St Helens

Sheffield Eagles

SKIPPER Chris Joynt has given Saints the perfect tonic going into the inaugural Grand Final series.

Joynt, playing his first game in a month after a hernia operation, came through with 'flying' colours against Sheffield in the final league game of the season on Friday.

If there were any doubts about the captain's fitness they disappeared in the 54th minute.

Joynt took the ball as first receiver and began his search for yards down the left flank. He sold a dummy to Sheffield reserve Neil Law and raced home from 65 yards, leaving winger Waisale Sovatabua in his wake. Joynt raised his fist in the air as he went over as if to say 'I'm back'.

To cap a brilliant display, Joynt then put speedster Anthony Sullivan over for the first of his two long distance scintillating tries and flopped over for his second try five minutes from time.

Joynt was later given a much deserved man of the match award.

Sullivan completed his hat-trick near the death for a remarkable feat of eight tries in two games to show he is the form winger of Super League.

Can the rumours really be true that he is not in the running for a Test spot to face the Kiwis next month?

Sean Long opened the Saints' account in the fourth minute with a penalty goal and the try came only five minutes later. Karle Hammond picked up a wild pass and tempted two defenders to move in on him before feeding Paul Davidson through a gap as wide as the Mersey tunnel. Long's conversion made it 8-0.

All the creativity was coming from Saints and they had a slice of luck too. Long put up a high kick which Sullivan and Eagles winger Sovatabua missed.

Sullivan picked up the loose ball and put Paul Newlove over from 10 yards.

By the time Saints snatched up their third try in the 31st minute, Sheffield had still not created a try scoring opportunity.

Eagles made the mistake of giving Sullivan room to manoeuvre from his own quarter. He ended up making 60 yards on a breathtaking run. He released Damien Smith but he was caught by Whetu Taewa after beating Bright Sodje. From the quick play-the-ball, Paul Anderson put Long over in the corner.

Long's exquisite touchline goal made it 18-0.

Heroics

Anderson was the provider for the final try of the half too. He slipped out an inside pass for Newlove to barge three defenders out of his way and touch down. Long's goal made it 24-0 at the break.

Joynt's 65 yard special took Saints on to 28-0 and with the game in the bag, coach Shaun McRae rang the changes.

Paul Wellens and Tony Stewart were introduced to the action and the Saints point scoring machine rolled on.

Joynt picked up another loose Sheffield pass and looked up to see he had 60 yards to run to the line. But rather than try to repeat his earlier heroics he fed Sullivan on the wing and there was no catching him as he sped in.

Five minutes later Sullivan raced in from 75 yards after Hammond intercepted a Sheffield pass and put his winger clear. Long goaled.

Hammond was the provider again as Joynt crashed over from short range and Long turned it into six points.

Sullivan's second hat-trick in successive games came when Wellens broke away and the Welsh wonder did what he does best - he finished off.

The other four play-offs contenders fail to notice this result at their peril.

Saints: Paul Atcheson; Chris Smith, Damien Smith, Paul Newlove, Anthony Sullivan; Karle Hammond, Sean Long; Ian Pickavance, Keiron Cunningham, Vila Matautia, Chris Joynt, Paul Davidson, Paul Anderson. Subs: Apollo Perelini, Paul Sculthorpe, Tony Stewart, Paul Wellens.

Paul Davidson scored the first of Saints' nine tries on Sunday.

Saints' returning skipper Chris Joynt.

Scrum half Sean Long recorded an 18 point personal tally.

Paul Anderson put in an impressive display after starting the game at loose forward.

Anthony Sullivan followed up last week's five tries with three more against Sheffield.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.