St Helens 36 Hull KR 24: Robins suffer as Saints grab late tries

St Helens players celebrate Aaron Smith's try.

St Helens had to come from behind to maintain their unblemished Super League record, defeating plucky Hull KR 36-24.

It required late tries from Saints’ Aaron Smith and Regan Grace to end resilient Rovers’ late charge, but it could have been a different story if the Robins had maintained their composure midway through the second period when they leaked crucial scores.

At 16-0 the game looked over as Saints raced to a three-score lead thanks to tries from Lachlan Coote, Jack Welsby and Luke Thompson.

Scottish international Kane Linnett gave Hull KR a glimmer of hope at a time when St Helens were on fire, bursting onto a short Josh Drinkwater pass to barge his way through.

Winger Ryan Shaw landed the conversion, and was slotting another goal as Ryan Hall threw a ball out wide to Scott Oakes to finish in the corner.

Hull KR were in the ascendency, adding more points courtesy of the Drinkwater-Linnett connection again to lead 18-16 at the break.

A Coote penalty hauled Saints level, but when Jonny Lomax dropped a Drinkwater kick, Shaun Lunt was on hand to take advantage with a gift of a try, with Shaw adding the extras to make it 24-18.

Substitute Joseph Paulo set up Kyle Amor for a smash-and-grab effort that was followed by Aaron Smith sneaking over after a poor defensive read from Lunt, with Coote converting on both occasions.

Coote then chimed into the line to make the overlap for Grace’s game-winning score. A further penalty goal from Coote wrapped things up for the home side.

St Helens: Knowles, Peyroux, Bentley, Thompson, Smith, Lees, Fages, Lomax, Welsby, Naiqama, Grace, Makinson, Coote. Substitutes: Paulo, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Amor, Ashworth.

Hull K R: Hall, Shaw, J. Keinhorst, Crooks, Oakes, Drinkwater, Atkin, Masoe, Lee, Lawler, Tomkins, Linnett, Hauraki. Substitutes: Garbutt, Vaivai, Addy, Lunt.

Referee: T Grant (RFL).