Luke Walsh's display will silence the critics after tough spell

He scored one try, showed threat when he took on the line, kicked smartly and forced five goal-line drop outs in Friday night’s triumph to earn the man of the match award.

And in doing so the Australian scrum half may have silenced some of the critics who have barracked him at the ground and abused him in the streets during his recent spell of patchy form.

Although Walsh’s displays have has been disappointing since his return to the fray after needing a second round of surgery on his ankle in May, some of that is a product of a player low in confidence playing in a team that was going through its own sticky patch.

And some of that is the inevitable consequence of a player tentatively feeling his way back after suffering an horrific injury.

Coach Keiron Cunningham explained: “Luke has done it really tough.

“The spectators give him a lot of abuse and he also gets it away from rugby because he lives in the town.

“Luke has had a hard time in the streets – and gets a hard time everywhere.

“He has been in a really bad place. Every time he comes out of the dressing room he has been getting abuse; he has even had abuse coming out of the training ground. It is ridiculous.

“We have flown this bloke from Australia to lead the team around – and although people are entitled to an opinion because they pay their money some of the comments have simply been abusive.

“If you love the town and love the club you should not be doing that to our players because we are all fighting for the same cause.

“He has found it really hard in the last few weeks and anxiety breeds anxiety.

“You start doing things that you would never normally do as a player.”

Given that the number seven is such a linchpin, Cunningham is hopeful that the display Walsh produced at the newly-crowned Challenge Cup holders can be built into a strong run of form.

He believes some of the changes that have been put into place could now begin to bear fruit for the business end of the campaign.

“It is my job as a coach to settle Luke down and try and get him playing a system that suits him and get him going as good as I can.

“I have changed things during the last three weeks, slowly drip feeding into him.

“It is really helping Luke and Travis Burns and JT is enjoying doing what he is doing.

“It helps when Jon Wilkin drops in through the middle as well and helps the team.

“Hopefully we can keep improving and settle into something nice for the end of the year,” Cunningham said.

Friday’s win was lapped up by the players and the travelling contingent who, although smaller in numbers than games of recent years, gave the team strong backing throughout.

It is not only Walsh who will have been boosted by the victory, which makes a top-four place more likely.

The performance lifted a weight off a number of shoulders, not least the head coach.

“I’m not going to lie and say I have not been under the pump because I live and breathe rugby league and live in the the town that I love and want is to do well,” Cunningham said.

“I shoulder all responsibility and try and protect the players as much as I can.

“I have been in a tough spot and for it makes it difficult for my family because I have been working long hours trying to turn things around.

“We are regaining that belief for each other – we are a good side, but losing can become as much a habit as winning.

“It is a tough habit to break, but it comes with hard work, true grit and determination.

“That is what we have done this last three weeks and the proof is in the pudding now with the results.

“You do have to go backwards to go forwards – we had a great result from grit and determination.

“We went backwards, but we are moving forward again and I am hopeful we can kick on from here.”

Saints’ win at Leeds has revitalised the top end of the table after weeks one-horse race talk.

Saints still have work to do, starting at Castleford tonight.

Victory tonight would secure the top four spot and send them into the remaining two home derby games against Wigan and Warrington with the pressure off.