There cannot have been many sweeter afternoons to be a St Helens supporter in recent years. We are often reminded that form goes out of the window on derby day but in reality, when there is such a chasm between two teams like there was here, the result was hardly ever in doubt.
For St Helens, the Super League leaders, this was a case of a comfortable afternoon’s work and they are now four points clear at the summit – but the final scoreline does not even begin to tell the whole story. While the gap between themselves and second-placed Warrington doubled here in the sunshine, what was far more telling was the gap between the Saints and their greatest rivals.
Wigan are no strangers to creating rugby league history, but there is now an unwanted slice of it next to their name. This, their eighth defeat in only 11 league games – and arguably the most damaging of all – means the Warriors are joint-bottom of the table and share the worst start to a Super League season for defending champions, sitting level alongside Leeds’ class of 2016.
Whereas the Rhinos eventually steered themselves out of trouble three years ago, that looks far less certain for a Warriors side who are utterly bereft of ideas in attack, structure in defence and ravaged by injuries – and the Saints brutally exposed all their weaknesses and more here with a destructive display.
“They were very good,” Wigan’s coach, Adrian Lam, said. His afternoon was soured further by the loss of Tom Davies to a serious leg injury. Before that lengthy stoppage, Zak Hardaker’s try in response to James Roby’s early score had left it finely poised but as the break approached the Saints began to hit their stride.
Three tries for the Welsh wing Regan Grace – who must be a contender for Great Britain on this form alongside his fellow countryman Morgan Knowles – put them 18-4 ahead. And while Wigan narrowed the gap at half-time thanks to George Williams’s try, the habits that have plagued the Warriors so often this season came to the fore again after the interval. With Shaun Edwards’s well-documented decision not to join Wigan in 2020 after all leaving them in further turmoil, Lam was undecided about his own future afterwards.
St Helens’ coach, Justin Holbrook, is also out of contract at the end of this season but he was much more committal. “I’ve no plans to leave,” he said. “I’m happy here.” That, like their second-half performance, will be music to the ears of St Helens supporters.
Within seven minutes of the restart they went further ahead when Tommy Makinson raced away to touch down, before Grace claimed his hat-trick on the hour mark thanks to an electrifying burst of pace through a ragged Wigan defensive line. Lachlan Coote converted, adding a try of his own in the final minutes – but by then the contest had long since been decided.
These two famous clubs have won 35 league championships between them; but on the evidence displayed here, it is not hard to work out which of them is more likely to claim number 36 in the coming months.
Warrington lose ground after suffering surprise defeat to Salford
Warrington lost ground on St Helens at the top after falling to a surprise 32-16 defeat at home to Salford. Five tries from the visitors were enough to ensure they kept breathing space between themselves and the teams level on six points at the bottom - which includes Leeds, who moved off the foot of the table with victory over Huddersfield.
Tui Lolohea and James Donaldson were among their try-scorers as the Rhinos picked up only their third win of the season, moving them level with London and Wigan. Good Friday’s other game saw Hull FC continue their impressive recent form to move up to fourth on the table after a resounding victory over cross-city rivals Hull KR. Leading by only six at the break, the Black and Whites scored 38 unanswered second-half points to run out comfortable winners.
