SAINTS boss Keiron Cunningham was delighted at the way his side buried their home hoodoo against Warrington to stretch their winning run to six out of six this season.

The Star’s senior sports writer Mike Critchley caught up with him at the training ground.

MC: That was a pretty comprehensive performance against Warrington.

KC: Once again the forwards were great - but so were the backs.

I had been critical of outside backs at start of season, but Jamahl Lolesi is a great coach in charge of those boys – and the last two weeks they have been really good.

They did everything right on Thursday and across the board we were great.

I am not a big fan of stats, but statistically Warrington’s Matty Russell had been averaging 150 metres a game from up to 15 carries, but on Thursday we kept him down to 60 metres.

I don’t think there’s a side in the competition that could do that.

It was all part of the plan and we worked really hard in the week leading up to it.

It shows how good this group of players is, they take everything on board.

The scoreline was really flattering towards Warrington – 30-12 would have been a fairer reflection of how we dominated the game.

We conceded three soft tries from dummy half and one from a charge down – but Warrington are a good side and always a threat and they can attack.

MC: That said, the last three minutes was a nerve-wracking experience?

KC: Yes, it’s a good job I keep myself in shape because my heart has been under some strain this past couple of weeks.

That is part of being a coach. I care about this club and this team and live with every moment and every decision like I am on the field.

I can’t sing their praises any higher – my vocabulary is not good enough to say any more good things about this team.

You go out today and there are smiles on all the faces, they just love training and do the right things. This is one of the best groups I have ever worked with.

MC: Jon Wilkin led the team really well, particularly with that first hour or so?

KC: He was sensational and I am one of his biggest fans and see a lot of things in his game that other people don’t see. The stuff he does off the ball and on the ball is as good as anyone in the competition for me. His contribution is understated and he does not get enough recognition, I believe.

MC: The Lance Hohaia/James Roby interchange worked on Thursday. Is two hookers working in tandem something we will see more regularly now?

KC: Even when Browny was here I tried to drip feed this idea. How it works depends on how fit we are, who we are playing and how I am going to rotate my subs.

James Roby is one of my biggest assets and the bigger rest I can give him and the less amount of battering he takes in that middle will help this club out.

MC: That is a change from a few years ago, when the team needed Roby out there given the other attacking options were limited?

KC: He is a super player, as is Lance, who can now fulfil that utility role. We are not as reliant on Robes because we now have some genuine threat in attack.

The more recovery we can give him, so he is not making 60 tackles and 200 metres, the better for the longevity of his career. And generally when Robes is playing well so are we.

The more we can keep him on the field the better, so if that means spelling him, that is what I will do.

The plan all week had been to bring Robes on with Big Al’s second stint. Generally Al tends to find quick play the balls and that is what he did.

It worked well.

Added to that, Larney loves playing rugby and always has a smile on his face whatever I ask him to do, or wherever I ask him to play.

He is a great bloke and a big asset to the team.

MC: If Jonny’s injury is long-term, Paul Wellens will have to fill in long-term. Is that something you are going to have to keep an eye on?

KC: If it does fall that we need Wello playing long-term this season (to cover Lomax) we have got to manage the situation.

If it means some weeks we have to play Lance there to save Wello up, then that is what we will do.

Plenty of miles have gone through Wello’s legs and you do feel it at the back end of your career.

Wello goes through a lot more pain than you would imagine with the sort of general injuries that will probably live with for the rest of his life. So we have got to manage that and there will be a point, like the Easter week, where I won’t be able to back Wello up.

Easter Monday might be good day to give Larney a shot at full back and see what it does for the team.

The full back covers the most kilometres in the team, they are running seven to eight kilometres in training alone. It really is phenomenal.

You have to be the fittest player in the team to play full back and that has generally been the case.