SAINTS got their Super League title defence off to a winning start with a 24-6 win at Castleford Tigers.

An opener from Jack Welsby, a debut score from wing Tee Ritson and a second half brace from Alex Walmsley was enough to see off a spirited Tigers side who themselves created plenty of chances.

But Saints - even with multiple changes and jet-lag and fatigue to potentially fall back on - were just too good.

Eight days, and for some members of the squad a 53-hour door-to-door journey, since Saints had that top of world feeling after beating Penrith the four-in-a-row Super League winners kicked off their title defence at Castleford.

And a huge 2,000 strong army of travelling fans packed the Railway End in expectation - giving a rousing reception for their homecoming heroes.

The Jungle has historically not been the happiest of hunting grounds for Saints - with their last victory here coming in March 19 when Justin Holbrook was the helm.

Saints went into the game without five members of last week’s World Club Challenge-winning line up with Tommy Makinson, Will Hopoate, James Roby, Curtis Sironen and Agnatius Paasi missing out.

With both of last week’s wingers missing it presented Barrow on-loan signing Tee Ritson with his senior Saints debut.

In the pack, with Joe Batchelor sidelined for up to 10 weeks and Sironen missing, Saints pushed James Bell into the second row and Sam Royle on to the bench.

Dan Norman came in as inter-change prop in place of Paasi.

Cas showed their threat and intent early on, with a shift left creating an overlap from half way - but with the line begging the last pass went down.

A well-plundered 40/20 kept up the pressure on the Saints line but they were equal to what the Tigers threw at them, holding them up on the line.

After foiling another Cas attack, off the back of a penalty, Saints countered with Tee Ritson flying in at the corner from a Konrad Hurrell pass. The video ref said no try, overturning the call on the field.

Saints were slowly edging into the game, with some strong carries from Alex Walmsley a feature.

A Mark Percival crash tackle won a a turnover in good position but they could not make that tell with Walmsley’s offload on the line being hoovered up.

Cas again countered up the left but a wayward Jake Mamo pass was easily covered by Saints, who immediately asked their own questions with a Jack Welsby grubber forcing a knock on inside the home 10.

Alas that position was bombed on play one, with Cas coming away with a penalty.

After Mamo had again broke - and then tossed the ball away - Saints responded and this time they made it count with Welsby stretching over the line from a Jonny Lomax pass to open their account on 24 minutes.

Percival kicked the goal and back came Saints, with Lomax putting Bell through the hole. He kicked wide for Ritson to chase but it was too tight to the touchline and in hindsight they would have been better holding on with the four tackles still in the bag.

Saints enjoyed more good pressure, after a Lewis Dodd grubber had forced a ricochet and then Ritson caught a Cas penalty kick to touch to keep the hosts under the pump but that came to nought.

Saints doubled their lead eight minutes after the break when Ritson raced in for a debut try after a magical piece of play with the ball from stand-in skipper Jonny Lomax.

That itself came after a strong burst and offload from Hurrell. Percival tagged on the extras to make it 12-0 but the game went up a notch in intensity when Cas hit straight back.

Cas three quarter Jack Broadbent was streaming for the corner only to be felled by a high Welsby tackle that denied him.

The referee ruled that but for the foul play a try would have been scored and a penalty try, with a kick under the sticks was given to cut the lead to 12-6.

But Saints held their nerve and countered well.

Ans when the opportunity came they took it, with Welsby’s grubber on the last sitting up nicely for Walmsley to collect and cross for the try.

Percival, laying the ghosts to rest of the last time he kicked here in 2017, slotted a third goal to make it 18-6.

Cas did not lie down and again created an opportunity that Saints managed to scramble and force the error.

Ans they made sure with Walmsley rampaging through from close range on a tackle-busting run to reach over for his second.

Lomax slotted the conversion to make it 24-6 and as good as make sure.

Bureta Faraimo snaffled an interception from a Lomax pass, but having done the hard work, he inexplicably touched down on the touch in goal line and had the try chalked off by the video ref.

That was the last scoring opportunity for either side, with Saints emerging clear victors.

Castleford: Evalds; Mamo, Turner, Broadbent, Faraimo; Widdop, Miller; Griffin, McShane, Vete, Edwards, Mellor, Lawler. Subs: Milner, Mustapha, Robb, Watts.

Saints: Welsby; Ritson, Hurrell, Percival, Bennison; Lomax, Dodd; Walmsley, Lussick, Lees, Mata’utia, Bell, Knowles. Subs: McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Wingfield, Norman, Royle.