihood of injuries in this area of the team it needs to be done yesterday.

The last opportunity of the first half came as a result of the one glaring error in the Whitby performance. His kick went out on the full inside the final minute giving the away side a couple of plays to try to register before the break. Fortunately they couldn’t do it. 

That error hasn’t been massively talked about which is probably about right. Whitby was always going to be judged by a different standard to Lomax. He’s a teenager making his third first team appearance. Lomax is the club captain, a veteran of 16 years and over 300 appearances in the red vee. If he shanks one into the stand it will be highlighted if the team is underperforming. Even if he then does something to win the game as he did in France with his two late drop goals. Whitby should enjoy the honeymoon period that being young and inexperienced affords.

Lomax’s deputy - Mr Knowles of Barrow Island - was close to setting the worst kind of example early in the second half. The loose forward swung an arm wildly in the direction of Rourke’s head and was fortunate that a penalty was the only sanction. Basically Knowles was saved by the fact that he missed the Trinity fullback. Had he made any kind of contact he would have been walking off for at least 10 minutes and possibly the 35 that remained. 

Knowles will leave the club a the end of the season to join the NRL’s representative of nowhere - ex-Saints’ boss Kristian Woolf’s Dolphins. There are many reasons why Saints will miss Knowles when he goes. His work rate, his consistency, his leadership qualities. His recurring grubbiness is not on that list. There will be many who argue that if you take that side of his game away then he is not the same player. Maybe even that you need that kind of ‘enforcer’ in your team to be successful. Those same people never made that defence of Kelvin Skerrett or Neil Cowie. Ask your grandad. 

Still I’m not too concerned with the fact that a player with a propensity for recklessness is the captain while Lomax is elsewhere. Captaincy is a largely ceremonial role apart from decisions on when to go for goal at penalties and the recent and ludicrous addition of captain’s challenge. And who cares about them, right? Great sides have leaders all over the park and great players know how to take responsibility for their own game. Welsby has been mooted as a possible long term successor when Knowles goes and if Lomax can’t find a route back into the team. Which is fine because he’s a great player who could lead by example in the way that James Roby did. And because I don’t much care. 

Now on the subject of deciding what to do with penalties within kicking range the philosophy changed after the break, just like the level of performance. No more nudging the lead out by small increments and adding to Whitby’s goal tally. Clearly 20-0 was now a big enough lead to stop worrying about this stuff. Saints turned down the sort of gift they had lapped up in the first half and it soon paid off.

Whitley went in for his second try - his eighth in 32 appearances for Saints - and it was comfortably the highlight of the night. Welsby lobbed one up to the right corner where it was plucked out of the air by Bell. The eternal 18th man - set to join Hull FC for 2026 and beyond - produced an inspired no-look, over the shoulder offload to Whitley who again had very little left to do. It was sublime by Bell. But yeah, Jake Wingfield… Whitby added his fifth goal of the night for a 26-0 lead. 

Another high ball was the first in a sequence of events which completely changed the way the wind was blowing. Lachlan Walmsley and Bennison competed for a crossfield bomb close to the Saints line which was originally deemed to have come off the Wakefield winger before rolling into touch. Wakefield challenged the call. After an interminable delay during which Moore took more looks than I have at Blackadder II, the video ref decided that the ball had last hit Bennison instead and the challenge was successful.

It may have, it may not have. But if it takes so long and has to be viewed from more angles than Frank Lampard was prepared to shoot from in his Chelsea pomp doesn’t that suggest that maybe the evidence is inconclusive? In those circumstances the video ref would stay with the on-field call.  

There were consequences which - while never really threatening to undo all of the work that Saints had done to that point - certainly took away their focus. Within a couple of minutes a penalty and a set restart conceded by Saints flipped the field position. Lino was involved as Nikotemo found a gem of a cut out ball for Johnstone who hit Oliver Pratt on his inside. Wakefield were on the board at last but Lino’s failed conversion left them 22 points adrift at 26-4.

Five minutes after that it was Lino who was crossing for a try. Atoni ran a superb line to break the Saints defensive line before handing on to Lino on his left shoulder. The halfback was able to convert this time and Trinity had achieved a degree of respectability at 26-10.

And that wasn’t all. Lachlan Walmsley went close but came up short when he tried to dive in at the right hand corner post. That was realistically the end of Wakefield hopes but not the end of their scoring. With three minutes left Pratt picked up his second. Rourke broke down the centre of the field before placing a well weighted kick to the left corner. Pratt beat Bennison to it and although Grant again deferred to Moore to check a possible offside from the kick and the validity of Pratt’s pick up and grounding the try was annoyingly fair. It wouldn’t have mattered in terms of the result but Lino missed another conversion as the hosts held on to win by 12, 26-14.

To the individual numbers then and a dominant first hour translated to five Saints eating up more than 100 metres. Leading the way was Sailor with 150 while Knowles added 131. Lees racked up 107, Delaney 105 and Sironen 104. All of which subdued Alex Walmsley to the point where he only managed 92. 

Knowles worked equally hard in both facets of the game, edging out Moses Mbye for Saints top tackler honours with 40 to the stand-in hooker’s 39. Nobody really needed to match those efforts although had the game gone on another 10 minutes you get the sense that there would have been more Saints with 30+ defensive efforts. Either that or Knowles and Mbye would have hit 70 apiece. But if my auntie had balls etc…

For Powell’s side only Johnstone (156) and prop forward Caleb Hamlin-Uele (103) topped a century of metres made. Vagana led all tacklers with 44 while England forward Mike McMeeken and youngster Harvie Smith were also busy with 35 and 30 stops respectively.

The win could have been more convincing but ultimately the result was vitally important given what’s on the horizon. Saints will no doubt go into the Easter derby as underdogs against a Wigan side that has shown its fallibility at times this year but still looks like one of the favourites for the competition. After that it’s the final act of the trilogy with Warrington which - unlike the third Ashes Test at Headingley in November - has no chance to be a dead rubber. Then it’s an improving Leeds Rhinos at Magic at the neutral territory of Newcastle’s St James’ Park. If Saints are still in the top four at the end of that trio of assignments then things won’t look so bad after all. I realise that ‘if’ did a lot of heavy lifting there. 

Wellens has a decision to make regarding whether to bring back Lomax. In his post game presser the boss said that he identified this Wakefield clash weeks ago as an opportunity to give Whitby a shot. In face saving mode for his old teammate he then claimed that Lomax has an ankle injury, though he did also suggest that Lomax would have played through it if selected. 

Elsewhere there are doubts about Robertson, Bell and Batchelor and the remaining question of whether Percival will need more rest to protect his oft-thudded head. And what of Clark’s hip? And will a much talked about move for centre Deon Cross from Salford finally transpire? If not, is Pratt available?

Saints: Sailor, Bennison, Robertson, Whitley, Murphy, Welsby, Whitby, Walmsley, Mbye, Lees, Sironen, Batchelor, Knowles. Interchanges: Paasi, Delaney, Bell, Sambou

Wakefield Trinity: Rourke, Walmsley, Scott, Pratt, Johnstone, Lino, Pitts, McMeeken, Hood, Hamlin-Uele, Nikotemo, Vagana, Atoni. Interchanges: Rodwell, Cozza, Smith, Faatili

Referee: Tom Grant 

Video Referee: Aaron Moore