When does a crisis become a crisis? Sitting inside the top four with four games remaining before the semi-finals probably does not suggest it is time to panic for St Helens yet but their quest to retain the Super League title has suffered more than just a minor wobble in recent weeks.
Dumped out of the Challenge Cup semi-finals by Leeds was bad enough but Keiron Cunningham’s side have now suffered three straight defeats at the beginning of the Super 8s to go from strong contenders for top spot to clinging on to a place in the all-important top four.
This latest defeat, at the hands of a Huddersfield side who leapfrogged them into third place with what could be a vital victory, suggests that their spot in the four is not quite as secure as people thought three weeks ago – and with their remaining games including clashes against the top two, Leeds and Wigan, the impending break for the Challenge Cup final cannot come soon enough for the Saints.
“It’s a result-based industry and we need to pick some points up,” admitted Cunningham afterwards. “The response was good but, if anything, there was a little bit too much of trying to force things. Huddersfield are a good side, though, and it was a typical game between the sides.”
Cunningham is not wrong; four of the last five meetings between the sides before this were settled by three points or less and this win for the Giants continued their impressive charge up the table. “There’s no issue with confidence here,” said the Huddersfield assistant, Kieron Purtill. “We’ve competed against the big boys and not come away with the result too often – but we’re under the radar and we’re now up to third.”
Huddersfield roared into a 14-6 lead early on before a try from James Roby – so often the Saints’ talisman – right on half-time narrowed the gap to two. The Huddersfield forward Michael Lawrence was sent to the sin-bin just before that Roby try but Huddersfield extended their lead again when Joe Wardle crossed, before tries from Tommy Makinson on his return to the side and then Travis Burns levelled the match at 20-20 and then Luke Walsh nailed a penalty to make it 22-20.
But Huddersfield fought back superbly and after Jermaine McGillvary nudged them back in front fellow winger Aaron Murphy sealed the win with a fine team move to inflict more misery on the defending champions.
St Helens Quinlan; Makinson, Percival, Jones, Swift; Burns, Walsh; Walmsley, Roby, Amor, Greenwood, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Thompson. Interchange Turner, Masoe, Richards, Savelio.
Tries Amor, Roby, Makinson, Burns. Goals Walsh 3.
Huddersfield Grix; McGillvary, Cudjoe, Connor, Murphy; Brough, Ellis; Crabtree, Robinson, Huby, Wardle, Hughes, Ta’ai. Interchange Lawrence, Kopczak, Leeming, Smith.
Tries Ellis, Ta’ai, Wardle, McGillvary, Murphy. Goals Brough 4.
Referee R Silverwood.
