SAINTS boss Justin Holbrook blamed his side’s poor start for their shock Challenge Cup knockout.

The favourites suffered a 35-16 defeat by Catalans Dragons to prolong their Wembley wait another year.

Hoilbrook said: “There were too many errors from us in the first half. We tried to outplay them right from the start of the game and that played into their hands.

“Catalans are a big, strong, powerful team and if you give them that much ball they are going to hurt you. And they did that.

“Catalans ran really hard and got through all of their sets – but we did the opposite. It played into their hands. They dominated us completely in that first half.

“I am happy with the way we tried to fight back and put a bit of a dint in them, but we were too far behind.

“There was no excuse for the first half, we were poor and got what we deserved.”

Saints staged something of a rally in the second half, but by that stage they trailed 27-0 and were left with too big a mountain to climb.

“If we had kept them at 18 or 19 at half time – I still thought we were in with a chance. We needed half time but in the end could not get there,” Holbrook said.

“After the sin-binning I knew we were in big trouble and run off our feet. To leak two more before half time made it really hard, too hard.

“I am shattered. I am really devastated and it will hurt even more tomorrow when I wake up because we have been bundled out of it.

“We are a good side – poor today, and that hurts at the moment, but we will be ok.”