Hull KR 18 St Helens 32: Adam Quinlan suffers serious injury as KR go down fighting

With that in mind, bottom-of-the-table Hull KR achieved a few today and certainly did better than most.

Tony Smith’s side - playing their first game in three weeks - went into the break locked at 12-12 against the reigning champions.

Considering Saints had gone almost three-and-a-half hours without even conceding a point, keeping both Leeds Rhinos and Castleford Tigers scoreless in their last two outings, that was some feat.

With their opponents also losing French half-back Theo Fages to a first half injury, you sensed a shock could possibly be on the cards.

However, legendary Saints hooker James Roby simply switched to No7 and came up with a few telling plays that made the England veteran look like he had been playing there for all 501 of his career games.

As they took back control with tries from Kevin Naiqama, Aaron Smith and - off Roby’s stunning wide pass down the right channel - Jack Welsby’s second, Rovers also lost their own talisman.

Full-back Adam Quinlan was clearly in some pain as he was helped off in the 56th minute, the Australian taken to hospital with a suspected broken forearm.

Saints, who had conceded just one try to Catalans’ James Maloney in their three previous wins since returning from lockdown, built up a 12-0 lead inside 16 minutes with converted efforts from Alex Walmsley and Welsby.

KR had been mistake-ridden during that period, showing too much sloppiness with the ball to invite the champions in.

But then came that purple patch, Quinlan stylishly dummying over against his former club with their first foray into the Saints’ 20 in the 24th minute.

As if instantly filled with confidence, KR immediately went on to cross for back-to-back tries, offloading at will to cut Saints open down the middle before Jamie Ellis’ launched a high kick for Ethan Ryan to claim in the right corner.

Ellis could not convert the latter but - as Fages was helped off - the St Helens-born half did fire down a wonderful 40/20 kick to put his side on the front foot once.

Granted, that fine build up was only married with a tepid end to the resulting set ended, Matt Parcell, for once, choosing a terrible option looking for a heavily-marked Kane Linnett on the last tackle.

Nevertheless, there was an evident change in quality and they had reminded themselves these opponents were not some assembly of superheroes.

Linnett, not for the first time, stepped in to make a try-saving tackle on James Bentley as increasingly erratic Saints resorted to running on the last tackle themselves.

When Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook went high on Daniel Murray, Ellis’ penalty with the last play of the half made it 12-12.

But Saints used the interval well to reorganise in Fages’ absence.

Greg Minikin, back from injury on the right wing, spilled a high kick to see Coote set up a quality effort for Naiqama in the 47th minute and, in all honesty, they never looked back.

After that trio of tries, Parcel did get a late consolation for KR but Coote’s penalty made sure for the champions.

Rovers now somehow have to quickly refresh before facing Wigan Warriors on Thursday.

Hull KR: Quinlan; Ryan, Kenny-Dowall, Linnett, Minikin; Ellis, Brierely; Peteru, Parcell, Lawler, Storton, Gee, Hauraki. Substitutes: Hadley, Murray, Mulhern, Maher.

St Helens: Coote; Welsby, Naiqama, Costello, Grace; Lomax, Fages; Walmsley, Roby, Lees, Taia, Bentley, Graham. Substitutes: Peyrouox, Amor, Smith, McCarthy-Scarsbrook.

Referee: Scott Mikalauskas (Leigh)

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Thank you

James Mitchinson