Hull Kingston Rovers moved firmly into the lead at the top of the Betfred Super League with a tense 12-8 win over St Helens at Craven Park. The victory, achieved against the formidable Saints, gives Rovers a six-point cushion heading into the season's winter break.
The encounter was a hard-fought battle where both sides' defences were tested significantly, with the first half slowed by injury stoppages. Hull KR took the lead early through a penalty from fly-half Rhyse Martin, but St Helens responded with a penalty from Mark Percival to level the scores after halftime.
Exploiting a 10-minute spell when a St Helens player was sin-binned following a high tackle, Martin added three consecutive penalties for Hull KR, putting his side six points ahead. Despite sustained pressure from the hosts, the advantage proved insurmountable.
The decisive moment arrived in the 67th minute when a brilliant pass from stand-off Mikey Lewis sent winger Joe Burgess over in the left corner, extending the lead to 12-2. Although St Helens grabbed a late consolation try through Deon Cross, it was too little, too late for the visitors.
Head coach Willie Peters expressed his delight with the team's response following their heavy defeat by Leeds Rhinos the previous week. "We got beaten in every area last week," Peters acknowledged. "But this week we played and responded in the best way possible. We wanted to get the result and do a job defensively, and I thought we did that really well for large periods."
For St Helens coach Paul Wellens, the defeat was tempered by praise for his team's resilience. "It was a really high-quality game," Wellens commented. "There was a huge period where we were under immense pressure, but the players kept going. We haven't wilted under pressure like we used to here, and I'm really proud of them. We're just disappointed not to get the points." The visitors, playing fourth in the league, suffered a setback after just eight minutes when loose forward Morgan Knowles departed with a head injury, forcing an early substitute.
The final whistle confirmed Hull KR's fifth consecutive victory and their third win of the season. The match also featured impressive performances from the reliable bootwork combination of Lewis and Martin, who accounted for all of Hull KR's points through penalties.
Match Details:
Hull KR: Mourgue; Davies, Hiku, Broadbent, Burgess; Lewis, May; Hadley, Litten, Whitbread, Batchelor, Martin, Minchella. Interchanges: Luckley, Tanginoa, Doro, Leyland.
St Helens: Welsby; Sailor, Robertson, Percival, Cross; Lomax, Mbye; Walmsley, Clark, Lees, Sironen, Whitley, Knowles. Interchanges: Batchelor, Paasi, Delaney, Burns.
Referee: Chris Kendall.
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