St Helens opened their 2024 Super League campaign with an emphatic 40-4 victory over newly promoted London Broncos at the Totally Wicked Stadium.
Paul Wellens’ side are aiming to reclaim their title after failing to win the Super League for the first time since 2018 last season, and they got off to the perfect start with a comfortable win over Broncos.
It took just five minutes for Lewis Dodd to appease the expectant home crowd as he received the ball from loose forward James Bell, who had burst through an opening in the Broncos’ defensive line and handed off to the scrum-half.
This allowed him to cross under the posts before Mark Percival’s successful kick made it 6-0.
Saints’ rampant start to the game continued as they went over again just three minutes later, this time through star player Jack Welsby.
The full-back was the target of the fans’ adoring chants throughout the game after committing his future to St Helens until 2027 amid interest from the NRL during the off season.
He gave them what they wanted as he received the ball from Matt Whitley following another break from Bell, going over in the left corner to make it 10-0.
New signing Daryl Clark found himself at the heart of the action for his side’s next try, showcasing some quick thinking from the play of the ball as he went round the outside of the ruck before handing off to Alex Walmsley.
The big forward crossed before Percival added his second points of the game to make it 16-0.
There was time for another try before the break as Dodds offloaded to new skipper Jonny Lomax, who found Tommy Makinson on the wing for his first try of the season, making it 20-0 at half-time.
The Broncos managed to get themselves on the scoreboard three minutes after the interval, as Oliver Leyland’s kick exploited an opening in the home side’s defence.
Wing Lee Kershaw then did well to kick it on himself, nudging it into the path of Robbie Storey who crossed to make it 20-4 after the video referee maintained the on field decision.
Clark then resumed normal service for Saints, doing his best to fill the big shoes of their number nine position after the retirement of club legend James Roby.
Going on another run from dummy-half he powered through several Broncos’ players to score his first try for the Red Vee, making it 26-4.
Debutant Whitley was the next to go over after a break in play, receiving Welsby’s pass in space before going over for the sixth try of the evening.
Makinson kicked the extra points with Percival off the field to make it 32-4.
Lomax piled the misery on the visitors with his first try as Saints’ captain just two minutes later as a host of players charged forward following a break from Konrad Hurrell.
Not quite everything went Saints way as Makinson’s kick surprisingly came back off the post when he looked more likely to score, but the amusement of his teammates highlighted their comfortable hold on the game.
Whitley completed the rout with his second try of the evening five minutes from time, with Broncos’ resistance all but gone in the latter stages after some positive signs earlier in the game.
The final score read 40-4 as the 17-time champions delivered on pre-match expectations.
Head coach Wellens will know tougher tests are to come, but Saints did their job with a professional display on the opening weekend of the new season.
