Super League reaction and photos: Second half improvement pleases Daryl Powell after Wakefield Trinity ‘blown away’ in first 40 by rampant St Helens

The impressive Saints raced into a 20-0 lead inside the opening quarter thanks to tries from Morgan Knowles, Matt Whitley and Harry Robertson.

But it was only after Whitley’s converted try extended the advantage to 26-0 at the start of the second half that Daryl Powell’s men threw themselves into the contest.

Three tries - two from Oliver Pratt and one from Mason Lino - came in the final 20 minutes as Wakey won the second half 14-6. But it wasn’t enough to prevent their first away defeat of 2025.

“We got blown away a bit in the first half,” admitted Powell after the 26-14 loss. “I don’t think we handled the start to the game at all. Our first set was great and then we were way too loose defensively and Saints put their foot down at the start of the game.

“We’re the masters of giving tries away at the minute. We needed to start well and that was not a good start. We were 10-0 down in no time. That’s pretty tough when you do that to yourselves.”

However, after an “aggressive” half-time team-talk, Trin responded positively in the second 40.

Powell said: “I thought we could come here and win. At half-time I had to reset my feelings on the game but we achieved something in the second half. We played with more freedom.

“At half-time I was probably as aggressive as I have been in delivery for a fair while. It was a real good battle at the start of the second half and we were in the game.

“We were a lot more durable in the second half and we found a way back into the game. I thought we were a little bit unlucky in the end. I didn’t think we were going to win the game but the second half was a much better performance.

“I thought we went at it with a different attitude. I asked the boys to win the second half and we did that. There are some real positives in there for us. As a team we were much better in the second half. We competed harder.

“It’s important in a team sport like rugby league that you keep fighting. Nothing is ever a lost cause. You can easily chip away at leads and you can score points pretty quick, so I was really pleased.

“I was really proud of the boys in the second half under a fair bit of pressure from a team that was desperate to win. They were under pressure and we did a good job in the second half.”

Take a look at these photos – taken by Olly Hassell/SWpix.com – from last night’s game between St Helens and Wakefield Trinity.