Welsby shines as St Helens overcome gutsy Leeds

James Roby (left) and Jack Welsby embrace after St Helens' victory over Leeds

Full-back Jack Welsby delivered two clutch tries to help St Helens overcome a gutsy Leeds in the latest chapter of their intense Super League rivalry.

Will Hopoate and Tee Ritson scored for Saints, with Rhyse Martin and Sam Walters in reply for the visitors.

Welsby added his two tries either side of Nene MacDonald's score as Saints edged it in a frantic second period.

Saints' disappointment at being dumped out of the Challenge Cup last weekend was compounded by the loss of key players such as Alex Walmsley, Agnatius Paasi and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook through injury, but a patched-up side found character and spirit to bounce back.

George Delaney, Sam Royle and Lewis Baxter belied their youthful age with mature displays, while newcomer Moses Mbye was introduced to give veteran James Roby a break.

Hopoate had his best game in a Saints shirt, opening the scoring with a fine finish from a Welsby grubber kick, while slick moves created a try for Ritson right at the end of the opening half.

Welsby's first try was a typically forthright surge and defiant finish; whilst a superb line, with the full-back galloping on to Jonny Lomax's pass, was the key to the second crucial score.

Leeds have been a stuttering unit at times in 2023 but they seemed to be roused by their encounters with their old foes, and this was no exception.

Martin plunged in to punish a loose Welsby kick that went out on the full, while Walters rounded the mercurial Saints full-back with devastating footwork to enhance his rapidly growing reputation.

MacDonald's try, a powerful finish after Saints coughed up good ball, showed the fight within the Leeds side, and they made Saints work defensively with a string of sets in their end of the field.

But the key moment belonged to Saints, with Welsby ensuring that there would be no third golden-point period in meetings between the two in 2023.

St Helens: Welsby; Makinson, Hurrell, Hopoate, Ritson; Lomax, Dodd; Lees, Roby, Delaney, Bell, Royle, Knowles.

Interchanges: Norman, Davies, Baxter, Mbye.

Leeds: Myler; Fusitu'a, Martin, MacDonald, Handley; Austin, Sezer; Oledzki, O'Connor, Walters, Bentley, McDonnell, Smith.

Interchanges: Johnson, Lisone, Holroyd, Sangare.

Referee: Liam Moore.

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