THE final try of last night's win at Hull FC saw a glimpse into the future at Saints - with Lewis Dodd's never say die attitude in chasing, hacking on and then dropping on a loose ball before presenting it to Jack Welsby.
Makeshift wing Welsby, who will be wearing the number one shirt next year, motored on to it like a runaway train - with his big stride eating up the yards to take him to the tryline to complete his hat-trick.
Saints may be losing quality players in Lachlan Coote and - yet to be confirmed - Theo Fages, but the performances of this pair show that the future is bright.
Coach Kristian Woolf was delighted with the way Dodd got hold of the game, and was unafraid to boss about his senior colleagues.
He said: "I thought he did a really good job.
"And what I was really pleased with, from my seat in the grandstand, was that I could see him and hear him telling the other blokes what he wants them to do.
"He was really assuming that half back role that we know we are going to need him to do.
"As a pairing him and Jonny are going to get better the more they play – and that is only the second time they have played together.
"They found 42 points between our 6,7, 9 and 1 tonight.
"You can say there are some real positives – the even bigger positive is that they are only going to get better with time."
Welsby was back on the wing in the place of absent Regan Grace - and for the second time this year emerged with a hat-trick against the Black and Whites.
Woolf was glowing in his praise.
"Jack, like he does every week and wherever we put him, does a terrific job.
"He got caught a little bit out of position and was unsure what to do with one of their tries in the second half and that is natural for a bloke who doesn’t play on the wing.
"Hull have a very smart kicking game on the back of Marc Sneyd – and a couple of times they went early with kicks and tried a few tricks and he did terrifically and tackled blokes out over the line," he said.
All of Welsby's tries were well taken - but Woolf was particularly pleased with the instinct and nose for the opportunity he displayed for a couple of those.
"Two of the three tries he scored were down to his ability to put himself into the right spot.
"The first one was a great play from our halves looking to put a play on those kicks and Cootey gets the pass and Jack comes off the wing to score.
"Then the one at the end of the game – the two young blokes combining.
"That is relentless that sort of play, where the game is done and we defending out and we forced an error.
"Not only does Doddy get on the ball and try and make a go of it, but he kept the ball alive for Jack to turn up.
"Jack’s ability to put himself in the right spot and make opportunities is outstanding. That is not something we can coach – he has just got that as a player," he said.
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