Well. Nobody saw that coming.
If we are being brutally frank Saints haven't been convincing in recent weeks. Even aside from the chastening 44-12 beating we took from Salford Red Devils we haven't looked close to our best.
That was evidenced by a golden point win over Wakefield for which the term 'scratchy' was invented and a 20-12 home success over Castleford. In that one we built a 20-point lead before our left edge defence unravelled faster than Jai Field used to run to the local shop to buy tights and toilet roll for his mum.
So the idea that Kristian Woolf's side would become the third team to put 60 or more points past Hull FC in 2022 was not an obvious pick. Yet that is exactly what happened at MKM Stadium on Sunday afternoon (August 14) as Saints handed the black and whites a quite insane 60-6 hiding.
In so doing the champions guaranteed themselves a play-off semi-final spot. Just one game away from a place at Old Trafford and a shot at an unprecedented fourth consecutive Super League title. Of course, there is something else to play for before then. Only Woolf's eccentric team selections can deny us the League Leaders Shield now...
On the subject of team selection it was another tricky one for Woolf as the injuries and suspensions persisted. Fears must be growing about whether we will see Mark Percival again in 2022 while the miserable end to Regan Grace's Saints career is now a well documented tale. So is the fact that Lewis Dodd has been out since Easter. So with all of that in mind losing Jack Welsby ahead of the meeting with Brett Hodgson’s side was a kick in the mid-section that Woolf could have well done without.
Woolf did have Will Hopoate back from his latest injury while Sione Mata’utia returned from yet another suspension. Hopoate went straight into fullback meaning that Jon Bennison was shifted out to Grace’s old left wing berth. Where he was completely invisible but we will come on to that later.
Mata’utia covered Percival’s left centre spot and Woolf attempted to solve a problem like Welsby’s absence by restoring Ben Davies to the stand-off role. The Widnesian made four unconvincing appearances in the halves in April and May. Seemingly it had been decided by coach and fans that the role was not for him. So it was something of a surprise to see the 22 year-old given another crack at it. This one went rather better than some of the others.
The pack had a Curtis Sironen-shaped hole in it after the latest of the Mata’utia rivalling former Manly back rower’s suspensions. James Bell started the game alongside back three regulars Joe Batchelor and Morgan Knowles. The return of Agnatius Paasi to his regular bench spot was a massive boost for Woolf who - with absolutely no Tongan bias whatsoever - has suggested that the former New Zealand Warrior has been Saints’ best forward this season.
Before we get to the try-fest which unfolded let’s talk a little about the rugby league concussion protocols. In the opening few minutes Jack Walker was involved in a heavy collision with Batchelor. The former York City Knights man was placed on report but has since been cleared of any wrong-doing by the Match Review Panel. Yet whatever happened to Walker it completely discombobulated him. His attempts to get up evoked memories of Trevor Berbick ‘stumbling around like a child in a playpen’ according to Reg Gutteridge’s memorable commentary of Berbick’s 1986 world heavyweight title defeat to Mike Tyson.
After a brief examination from the FC medical staff Walker was cleared to continue. He didn’t even leave the field for an HIA. How was this allowed to happen? I’m no medical expert but if a player is visibly unsteady on his feet (something which I do excel at - or at least I would if I was daft enough to try it) shouldn’t he at least be properly checked over? What are the protocols there for if not for this?
Ironically it was Walker who put the exclamation mark on what was actually a fairly handy start by Brett Hodgson’s side. Saints didn’t touch the ball for the first five minutes. It was no injustice when Walker squeezed in at the right hand corner after the ball had been shifted out there by Luke Gale and Jake Connor. Gale was on target with the conversion and the black and whites led 6-0.
Yet the fact that Walker had popped up on the right wing was evidence of a positional reshuffle that would end up costing the home side. Walker is a fullback who I suspect was only hanging around on the right wing to give him a chance to clear his fuzzy head. He later succumbed to an ankle injury in any case, forcing Hodgson into a reshuffle which saw Connor moved to fullback, wingers McIntosh and Mitieli Vulikijapani swap sides and Joe Lovodua yanked out of the forward battle to play at centre alongside Connor Wynne. Like angry misogynists who think women’s sport is being ‘rammed down their throats’, FC didn’t cope very well with change.
First to capitalise was Hopoate. There had been a couple of attacking misfires by this time. Alex Walmsley burst out of a tackle inside the FC 10 metre line only for his offload to find opposition hands before a James Roby kick from close to the line had too much on it and ran dead.
Yet on Saints’ next raid Jonny Lomax put Konrad Hurrell into space down the right hand flank and his pass inside found the supporting Hopoate who strolled over. It was the 30 year-old’s first try for Saints in his 10th appearance.
If I suggested that his first season in the red vee has been truncated it would be a massive understatement. Injuries have virtually decimated Hopoate’s introduction to Super League. And every time he plays - and plays well - we raise our hopes that he will finally stay fit for a run of games. It hasn’t happened yet and I’m not going to tempt fate by wishing for it again here.
More errors from both sides followed that brief moment of inspiration. First Davies frittered away a good position, losing possession gifted to Saints when Tim Smith went high on Mata’utia. Then Lomax had a pass rudely intercepted by Connor. The league’s top wind-up merchant was treated for a knock along with Davies. The stoppage must have distracted FC who coughed up possession on the very first play after the restart. Next it was Walmsley’s turn, seeing the ball squirm from his grasp in contact from Chris Satae just 10 metres from the Hull line. Not only that, the ball squirted forwards and ended up going dead in-goal.
Before Saints took the lead for good there was another scare from a Hull side still clinging on to familiarity with the concept of competitiveness. Connor was fortunate that his ill-advised decision to kick early in the tackle count in Saints territory allowed Hull to keep possession as Davies stuck out a foot and blocked the ball into touch. Yet Hodgson’s team’s impatience did for them again as they went wide on the first play of the ensuing set only for Makinson to bundle Wynne into touch with some ease.
Makinson saves tries but he also scores them. He notched his 18th of the season in Super League when Hopoate aimed a looping pass out to him. Days later there was still some debate about whether the pass was forward. It certainly drifted forward but on the angles I’ve seen it is almost impossible to tell whether it was forward out of Hopoate’s hands. In any case there is something not quite right - something desperate and churlish - about disputing the validity of one try out of 11 in a 60-point hiding. Makinson wasn’t waiting around to discuss it, jinking inside the cover before sliding over as momentum just got him over the line.
He could not add the extras to that score but it wasn’t long before he was lining up another opportunity. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook hadn’t scored a try for Saints since a 28-0 win over Salford in May last year. A drought of some 36 games. He hadn’t scored two in a game since a 36-10 home win over Leeds Rhinos in June 2019. Yet he managed that feat here, looking every inch the seasoned finisher when he took Lomax’s inside pass to race over after the stand-off’s neat exchange of passes with Batchelor.
There was some great work also by Paasi in the build up, trampling over whatever got in his way and offloading like a latter day Derek McVey. This score was much more central making the conversion fairly straightforward as Saints moved out to a 16-6 lead.
Hull had clearly learned something from Salford about going around the Saints defence rather than trying to go through it. They just weren’t proving to be anything like as good at it as Paul Rowley’s men. McIntosh was next to try his luck, taking on Mata’utia before the one-time Kangaroo dragged the winger into touch just inside the FC half. McIntosh’s gamble almost cost Hull straight away but Vulikijipani got in the way of Hurrell’s attempts to find Makinson. It was temporary respite for Hull who were broken down again from the resultant scrum. Roby chose to attack down the short side on Saints’ right, feeding Hurrell who in turn got outside of Lovodua to touch down.
The only thing more surreal than McCarthy-Scarsbrook then completing that first try double for three years was that it came about following a Roby error. The captain’s pass from dummy half was an absolute howler. A genuine candidate in a very narrow field for the worst he has ever come up with. As it bobbled along the ground it was scooped up by Knowles. The timing of his pass to McCarthy-Scarsbrook was immaculate. We truly entered an alternate universe when the ageless front rower tore through the gap and put a step on McIntosh before easing over. He even had time to turn and look back at the bewildered ex-Giant as if to enquire as to what Mr McIntosh thought of that piece of skill.
You can’t take away the quality of that score. Yet given his meagre try-scoring record and the fact that the ex-London Bronco has averaged only 63.5 metres and 18 tackles a game this year I’m not so sure it justified the showboating. It displayed Lance Armstrong levels of hubris. Still, many a coach has seen something in McCarthy-Scarsbrook that I do not as he has made 338 appearances for Saints over the last 11 years scoring 62 tries. Of the current squad only Roby has turned out in the red vee more often. That may have something to do with Lomax and Makinson possessing pink wafer knees but even if the fans’ favourite bench-dwelling prop were third or fourth on the list it would still be some achievement.
Trailing 26-6 at the break, the hosts had completely checked out mentally by the time Makinson shredded them for another 30 metres from a quickly taken penalty early in the second half. Almost every FC defender had their back turned to the best winger in England and the man ranked seventh in Super League for metres gained. He would no doubt be much higher if he hadn’t just missed a month of the season with hamstring trouble. Tommy Makinson makes metres and you don’t turn your back on him.
His run set up the position from where Roby rediscovered his passing radar and fed Davies who stretched out of a tackle to score. After Makinson’s sortie the ball had again been punched deep into home territory by good runs from Paasi, McCarthy-Scarsbrook and James Bell. Another two for Makinson meant that after trailing and mostly defending early in the game, Saints were now holding a 32-6 lead.
Further evidence of frazzled black and white brains came straight from the restart. Connor - the kind of guy you’d love to have in your side when you’re 32-6 up but not so much if you’re on the wrong end of that kind of scoreline - gave Saints cheap possession and territory when his restart went out on the full.
From the ensuing penalty Saints again marched into Hull’s 20 metre zone. Lomax hit Makinson but the winger found his route to the line blocked as the defenders converged. Not a problem. The 30 year-old veteran of 283 Saints appearances was still able to produce an inside pass to Hurrell. Neither Lovodua nor Gale could stop the big centre picking up his second try of the afternoon. It was his ninth in 22 appearances since joining from Leeds Rhinos for 2022. When you consider what Saints’ first choice three-quarter line would have been at the start of the season it is remarkable that Hurrell has proved more durable and made more appearances than any of Makinson, Percival or the unfortunate Grace.
All of which is a surprise to those of us who questioned his fitness when he was at Headingley and had reservations about his arrival. And his durability this year totally undermines the taunts of opposition fans about his weight if not his parentage.
A fifth Makinson conversion opened up a 38-6 lead but it seemed that Saints were just getting started. Clunkiness had left the building by the time McCarthy-Scarsbrook was denied the opportunity to complete what would have been a scarcely credible hat-trick.
The prop was put through a gap 40 metres from the Hull line but with Hodgson’s men offside referee Ben Thaler declined to play an advantage. Thaler played the part of killjoy to McCarthy-Scarsbrook’s legion of fans by insisting on bringing play back for the penalty. There was more work to do when he burst clear but a first hat-trick in Saints colours was tantalisingly close for a fleeting moment. Which would have meant this column having to heap more praise on him. Sighs of relief all round at That Saints Blog.
Instead of a McCarthy-Scarsbrook hat-trick we got the rather more regular occurrence of a Makinson double. The Usual Suspects of Lomax and Knowles were involved before a deft exchange between Hopoate and Hurrell led to the former flicking it out wide for Makinson to dive in at the corner. His juices were flowing so much after that effort that he then landed an improbable conversion from the right hand touchline. Makinson’s goal followed his 19th try of the Super League season and pushed the advantage out to 44-6. Only Bevan French and Ken Sio have crossed the try line more often than Saints’ number 2 in Super League in 2022.
It was great to see the attack clicking like we know it can, even if…you know…lads…it’s Hull. But what will have pleased Woolf even more was the level of commitment to defence long after the result was settled. Makinson denied McIntosh with another try saving intervention and it felt like the aptitude and desire to defend the line that characterised the 12-man nilling of Huddersfield had resurfaced. There would be no clean sheet in this one after FC’s fast start but from that point on they never looked all that likely to breach the Saints line again. That takes attitude and commitment. Which is easily lost when you are running tries in for fun at the other end.
Unfortunately discipline isn’t improving at the same rate. Knowles will miss this week’s visit of Hull KR after being found guilty of a shoulder charge. We can moan and bitch and whisper darkly about the Match Review Panel all we like. The game has gone, you know? But the players know where they stand and yet they continue to engage in needless foul play. Should shoulder charges below the neck be illegal and result in a ban? No. But they do. And when you know that it is incumbent on you as a top professional to stop bloody well tackling with only your shoulders.
Mata’utia is the chief offender in the disciplinary stakes but now it is time for some celebratory reflection on the other side of his game. He was next on the score sheet when Lomax and Joey Lussick combined to allow Davies to deliver the killer pass. With the extras added Woolf’s side had reached the bat raising territory of a half century at 50-6. The possession started deep in Saints territory with a fabulous take from Hopoate close to his own posts. Connor’s kick towards the Saints line had deflected off Paasi forcing Hopoate to react quickly and skilfully. Almost like someone who has played fullback every week rather than every three or four.
Mata’utia now has five tries from 14 appearances this term. He has managed to cross the whitewash on 10 occasions in his 36 games since arriving from Newcastle Knights at the start of 2021. Yet there is a good argument that he is not really suited to the role of Percival’s stand-in. Not as much as…say…Davies or even Josh Simm.
Having shone at fullback last week Bennison was virtually anonymous outside Mata’utia on the left wing. The youngster only managed eight carries for 69 metres and a couple of tackle busts. That is in part due to his physicality which probably dissuades Woolf from using him as a battering ram in the style of Makinson. But it’s also probably due in some part to Mata’utia’s see-line-run-at-line limitations as a centre. In keeping with our season so far Mata’utia is injured again, missing the next few weeks with a foot problem. So we’re probably going to see Davies return to his natural position especially if - as Woolf has stated - Welsby is back for the Rovers game.
Saints scored 11 tries in all but it could have been more. Both Batchelor and Makinson had scores disallowed before Saints crossed again. Batchelor was called back for running around the back of his own man while Makinson walked in for what he thought was a hat-trick only to find that Thaler had judged the final pass forward.
When Saints next legal try did arrive it was well worth waiting for. It also confirmed that FC were just desperate for the final hooter. Lussick darted out of dummy half and was probably as surprised as everyone else inside the MKM that he was then allowed to run 65 metres untouched to stroll in under the posts. Another Makinson goal - his eighth for a personal points tally of 24 - saw Saints 50 points clear at 56-6.
It wasn’t just on the scoreboard that Hull endured suffering. Veteran hooker Danny Houghton had his bell rung and had to leave the field for an HIA. He didn’t look good when he ambled off, but he looked an awful lot more in control of his faculties than Wynne had earlier in the afternoon. If fans really do want consistency - start there.
There was just time to plough through the 60-point barrier as both Leeds and Wigan had done against Hull this season. It was Davies who added the finishing touch - grabbing his second try and his fifth of the season when he was fed by Lomax and was able to slice through what by then was masquerading as the home defence. It was Lomax’s second assist of the day and his 17th of the season. Saints had to settle for a round 60 when Makinson’s final attempt of the game was off target.
Individually you’d expect the best Saints performers to excel in attacking stats given the one sided nature of the game. Walmsley - who this column dared to suggest might be slightly off colour lately - ripped off 206 metres with ball in hand. Unsurprisingly that was more than any other player on either side but Paasi chipped in with 161, Hurrell with 145 and Hopoate 134. It was quite the Tongan tear-up. Makinson (112), Bell (111) and Matty Lees (104) were the other Saints to top the century mark. It is the first time this season that Lees has managed it. He averages just 65.6 per game which - to be honest - is a bit too McCarthy-Scarsbrook for my tastes. Much like the Londoner he is nevertheless rated very highly by pretty much every Saints fan except this one.
Such was Saints’ dominance that none of them were required to make more than 30 tackles. Roby led the way with 25. Perhaps the greatest testament to Saints’ defensive effort other than the scoreline was the fact that only McIntosh made over 100 metres. And only just at 107.
Hull were far busier if significantly less effective in defence. Houghton and Fash made 44 tackles each. Ellis Longstaff had 39, Kane Evans 37 and Satae 30. It is the missed tackles column that Hodgson will find most alarming as his troops managed to butcher 52 attempts to get Saints ball carriers to ground.
So, with a six-point cushion and only four games to play can we possibly now lose the League Leaders Shield? Technically we still need two wins but if we win at Wigan on August 26 the argument is over regardless. It will be Woolf’s first despite his two Grand Final successes. If we can get it done quickly it will allow him to rest his players for the semi-final to come. If we can’t - well - we still have Wakefield and Toulouse at home on the schedule.
Next up is the visit of Rovers on Friday night (August 19). They include our three-time Grand Final winning former fullback Lachlan Coote and have also named Mikey Lewis and Rowan Milnes although Shaun Kenny-Dowall is gone for the remainder of the year. Saints will have Welsby back but with Mata’utia injured and Sironen and Knowles both suspended there will be some changes in the back row. Woolf probably isn’t too worried about Knowles or Sironen getting a rest this time of year. Jake Wingfield, Sam Royle and Bell will be delighted.
One game away from Old Trafford then. On this evidence we might be peaking at the right time.
Saints: Hopoate, Makinson, Hurrell, Mata’utia, Bennison, Davies, Lomax, Walmsley, Roby, Lees, Bell, Batchelor, Knowles. Interchanges: McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Lussick, Paasi, Wakefield
Hull FC: Walker, McIntosh, Connor, Vulikijapani, Wynne, Gale, Smith, Taylor, Houghton, Evans, Longstaff, Lane, Fash. Interchanges: Lovodua, Johnstone, Laidlaw, Satae
Referee: Ben Thaler