The more things change, the more they stay the same in St Helens, it seems. For the first time in four seasons there are question marks over the Super League champions, given how they have undergone the biggest overhaul of their squad since they began their run of three consecutive league titles. Well, there were question marks, anyway.
Any doubts regarding how Kristian Woolf’s newly redesigned side will fare have probably already been put to bed after this game. Worryingly for the rest of the league, the departure of players such as Lachlan Coote, Kevin Naiqama and Théo Fages, mainstays of their recent success, hasn’t led to St Helens getting worse. If anything they look like they’re even better, which is terrifying for everyone else.
The difference between last season’s two Grand Finalists arguably came down to a 15-minute period before half-time, in which St Helens scored four unanswered tries. That gave them a 16-8 lead at the break, which was always going to be enough, given their defensive resolve. Aside from a bruising opening quarter, they held the advantage over the Dragons for the majority of an entertaining and feisty start to the new campaign.
“I thought we had some good intent at times, but there were some real lapses in that period before the break,” the Catalans coach, Steve McNamara, said. “They made the most of it and they were too good for us tonight.”
A grim night for McNamara was compounded by a red card on debut for Dylan Napa after a high tackle on Mark Percival which, given rugby league’s intent to protect its players from such tackles, will earn him an early season break of a few weeks.
Catalans had the upper hand early on and took the lead when Fouad Yaha claimed Josh Drinkwater’s kick. But from there the Saints clicked into gear, just as they have done so many times in the past three seasons. Two tries from Tommy Makinson either side of a James Roby finish and a wonderful individual effort from Lewis Dodd – one of the mercurial young players entrusted to replace the Saints’ departing stars – put the hosts in complete control.
“I liked a lot of that,” Woolf said. “Once we got into a roll we played some great footy and the defence was really strong at the other end. We were good enough to get the win and play tough.”
The only downside by half-time was that St Helens led by just 10, after failing to convert all four of the tries which turned the balance of power on its head. That left the door ajar for Catalans, who reduced the deficit before the break thanks to a penalty from Sam Tomkins.
St Helens’ attacking prowess and, to be frank, dominance of those closing stages in the first half probably merited a bigger lead, but the only points scored in the 20 minutes after half-time came from the boot of Dodd. The stern defence from the champions, however, was visibly beginning to frustrate Catalans, with indiscipline creeping into their game as the final moments approached.
That was epitomised with nine minutes remaining as Napa recklessly hit Percival high, sparking an almighty brawl and leading to the forward being sent off. Any notion of a late Catalans comeback disappeared with Napa down the tunnel, and the Saints finished with a flourish as the debutants Joey Lussick and Konrad Hurrell scored late tries. No side has won four successive Super League titles but on this showing, the possibility of that happening this season is certainly alive.
