ST HELENS coach Mick Potter hailed his team’s defensive efforts as they moved to within 80 minutes of a fourth successive Grand Final appearance with a 15-2 win over Huddersfield.
Saints made a dream start to their qualifying play-off with three tries in the first 21 minutes from Tony Puletua, Leon Pryce and Francis Meli and defended superbly to keep the Giants try-less for the first time for 14 months.
After watching his side finish the regular Super League season with a shock 24-12 home defeat by Catalans Dragons, Potter was delighted with their improvement, especially in defence.
“I thought our line speed was good and our contact was good,” he said. “Defensively, it was very close to our best performance of the season. It was a definite improvement on last week. You could see there was a lot at stake.
“It was a slow game and very hard to get points but that’s what you get when the rucks are so slow.”
Saints’ reward is a home tie in the semi-final and the chance to rest players next week, especially after Keiron Cunningham (hand), Matt Gidley (groin) and Tony Puletua (shoulder) all sustained knocks.
“Not playing next week will be better for the guys carrying knocks,” said Potter.
Huddersfield, who have another chance in the play-offs and could return to Knowsley Road in the semi-finals, scored their only points through a Brett Hodgson penalty and coach Nathan Brown was left to rue a slow start.
“There wasn’t a great deal in the game, just the first 20, 25 minutes,” he said.
“We weren’t quite good enough. In semi-finals you have to up the speed and we didn’t do that in the first 20 minutes. Their line speed was better than ours as was their kick-chase. They are a very good side and we weren’t far away.”
WIDNES Vikings crashed out of the Co-Operative Championship Play-offs after they were outfought by unfancied Featherstone Rovers at Stobart Stadium on Friday night.
The Vikings had racked upŠ a 12-0 lead after 25 minutes and were on course to keep their double title dream alive but they came a cropper as experienced former Super League stand-off Iestyn Harris stamped his authority on the game and orchestrated a memorable Rovers victory.
Harris bagged a 16 point haul with a faultless display and was the main tormentor in chief for Darryl Powell’s side, who now face Halifax in the final Grand Final qualifying match on Thursday.
