Super League: Huddersfield Giants 12-24 St Helens - Leaders battle to hard-fought win

Champions St Helens have now won eight of their nine Super League games this season

Super League champions St Helens needed three second-half tries as they twice let a lead slip before showing their class to win at Huddersfield.

But Mark Percival, Joe Batchelor and Jonny Lomax crossed with Tommy Makinson adding four kicks to seal Saints' win.

Tui Lolohea kept the Giants in it with an interception try, but Oliver Russell could not add to two first-half kicks.

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It took the defending champions just five minutes to strike when Bennison cut inside to touch down skipper James Roby's long pass.

However, on 23 minutes the Giants hit back when Jack Welsby coughed up possession, with the ball moving quickly to the right, and Leroy Cudjoe's pass put Golding over in the corner.

After Russell's boot levelled, Makinson's penalty edged Saints back in front before Russell matched him once more with a penalty of his own.

Saints led for a third time seven minutes into the second half when centre Percival stretched out of a tackle to score, again improved by Makinson.

But, although Lolohea intercepted for a 90-metre breakaway try, Russell was unable to convert from out wide - and Saints had more left in the locker.

The champions went further ahead when second row Batchelor dived over off from a pass by the inspirational Lomax, who secured victory with a try of his own six minutes from time.

Huddersfield: Lolohea; Golding, Cudjoe, I Senior, L Senior; Russell, Cogger; Greenwood, O'Brien, Wilson, Jones, Ashworth, Lawrence.

Interchanges: Levi, Mason, Yates, Hewitt.

St Helens: Welsby; Makinson, Hurrell, Percival, Bennison; Lomax, Roby; Walmsley, Lussick, Lees, Batchelor, Sironen, Wingfield.

Interchanges: McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Pa'asi, Bell, Norman.

Referee: Tom Grant.

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