Saints' Challenge Cup defeat down to failings of attack

The game went down to the wire with Tommy Makinson missing the chance to send the game into Golden Point when his last minute conversion attempt went wide.

But Saints will have to take a close look at their failings across the previous 79 minutes to understand why they are not joining the Women’s team beneath the Wembley arch.

Truth is Saints will look back their failure to convert the mountain of first half possession and field position into more points than a Joey Lussick scoot from dummy half.

Makinson was unlucky to get his arm tapped going for the corner, but apart from that scoring chances were at a premium.

As has been a feature already this term, there was a dullness about Saints’ attack that seemed incapable of either opening the Leigh defence up or asking significant questions.

Too many of Saints’ last tackle plays seemed aimless, ill-thought out or poorly executed as illustrated by the number of grubbers that fail to penetrate the defensive line.

We know that Saints’ forte this past three years has been their relentlessly attritional style they have adopted to wear teams down.

It is not flash, but it has delivered results with the way it fatigues the opposition by out-working them.

But that game falls apart if the sets are ended with poor, predictable kicks that provide simple pressure releases.

But that is where Saints are at the moment – it is an issue that can be fixed with the odd tweak, as indicated by the way they have played in flashes this year at Magic and at home to Wigan.

Saints’ failure to bring their A game when it matters is a huge concern, especially when that dullness with the ball extends to general play.

The reason for Saints’ defeat should be shared collectively across 17 - not fall harshly on one young player.

But as a seven Lewis Dodd needs to display more often those traits that made him such a hot prospect in 2021, attributes that meant Saints were more than willing to release Theo Fages to clear his way to the jersey.

If Dodd takes the ball to the teeth of the line more regularly - like partner Jonny Lomax is still doing - and lies with his eyes then it keeps the defence guessing and buys that extra second for those around him.

Leigh won because they were hungrier and more clinical in the second half, with Saints having nightmares over the softness of the Oliver Holmes try that gave them a toe-hold five minutes into the second half.

Questions should have been asked over Zak Hardaker’s try – given Tee Ritson was shoved off the ball as he sought to retrieve it, but Saints should have been in a much stronger position by that stage. 

Sione Mata'utia's yellow card - and the subsequent Ben Reynolds penalty goal - hampered their cause.

Saints left it far to late to open up - so when their second try came there was no scope for error with the conversion.

And sadly it drifted away...just like the game.