Martyn starts the slide as Broncos are found wanting

St Helens took full advantage of Bradford's surprise dropped point at Halifax to further strengthen their position on top of Super League.

St Helens took full advantage of Bradford's surprise dropped point at Halifax to further strengthen their position on top of Super League.

There were no half measures from Saints as their potent midfield partnership of Tommy Martyn and Sean Long proved too much for visitors with only the promise of a stronger squad next season to look forward to.

Each half-back scored a couple of tries, with Long also kicking seven goals from eight attempts for a personal tally of 22 points.

Rugby League at this level is a remorseless game and it did not take Saints long to test out the Broncos' new recruit from Bedford Rugby Union, George Truelove, and find him wanting. Truelove never looked like taking Long's high kick in the fourth minute; instead Martyn snapped it up and Saints were on their way.

Martyn also figured prominently in their second try, slipping an inspired pass out of the back door for Vila Matautia to thunder onto.

London were providing only flimsy resistance and Long and Martyn were soon creating another opening, Paul Wellens supplying the final pass for Chris Joynt. Then when Martyn ran on to Long's pass and sold a dummy to breach the Broncos defence yet again, a rout looked on the cards.

However, the Saints then switched off for the better part of ten minutes, allowing the battered Broncos to come back at them with a try created by the crossfield run of Andy Johnson and the angled finish of Dominic Peters - surely London's brightest light of a dismal season.

Brett Warton converted from the touchline, but London's relief was short-lived, Kevin Iro's rampaging run paving the way for Long to go over and then add his fifth goal before half-time.

Long claimed his second try soon after the interval, taking Joynt's perfectly timed pass to race under the sticks. Fereti Tuilagi then took a short ball from Keiron Cunningham to hold off a hoard of ineffective London tacklers and wrestle his way over.

Shane Millard put his bandaged head down and ploughed over the line for a second London try, but with Karle Hammond injured the Broncos simply had no one remotely in the same class as Martyn and Long. Next season, with the arrival of players of the calibre of Jason Hetherington and Jim Dymock, cannot come quickly enough for London.

Dwayne West finished it off for Saints with his first try for the club. There had, in truth, never been the slightest doubt about their ability to stay clear on top of the table.

St Helens: Wellens, Sullivan, Iro, Hoppe, Hall, Martyn, Long, Matautia, Cunningham, Perelini, Joynt, Tuilagi, Sculthorpe. Substitutes used: Stankevitch, Nickle, West, Jonkers.

London Broncos: Fleming, Truelove, Timu, Roper, Peters, Tollett, Warton, Dooley, Callaway, Cram, Retchless, Wynyard, Johnson. Substitutes used: Millard, Air, Seilbold, Lupton.

Referee: K Kirkpatrick (Warrington).

* Rotherham beat Coventry 18-17 at Warrington last night to claim their place in the Rugby League Conference Grand Final at Coventry on 19 August. They will play the Crawley Jets, who beat the South Norfolk Saints on Saturday.