Saints bounce back in style
Winger Jamie Foster contributed 24 points as St Helens thrashed Bradford 60-12 at the GPW Recruitment Stadium.
Last Updated: 14/08/10 12:49am
St Helens bounced back from their Carnegie Challenge Cup disappointment with a 60-12 thrashing of poor Bradford at the GPW Recruitment Stadium.
Saints ran in 11 tries to move up to second place in the engage Super League table, albeit possibly only until Warrington play on Sunday.
Kyle Eastmond marked his return from injury with a try but Jamie Foster was the star man for the hosts, finishing with a personal haul of 24 points.
Defeat for the Bulls - their 12th in a row - finally puts paid to any slim hopes they still had of making the play-offs this season.
Bittersweet result
It was certainly a bittersweet result for Saints coach Mick Potter, who will be leaving his current post at the end of the year to take charge at Bradford.
The Australian saw his current side, who had their hopes of a trip to Wembley dashed by Leeds last weekend, break the deadlock after just four minutes, Francis Meli setting up fellow winger Ade Gardner for the game's opener.
Foster hooked his first kick of the night but soon made amends when adding the extras following Scott Moore's try just to the left of the uprights.
By 11 minutes the hosts had touched down for a third time, the fit-again Eastmond wandering across a static Bulls defensive line before hitting Jon Wilkin with a perfectly-timed pass that sent the forward racing away to the line.
Foster converted before getting the fourth try himself, Matt Gidley sending the young winger over out wide on the right.
Bradford's failure to deal with Gidley's bomb, although the ball did take a nasty bounce, led to James Roby scoring, while Eastmond squeezed in a fifth try right before the half-time hooter when he danced over from dummy-half.
It was something of a surprise that it took Saints 12 minutes to score after the re-start; Jonny Lomax scorching on to a pass from Wilkin to run clear.
Half-century
Inspired by Lomax's try, the home side went on to add three more in the next 13 minutes to bring up their half-century in a hurry.
Matty Ashurst got the first when he broke down the right before a weary Bulls defence failed to react quickest when a loose ball took a ricochet, allowing Tony Puletua to swoop in and get his name on the now lengthy scoresheet.
Wilkin then grabbed his second of the night, Foster knocking over his eighth successful conversion attempt.
Bradford finally registered their first points after 73 minutes when winger Rikki Sheriffe squeezed over in the corner. They grabbed a second soon after through Michael Worrincy, but Gidley fed Foster for another at the death as the Bulls were sent home with their tails between their legs.