Leeds victory puts pressure on Saints boss Wellens

Betfred Super League

St Helens (0) 4

Try: Whitley

Leeds (10) 17

Tries: Lumb, Miller, Gannon Goals: Miller 2 Drop-goal: Sinfield

Leeds Rhinos sealed a Magic Weekend win over St Helens which cranked up the pressure on Saints coach Paul Wellens.

The Rhinos forged ahead in a bright opening with tries from Riley Lumb and Lachlan Miller but the game degenerated into a messy affair with both sides making unforced errors.

Matt Whitley struck back for Saints early in the second half but Lewis Murphy's sin-binning, a Jack Sinfield drop-goal and Morgan Gannon's late try ensured Leeds took the win which sends them fourth in Super League.

Defeat means Saints have now lost six of their past nine games after starting the season with four straight wins.

Leeds leapfrog their opponents with a third win in four games, a run only spoiled by their defeat by leaders Hull KR last week.

They got that loss out of their system in the opening phase as Gannon's smart kick popped up nicely for Lumb to pounce and score after Gannon and Ash Handley had opened up the defence.

Ten minutes later more enterprising attacking play from the Rhinos saw Harry Newman send Alfie Edgell racing down the right, and he passed the ball inside to send Miller over and establish a 10-point lead at half time.

Lumb pulled off a try-saving tackle on Jon Bennison but Saints rarely troubled the Leeds line in the first half.

Wellens sent on experienced pair Daryl Clark and Jonny Lomax, the latter controversially dropped a fortnight ago, and for a short while they started to piece their game together and shortly into the second half they cracked the Leeds defence as Whitley went over.

That sparked an attacking spell for Saints, with Leeds errors inviting pressure and Saints squandering it with scrappy disorganised rugby.

Tristan Sailor's interception and sprint downfield set Saints up perfectly but an incorrect play-the-ball cost them possession in a threatening position, a moment that summed up their game.

Murphy's sin-binning took the wind out of their sails and came as he leaped high to gather a kick and caught Edgell in the face with his knee, as the Leeds man kept his feet firmly planted on the ground.

Murphy was disconsolate and Wellens infuriated, and Leeds took advantage by going up the other end, with Sinfield coolly drop-kicking the ball between the posts.

Saints' misery was compounded as what seemed to be a debut try for Deon Cross was ruled out for a knock-on in the build-up before Gannon capped a fine display by powering over for a try that made sure of the points.

St Helens: Sailor; Bennison, Cross, Percival, Murphy; Welsby, Whitby; Paasi, Mbye, Lees, Sironen, Whitley, Knowles

Interchanges: Lomax, Walmsley, Clark, Delaney

Leeds: Miller; Edgell, Newman, Handley, Lumb; Connor, Sinfield; Palasia, O'Connor, Oledzki, McDonnell, Gannon, Watkins

Interchanges: Holroyd, Lisone, Bentley, Jenkins

Referee: Jack Smith