St Helens 70 Featherstone 0: Rovers pay for early efforts as Saints run riot

St Helens eased into the quarter-finals with a comprehensive victory over Featherstone.

The Championship One title-chasers did not disgrace themselves, especially in the first half, with the final scoreline not doing their efforts justice.

Saints, without 11 injured first-team players, handed Warren Thompson his debut off the bench alongside Scott Hale who made his senior bow in last week’s 40-18 defeat at Huddersfield. Thompson marked the occasion with a first half try with Jamie Foster booting 11 goals from 12 attempts.

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Rovers included Ian Hardman against his old club as they made their first visit to Saints for 16 years and he prevented an early Foster try by barging the winger into touch.

But Saints went ahead in the 11th minute when Francis Meli, who looked suspiciously offside, latched onto Jon Wilkin’s grubber kick and Foster converted.

Saints missed a chance to extend their lead with a poor pass from Meli to Paul Wellens with Matty Ashurst held up over the line.

But the stubborn Rovers resistance was breached by forward Thompson after 25 minutes withFoster converting.

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Liam Finn’s promptings from scrum-half caused problems for Saints who managed to go further ahead with Wellens taking Nathan Ashe’s pass from James Roby’s break. Featherstone almost snatched a deserved try but neither Bryn Powell or Mufaro Mvududu could collect Tom Hemingway’s teasing kick to leave them trailing 18-0 at half-time.

James Graham gave Saints the perfect start to the second half by blasting over with Foster adding his fourth conversion.

Ashe added the fifth try from a looping inside ball from Foster to increase the lead to 30-0 after 51 minutes.

England centre Michael Shenton weaved his way over before Matty Ashurst added to Featherstone’s woes.

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Tom Makinson finished off a slick handling move to make it 48-0 before adding his second two minutes later.

Sol Soliola forced his way over for Saints 10th try eight minutes from time, with Shenton and Tom Armstrong adding more.

St Helens: Wellens, Gardner, Shenton, Meli, Foster, Wilkin, Ashe, Graham, Roby, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Ashurst, Soliola, Magennis. Substitutes: Armstrong, Makinson, Hale, Thompson.

Featherstone Rovers: Hardman, Powell, Bostock, Smeaton, Hepworth, Hemingway, Finn, Haley, Kaye, Dickens, Grayshon, Spears, Dale. Substitutes: Welham, Worthington, Divorty, Mvududu.

Referee: J Child (Dewsbury).

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