SAINTS assistant coach Sean Long was happy to round the Super 8s off unscathed and with another win as they prepare for a semi-final showdown with Warrington.

Shannon McDonnell scored three tries in the 32-12 performance, in which Saints barely got out of second gear.

Long said: "Full credit to the Wildcats, they came here and had a right dig at us.

"Performance wise for us we were a little bit off and our completing our sets wasn't great but if you would have given me the result before the game I would have snatched your hand off.

"The important thing is we came through unscathed and picked up no injuries and that is the main going into the semi-final.

"It was always the intention to just give Mark Percival half a game to make sure he was right for next week. He will be fine."

The game, with nothing at stake and with the big semi in six days, had a flatness about it and at times it made for a dour spectacle.

Long continued: "I have been in this situation as a player; it's hard when there is kinda nothing to play for and you have got to get yourselves up for them sort of games.

"Sometimes you are waiting for other players instead of doing it yourself and it felt like one of those games.

"We had some good performances though – Kyle Amor, Morgan Knowles and Luke Thompson did well.

“Shannon McDonnell had a great game too, as he did last week at Widnes. That gives us some headaches next week "Now we look ahead to Warrington. It is always a tough game – a semi-final on their own midden but we always raise our game there. It is normally a good spectacle."