ESL ESL St Helens - General News - Gossip etc
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Yeah I don't think I'll bother clicking on the finger link...
That black and white photo is quite an iconic picture here. Do you guys not recognise the protagonists? Perhaps they are not well known in Australia. It's a young Paul Gascoigne and Vinnie Jones, later of Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, and so on.
That black and white photo is quite an iconic picture here. Do you guys not recognise the protagonists? Perhaps they are not well known in Australia. It's a young Paul Gascoigne and Vinnie Jones, later of Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, and so on.
Tommy Makinson has been banned for five games after pleading guilty to a low grab on Castleford Tigers prop Liam Watts.
The 28-year-old has also been fined £500, but his "other contrary behaviour" charge was downgraded by a disciplinary panel from Grade F, the most serious, to Grade E.
The England player will be unavailable for selection until early October.
Saints won the Super League encounter with Tigers 10-0 on Sunday.
Makinson's previous good disciplinary record was taken into account at the tribunal.
The 28-year-old has also been fined £500, but his "other contrary behaviour" charge was downgraded by a disciplinary panel from Grade F, the most serious, to Grade E.
The England player will be unavailable for selection until early October.
Saints won the Super League encounter with Tigers 10-0 on Sunday.
Makinson's previous good disciplinary record was taken into account at the tribunal.
One non-playing member of staff at St Helens has tested positive for Covid-19 in Super League's latest testing round.
Last week, 12 players and staff from Hull FC tested positive leading to their next two games being postponed.
Saints have cancelled Wednesday's planned training session as a result of the test.
Last week, 12 players and staff from Hull FC tested positive leading to their next two games being postponed.
Saints have cancelled Wednesday's planned training session as a result of the test.
| St Helens (8) 21 |
| Tries: Grace, Welsby, Walmsley Goals: Coote 4 Drop-goal: Fages |
| Hull KR (6) 20 |
| Try: Hadley, Kenny-Dowall, Ryan Goals: Dagger 4 |
Theo Fages' drop-goal sent St Helens back to the top of Super League with a golden-point extra-time win against Hull Kingston Rovers.
Regan Grace's try put Saints 8-6 up at half-time after Dean Hadley's opener.
Both sides then traded tries with Jack Welsby and Alex Walmsley going over for Saints and Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Ethan Ryan scoring for Rovers.
A William Dagger penalty sent the game to extra time, only for Fages' kick to win it while Saints were a man down.
| Wakefield (12) 16 |
| Tries: Walker, Kopczak, Ashurst Goals: Hampshire 2 |
| St Helens (10) 20 |
| Tries: McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Coote 2, Grace Goals: Coote 2 |
St Helens were forced to come from behind to beat Wakefield Trinity at Headingley as they won their eighth Super League game in a row.
Alex Walker sent Wakefield into an early lead which was swiftly extended when Craig Kopczak crossed over.
But Saints hit back and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook and Lachlan Coote cut Wakefield's lead to 12-10 by the break.
Regan Grace ran in, and Coote's second try sealed it for Saints before Matty Ashurst's late try for Trinity.
The win means St Helens remain top of Super League and pad their win percentage to 76.92% while Wakefield's miserable form continued.
| St Helens (30) 48 |
| Tries: Roby 2, Makinson 3, Walmsley, Grace, Dodd, Naiqama Goals: Coote 6 |
| Wakefield (0) 6 |
| Tries: Senior Goals: Hampshire |
Tommy Makinson ran in a hat-trick as champions St Helens recorded a ninth straight Super League win with victory over bottom side Wakefield Trinity.
Kristian Woolf's side set the tone in the first half, racking up a 30-0 lead thanks to two from James Roby, a treble for Makinson and an Alex Walmsley try.
Regan Grace got the first points after the break but Innes Senior's intercept score put Wakefield on the board.
Lewis Dodd and Kevin Naiqama tries emphatically put the game to bed.
St Helens have signed back-rower Joel Thompson on a two-year deal, after he was granted a release by National Rugby League club Manly-Warringah.
Thompson has scored 62 tries in 234 games for Canberra, St George Illawarra and Sea Eagles in a 14-year career.
He has also captained the Indigenous All Stars representative team, making seven appearances in total.
Thompson has scored 62 tries in 234 games for Canberra, St George Illawarra and Sea Eagles in a 14-year career.
He has also captained the Indigenous All Stars representative team, making seven appearances in total.
St Helens prop Alex Walmsley's dangerous contract suspension has been downgraded to one game on appeal, although he will still miss the derby with Wigan Warriors on Friday.
St Helens loose forward Morgan Knowles has signed a new two-year contract, which will keep him at the Super League club until the end of 2022.
The 24-year-old, who joined Saints aged 15, has scored 20 tries in 130 appearances for the club.
The 24-year-old, who joined Saints aged 15, has scored 20 tries in 130 appearances for the club.
St Helens have signed Tonga international Agnatius Paasi from New Zealand Warriors on a two-year deal, with an option for a further 12 months.
The 27-year-old prop, who played under Saints boss Kristian Woolf for the Mate Ma'a Tonga side, has played 107 National Rugby League games down under.
Paasi also scored 14 tries with Warriors and the Gold Coast Titans across seven seasons.
The 27-year-old prop, who played under Saints boss Kristian Woolf for the Mate Ma'a Tonga side, has played 107 National Rugby League games down under.
Paasi also scored 14 tries with Warriors and the Gold Coast Titans across seven seasons.
St Helens have signed former Australia and Samoa international Sione Mata'utia from NRL side Newcastle Knights.
The 24-year-old has agreed a two-year contract with Saints, with an option for a third year.
Mata'utia was the youngest person ever to play for Australia when he won the first of his three caps aged 18 years and 129 days, and captained the Knights at the age of 20.
The versatile Australian can play at second row, loose forward or centre.
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A good pick-up.
The 24-year-old has agreed a two-year contract with Saints, with an option for a third year.
Mata'utia was the youngest person ever to play for Australia when he won the first of his three caps aged 18 years and 129 days, and captained the Knights at the age of 20.
The versatile Australian can play at second row, loose forward or centre.
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A good pick-up.
Centre Matty Costello will leave St Helens next year after nine years with the club.
The 22-year-old began as an academy player at Saints and went on to make his first-team debut in 2018.
He helped St Helens reach successive Super League Grand Finals in 2019 and 2020, but did not feature in either title-deciding win.
The 22-year-old began as an academy player at Saints and went on to make his first-team debut in 2018.
He helped St Helens reach successive Super League Grand Finals in 2019 and 2020, but did not feature in either title-deciding win.
Super League title winners St Helens have signed young prop Dan Norman on a two-year deal from Championship side London Broncos.
The 23-year-old initially joined the Broncos ahead of the 2020 season from Widnes, where he made 19 appearances.
However, after a curtailed campaign he has now returned to the north and adds to Saints' forward pack.
The 23-year-old initially joined the Broncos ahead of the 2020 season from Widnes, where he made 19 appearances.
However, after a curtailed campaign he has now returned to the north and adds to Saints' forward pack.
The 2021 Super League season will begin with a repeat of the 2019 Grand Final as reigning champions St Helens take on Salford Red Devils at Headingley.
The fixture is part of a double header on Friday, 26 March with Wigan facing newly-promoted Leigh afterwards.
Clubs will play 25 regular fixtures, two fewer than planned due to a 2 week delay in the seasons start.
The fixture is part of a double header on Friday, 26 March with Wigan facing newly-promoted Leigh afterwards.
Clubs will play 25 regular fixtures, two fewer than planned due to a 2 week delay in the seasons start.
England stand-off Jonny Lomax has extended his contract at St Helens until the end of the 2024 season.
The 30-year-old has been with Saints since joining the academy as a schoolboy and has made 242 appearances, scoring 11 tries, since his 2009 debut.
Lomax has won two Grand Finals with Saints and become a regular with England, playing in the 2017 World Cup final defeat by Australia.
The 30-year-old has been with Saints since joining the academy as a schoolboy and has made 242 appearances, scoring 11 tries, since his 2009 debut.
Lomax has won two Grand Finals with Saints and become a regular with England, playing in the 2017 World Cup final defeat by Australia.
| Betfred Super League |
|---|
| St Helens (0) 34 |
| Tries: Naiqama 2, Bentley, Welsby, Grace 2 Goals: Makinson 4, Dodd |
| Wakefield (0) 6 |
| Try: Pitts Goal: Lino |
A stunning second-half display saw St Helens maintain their winning start to the season as they thrashed Wakefield.
After a scoreless opening half, Saints took just a minute after the restart to score as Kevin Naiqama went over.
James Bentley added to their tally soon after while Jack Welsby touched down as St Helens picked up some steam.
Regan Grace went over twice with Naiqama also running in his second try before Jay Pitts' late consolation for the visitors.
Victory for St Helens means they have now won all three of their games in Super League this season as well as beating holders Leeds in the Challenge Cup.
| Betfred Super League |
|---|
| Leigh (6) 12 |
| Tries: Russell, Gelling Goals: Reynolds 2 |
| St Helens (6) 22 |
| Tries: Mata'tia, Coote, Welsby, Naiqama Goals: Coote 3 |
St Helens continued their 100% start to the new Super League campaign with victory at struggling Leigh Centurions.
Sione Mata'utia put Saints ahead and, after Theo Fages was sin-binned, the hosts hit back through Matty Russell to make it 6-6 at the break.
Saints crossed twice in quick succession through Lachlan Coote and Jack Welsby before Antony Gelling's interception score gave Leigh hope.
But Kevin Naiqama strolled over to put the game beyond the Centurions.
Leigh made it difficult for the table-toppers in the first half, disrupting their opponents' attacking flow.
But, despite being down to 12 men at the start of the second half with Fages shown yellow after persistent Saints offending, two scores in the space of four minutes tipped the balance of the game in favour of the visitors.
Jonny Lomax had a hand in both tries, which Coote converted to establish a 12-point lead.