SAINTS head coach Keiron Cunningham heaped praise on his young guns who helped Saints produce their best win of the season so far at The Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Cunningham called on the services of youngsters Jack Ashworth, Jake Spedding and Morgan Knowles as a Theo Fages-inspired Saints recorded a memorable 25-22 victory over Warrington.

And the Saints boss believes his young charges will benefit hugely from the experience.

“It will give all our youth system a good shot in the arm, all credit to Ade Gardner and Derek and all those who do a really good job bringing those boys up to speed,” said Cunningham.

“One think we did when I took over was revamp that junior system and we wanted players to be ready and willing to play at 18 and 19.

“I think Jake Spedding’s a credit of that. He’s come through that system, it’s not easy in our juniors anymore. It’s a tough place to be in.”

Cunningham added: “We wanted kids to come through who were game-ready and ready to play first team and that’s what we got. All credit to those boys.

“Morgan Knowles is going to be a superstar, I’m not speaking too soon. He was going to be when I saw the kid running round at 15.

“And all my senior players enjoy playing with them type of players and they’re always asking to put kids in front of other individuals because of what those kids bring.

“Jack Ashworth has come off a knee injury last year so we didn’t see his potential but him and Matty Fleming had the best pre-season in the whole squad and Jack’s been killing it in the reserves.

“I knew what he’d do when he played and he’s done it. He (Ashworth) could definitely be one of Saints’ great players of the future.

“There’s plenty there and there’s plenty of them type of calibre of players underneath them. They always say it’s only in adversity that you get a genuine look at these kids. When you’re flying high and winning games you don’t really chuck the kids in, you try and get some consistency together.

“All your great players have had to make their first appearance somewhere and it’s generally when you’ve got five or six injuries and I think with them you’ve definitely seen the future of our club and rugby league in St Helens and they’re all good players.”

Prop Alex Walmsley also paid tribute to the way 20-year-olds Knowles and Ashworth plus 19-year-old debutant Spedding set about their work against Warrington.

“Our young kids coming through are extraordinary talents,” he said.

“Jake Spedding on debut was solid on the wing and Jack Ashworth was phenomenal, and Morgan Knowles as well.

“If they were at other clubs they would probably be starting Super League players so we’re lucky to have such depth in the squad.

“For them to go up against the form side and put in such a great performance shows how bright our future is.”

The win saw Saints bounce back from an indifferent Easter period.

“Warrington are a very good side and we’re not a bad side and to do it in the style we did with the amount of players we had missing, they’re always a little bit sweeter,” added Cunningham.

“There’s going to be more tough games, we’re going to win plenty more and lose plenty more. That’s the way the competition is this year, it’s even. It was a good two points and we desperately needed them.”