2016 World Club Series: Saints suffer another Sydney beating as Aussies go one up

St Helens 12 Sydney Roosters 38

Sydney Roosters’ Dylan Napa is halted by St Helens (Reuters)

The 2016 World Club Series got off to a familiar depressing note for Super League as St Helens succumbed to a heavy defeat to Sydney Roosters in the opening game last night.

Humiliated 39-0 by South Sydney in the main event, the World Club Challenge, in the inaugural series 12 months ago, Saints could do little to salvage the pride of Super League as they were easily swept aside by the NRL’s reigning minor premiers.

Sorely missing England hooker James Roby, Saints were out of the contest by half-time when they trailed 22-0 and, although centre Dominique Peyroux scored his first tries for the club in an improved second-half display, there was generally little for the 14,008 crowd to cheer.

The Roosters gave a debut to teenager Jayden Nikorima in the absence of suspended half-back Mitchell Pearce and, although he was forced off after only three minutes after taking a knock to the head, he returned to play a major role in his side’s seven-try rout.

Latrell Mitchell and Vincent Leuluai also made their first appearances for the Sydney club but there was no place for former Wigan winger Joe Burgess, who was surprisingly left out by coach Trent Robinson.

Fresh from a shattering 44-10 league defeat by Salford, Saints were quickly mis-firing once more. Prop Kane Evans used his brute strength to force his way past the attention of a trio of defenders for the first try on 15 minutes and – five minutes later – second rower Aidan Guerra touched down Nikorima’s kick for the first of his two tries.

Jackson Hastings missed his first conversion but went on to kick his next five as the Australians seized total control by half-time.

Full-back Blake Ferguson finished off a break by hooker Jake Friend, aided by a suspiciously forward pass in the move, and centre Dale Copley touched down a break out of defence by Nikorima after Jon Wilkin’s attacking kick went horribly wrong.

St Helens: Owens; Makinson, Peyroux, Turner, Swift; Wilkin, Walsh; Walmsley, Burns, Savelio, Greenwood, Vea, McCarthy-Scarsbrook.Replacements used: Amor, Tasi, Thompson, Knowles.

Sydney Roosters: Ferguson; Tupou, Copley, Mitchell, Kenny-Dowall; Nikorima, Hastings; Evans, Friend, Napa, Guerra, Aubusson, Taukeiaho. Replacements used: Moa, Liu, Leuluai, Henderson.

Referee: B Thaler (RFL)