St Helens 25 Huddersfield Giants 0: Champions serve up ominous reality check with 12 men

On a night when the stars appeared to have aligned for Huddersfield Giants to land a psychological blow on the defending champions, St Helens served up the kind of reality check that could be difficult to come back from.

Saints lost Will Hopoate to injury early on and found themselves down to 12 men inside the opening quarter when Sione Mata'utia was sent off for touching an injured player, Danny Levi.

But the red card galvanised the home side and Huddersfield simply could not find the answers as the game slipped away.

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Ricky Leutele continues to be a big miss for the Giants and there was no spark in the absence of Tui Lolohea at the back.

St Helens celebrate Agnatius Paasi's try. (Picture: SWPix.com)St Helens celebrate Agnatius Paasi's try. (Picture: SWPix.com)
St Helens celebrate Agnatius Paasi's try. (Picture: SWPix.com)

If the game was a dress rehearsal for the play-offs, Ian Watson's side must improve out of sight to compete with the champions when it truly matters.

In the build-up, Watson gave the impression of a man who had been counting down the days to the meeting at the Totally Wicked Stadium.

It was Huddersfield's chance to prove they have the game plan to go toe to toe with the best team in the competition - but instead St Helens showed why they have had the Super League trophy under lock and key since 2019.

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There was an edge to the contest from the start, Jack Welsby giving the Giants an immediate leg up with a late hit.

Jonny Lomax jumps for joy after laying on Joe Batchelor's try. (Picture: SWPix.com)Jonny Lomax jumps for joy after laying on Joe Batchelor's try. (Picture: SWPix.com)
Jonny Lomax jumps for joy after laying on Joe Batchelor's try. (Picture: SWPix.com)

Huddersfield hammered away at the Saints line in the opening exchanges but they were unable to make their early dominance count.

Theo Fages was back at the Totally Wicked Stadium for the first time since joining the Giants at the end of last year and he was straight into the action, forcing a drop-out with a neat kick into the in-goal area.

Huddersfield created an overlap in the resultant set but Innes Senior was crowded out by a welcoming committee led by Hopoate.

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The try-saving effort came at a cost with Hopoate forced to leave the field for a HIA before eventually being ruled out of the rest of the match with a shoulder injury.

Jermaine McGillvary is helped from the field of play. (Picture: SWPix.com)Jermaine McGillvary is helped from the field of play. (Picture: SWPix.com)
Jermaine McGillvary is helped from the field of play. (Picture: SWPix.com)

It was Huddersfield's turn to defend after Mata'utia's ball steal on Oliver Russell swung the momentum the home side's way.

The Giants survived a scare when James Roby lost the ball going for the line after taking a classy offload from Morgan Knowles and then saw Jonny Lomax scuff a straightforward penalty wide.

The big talking point came on 17 minutes, Mata'utia sent off after what appeared to be an innocuous incident.

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There was an audible gasp when referee Chris Kendall brandished the red card but Mata'utia put his hands to his head like a man who knew what was coming after seeing multiple bans handed out for similar infringements.

Senior spurned another good chance minutes later, the winger guilty of being too upright as he tried to touch down in the corner.

Saints weathered the storm and showed just how clinical they can be at the other end.

There appeared to be little danger when Lomax got his hands on the ball 10 metres out but he had the vision to unlock the Huddersfield defence.

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Spotting Giants full-back Will Pryce was not at home, the Saints half-back sent an inch-perfect kick through that was finished by Magic Weekend hero Joe Batchelor.

Huddersfield looked shellshocked and were nearly undone again when Regan Grace broke from deep.

With the ball, the Giants looked one-dimensional as they tried and failed to break down the depleted hosts.

There was more frustration for Watson's men when Pryce sent a 40-metre penalty wide after the half-time hooter - but worse was to come in the second period.

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There was no way back for Huddersfield after Jermaine McGillvary dropped the ball cold near halfway and Agnatius Paasi swatted aside Chris McQueen to touch down in front of the jubilant home fans.

Lomax added the extras and was on target again from a penalty as the three-peat champions continued to flex their muscles.

A serious-looking injury to McGillvary compounded matters before Welsby shrugged off a poor attempt by Toby King to score Saints' third try.

Sam Hewitt tried to get the Giants going with a big hit on Konrad Hurrell but St Helens were in the mood to defend.

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Senior completed a hat-trick of poor finishes under pressure in the corner and Kristian Woolf's side rammed home their superiority in the closing stages.

Saints found themselves down to 11 men for the final eight minutes when Knowles was sin-binned for lashing out in possession but nothing was going to knock the league leaders off their stride.

Lomax scored a deserved try after backing up a break by Welsby, whose late drop goal put the seal on a remarkable win.

St Helens: Hopoate, Bennison, Hurrell, Mata'utia, Grace, Welsby, Lomax, Walmsley, Roby, Lees, Sironen, Batchelor, Knowles.

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Substitutes: Lussick, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Paasi, Wingfield.

Huddersfield Giants: Pryce, McGillvary, Cudjoe, King, Senior, Russell, Fages, Greenwood, Levi, Trout, Jones, McQueen, Yates.

Substitutes: Golding, Wilson, Ashworth, Hewitt.

Referee: Chris Kendall.