Thick fog billowed around Knowsley Road this evening meaning the start of the Saints Super League season was delayed by 15 minutes.
Eventually the fixture got underway with Saints making the first couple of breaks through Jon Wilkin and Kyle Eastmond. Hull tackled back well and as possession swung from one end of gloom to the other there was little between the teams until the returning Sean Long, on debut for Hull fired a wonderful pass across the face of Craig Fitzgibbon. Two defenders moved in to tackle the Australian as the ball fizzed past him to Willie Manu and he took Paul Wellens over the line. Danny Tickle goaled and Hull looked more assured.
The visitors adapted better to the conditions with the kicking game from Long and a lively chase halting the Saints who then lost Ade Gardner to injury. Three minutes from the break Hull scored a second try when the ball moved right to the man mountain Epalahame Lauaki. Lauaki brushed a poor Leon Pryce tackle off, stepped James Graham and reached over for an excellent try that I'm sure in clear conditions would have been appreciated by most of the 12,000+ crowd. Once again Tickle goaled and Hull went to the break with a 12-0 lead, partly due to the alertness of Kirk Yeaman as Scott Moore chased a kick through.
Danny Tickle added a third goal from a penalty five minutes into the new half before an excellent piece of play brought a debut score for Long. Manu managed to offload for support and the move was carried down the middle before Wellens was drawn in and Long scurried home. A fourth Tickle goal made it 20-0 and things got worse for the Saints after 57 minutes when Tom Briscoe twisted out of a low tackle, losing a boot in the process before racing to the try line from 70 metres. This time Craig Fitzgibbon added the extras and St Helens needed something special.
Hull fullback Jordan Tansey was then penalised for making a tackle whilst offside at marker and dispatched to the sinbin. The hosts immediately punished their visitors when Matt Gidley lunged for the line and the try was awarded by video referee Steve Ganson. Eastmond added the extras before a destructive run from Lauaki saw him beat six players including Chris Flannery twice. Sadly that came to nothing for Hull and it was Saints through Flannery that scored their second try, this time on the left. Eastmond goaled before Tansey returned from the sinbin and Hull monopolised territory in the last eight minutes. This set the platform for their final try five minutes from the end. A kick from Long was placed on by the boot of Fitzgibbon and Yeaman won the race. A second goal from Fitzgibbon made it 32-12 on the night for Hull.
St Helens 12 Hull 32 FT
Saints:
Tries: Chris Flannery, Matt Gidley
Goals: Kyle Eastmond 2
Hull:
Tries: Willie Manu, Epalahame Lauaki, Sean Long, Tom Briscoe, Kirk Yeaman
Goals: Danny Tickle 4, Craig Fitzgibbon 2
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