St Helens RLFC v Hull KR, Kristian Woolf comments

He crossed for Saints’ first two tries and kicked six goals, some of them beauties from the touchline.

The assists from the returning Jack Welsby and his sudden interjection of pace at times caught the eye too.

They were the players making most of the headlines.

Some would make a case for James Roby and Jonny Lomax as well, with their organisational work and probings as ever crucial to what Saints do and perhaps sometimes can be taken as a given by those watching on.

They ended up in the halves together after the break due to the reshuffling caused by Will Hopoate's injury at full-back.

But Saints head coach Kristian Woolf highlighted two middle-channel forwards as his stand-out performers.

Loose forward Jake Wingfield and prop Matty Lees impressed him the most.

“I thought Jake Wingfield was great,” he said.

“He defended really well, and there was his work on the ball, his carries, a little bit of ball-playing he’s got about him, he’s very skilful.

“But what gets a little bit unnoticed sometimes is how much he puts himself on the ball and supports as well.

“So I was really happy with how he hard he worked through the middle and he played big minutes as well - the whole of the first half and a good set in the second half.”

Woolf added: “I thought Matty Lees was outstanding too.

All pictures by SWpix.com

“I thought he brought a real intensity and really led from the front. He did that in the first stint and came back out and did an extended set because we had some injuries in that second half.

“So he came back quite early and did an extended stint and did the same thing. So they were our two best I thought.”

Woolf agreed that Welsby looked as though he had benefitted from missing the previous week's win at Hull, when he was given the opportunity to rest a few niggles.

“He certainly looked fresh and fast," said Woolf.

"We all know what quality he’s got about him and that wasn’t his outstanding best game, he’s got a little more in him. But he looked fresh and fast and that’s the most important thing.”