Toulouse 14-28 St Helens: Saints stretch lead at top of Super League

Champions St Helens extended their lead to four points at the top of the Super League table with a comfortable 28-14 win in Toulouse.

Kristian Woolf’s side avenged last month’s shock defeat against Toulouse in the south of France with a comfortable 28-14 win over Super League’s bottom club.

The Saints now sit four points above Catalans Dragons and Wigan in the league table.

The Olympians fought to the end but could not live with Saints’ power and pace. Woolf’s side exposed the gap between the competition’s top and bottom sides.

The game was under threat when scheduled referee Liam Moore and his fellow RFL officials got stuck in Munich after delays to their travel arrangements at Manchester Airport. An all-French group led by referee Geoffrey Poumes stepped in at the last minute to save the day.

Captain Tony Gigot was rested by Toulouse coach Sylvain Houles in favour of Norman and Lucas Albert in the halves. Welsh flier Regan Grace returned on the wing for St Helens.

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Saints twice lost the ball in their opening two sets then conceded a penalty for offside. Chris Hankinson goaled from 40 metres out to put Toulouse ahead in the sixth minute.

But St Helens hit back almost immediately when Jack Welsby cut through midfield to release Morgan Knowles for a 30-metre dash to the line, shrugging off full-back Olly Ashall-Bott. Makinson could not convert but St Helens were in front 4-2 after 10 minutes.

Winger Makinson was next over the line on the right. Saints stretched the Toulouse defence but he was unable convert his own try from the touchline.

The game was stopped in the 24th minute after a clash of heads between Toulouse prop-forwards