SAINTS put last week’s blip behind them by clocking up an emphatic 12-try triumph over an admittedly rudderless and bedraggled Huddersfield side.

It was a pretty ruthless display and even Huddersfield’s stand-in coach Chris Thorman remarked afterwards that it had been men against boys – with Saints head and shoulders above the depleted Giants in the 66-4 win.

Still, you can only play it is front of you – and it is to Saints’ credit that they did not decide to coast through or let the game drift once it was clearly won, opting to run up their biggest score for some time.

And those signs of victory came pretty early on – sparked the first of stand off Jonny Lomax’s treble.

There were equally eye-catching displays throughout with a dazzling first half Ben Barba special from half way giving the fans just what they wanted to see.

Huddersfield, missing so many of their key men – most notably Danny Brough, Jermaine McGilvary, Leroy Cudjoe, Sebastine Ikahihifo and Michael Lawrence – largely played to hang on.

And at times that seemed to be their only, if frustrating, tactic to keep the scoreline respectable.

That they failed in that mission was down to Saints being clear from the outset what they wanted to get out of this game.

After being lauded for their fine Easter, the manner of last week’s surprise defeat at Wakefield will have irritated the league leaders.

And Huddersfield copped that backlash big time once Saints got into their groove with Lomax backing himself after collecting a nice inside ball from debutant Matty Costello on 13 minutes.

It was an important opening from the 20-year-old centre, who slotted in well the spot vacated by the suspended Mark Percival.

Saints doubled their lead when Barba collected a fine pass on half way from Jon Wilkin to go on a diagonal, surging run to the corner.

Lomax stretched the lead when after a strong rub from Luke Douglas, the ball was sent right from Dom Peyroux where the Saints stand off grabbed his second.

Wilkin, who had a fine first half stint, provided the killer ball for Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook to steam over and the points kept coming.

Neat close-quarter passing from Theo Fages and Lomax, who provided the inside ball, fashioned the next one for Barba.

McCarthy-Scarsbrook joined the players on two tries when he rampaged over to give Saints a 34-0 interval lead.

Ryan Morgan could thank Barba for putting the next two tries on a plate for him as Saints made it 42-0 which was followed by a spell in which Huddersfield had most of the decent field position.

Ex-Saint Jordan Turner crossed for a consolation score on 66 minutes, even if the West Stand did not like it.

But the impish Richardson got the scoreboard ticking over in the right direction again when he took the line on from 30 metres, dummying and darting to the line before tagging on the goal.

Lomax took Barba’s inside pass to complete his hat-trick and cross the 50 mark, but Saints were not taking their foot off the gas.

What followed was another crowd pleaser, with Welsh wing Regan Grace bobbing, weaving and then dashing to the line for a try that will hopefully boost his confidence.

And with a couple of minutes to play, Kyle Amor charged on to Matty Smith’s pass to post the final word.

Saints: Barba; Makinson, Morgan, Costello, Grace; Lomax, Richardson; Amor, Smith, Thompson, Peyroux, Knowles, Wilkin. Subs: Fages, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Douglas, Lees.

Huddersfield: Simpsopn; McIntosh, Turner, Murphy, Senior; Wood, Rankin; Roche, Leeming, Clough, Roberts, Ta'ai, Smith. Subs: Hinchcliffe, Walne, O'Brien, Mellor.