SAINTS continued their perfect start to the campaign with an emphatic 28-0 win at Huddersfield Giants.

Paul Wellens’ side were always in control with some aggressive defence backing up some effective and occasionally dazzling work with the ball.

With the inside balls deployed effectively, combined with a bit more of an offload game, a sharpness from Daryl Clark at dummy half and a more varied kicking game from Lewis Dodd Saints’ attack appears to be evolving.

First half scores from Matt Whitley and Sione Mata’utia put them 12-0 up at the break, and a wonder try from Jack Welsby, after a bewildering passage of play made sure in the second half.

Saints finished with a flourish Welsby’s break leading to a magnificent Jon Bennison try, with the full back sending Morgan Knowles over for the closing score.

Saints made a couple of changes from Round One with NRL recruit Waqa Blake switching inside to Korad Hurrell’s centre berth and Jon Bennison coming in on the wing.

Morgan Knowles, fit again after suffering a groin niggle and recovering from thumb surgery, slotted back in at 13 with James Bell dropping down to the bench.

There was still no Moses Mbye, out with a knee niggle, meaning a different interchange option from the bench at 9.

Roared on by a large travelling following Saints started strongly attacking their end and after Daryl Clark had won a repeat set from a drop out, they took full advantage of the next passage of pressure.

On the last tackle second row Matt Whitley timed his run to Jonny Lomax’s slide rule grubber to perfection to open Saints’ account and prompt to Saints choristers into action.

Whitley is certainly making the most of grabbing his opportunities with Joe Batchelor currently sidelined with a collar bone injury, with back row an area where the side are well-blessed.

Mark Percival’s goal made it 6-0 to the visitors – just the start they needed.

Saints, with some trademark crash tackling from Tommy Makinson in their own end, kept the Giants at bay before making inroads into the hosts’ defence with some penetrative running from a sequence of inside balls.

They forced another drop out, from a robust kick chase, but could not make that count and a one-on-one ball steal ended that period of threat.

It was nip and tuck, with Blake forcing former Saints wing Adam Swift into touch and from the next play the speed of their play won an offside penalty, but the 40m effort fell short.

Saints then appeared a bit hard-done to when Lewis Dodd streaked away from a neat inside ball but it was chalked off for an apparent forward pass.

They had to do some tough stuff in the last 10 minutes of first half when they were pinned back for a couple of sets.

But they got joy from the effort they put into challenging the clearance kick with plenty of bodies piling on the pressure on the full back and dropping on the loose ball to set up the counter.

A perfect short ball from Bell saw Sione Mata’utia plunge over to delight the Saints faithful.

The ability to pass at the line is a skill that Bell really brings to the team – and the Scottish international carried on what he was delivering last week and last year.

Percival’s goal made it 12-0 at the break – and Saints were good value for that.

Well in control, Saints stretched their lead to 18-0 with a wonderful passage of play that culminated in Jack Welsby racing on to Clark’s grubber after a bewildering passage of play in the build up.

Jon Bennison raced on to Jonny Lomax’s floated long pass and although tackled, he managed to keep the ball alive with the supporting Whitley keeping his head to find the right ball.

Percival’s goal was a formality to tighten Saints’ cast iron grip on the game.

Giants then enjoyed a period of pressure and were assisted when Saints were temporarily reduced to 12 men when Clark was sin-binned for an obstruction after a kick through.

But Saints were not letting this slip and Welsby’s bust up the middle was polished off by Bennison.

Welsby was again the architect for the final score, sending the supporting Knowles tearing under the sticks.

Huddersfield: Lolohea; Swift, Marsters, Naiqama, Wallis; Russell, Clune; Hill, Milner, Ikahihifo, Murchie, Hewitt, Cudjoe. Subs: Golding, English, Salabio, Wiilson. 18th man Halsall Saints: Welsby; Makinson, Blake, Percival, Bennison; Lomax, Dodd; Walmsley, Clark, Lees, Whitley, Sironen, Knowles. Subs: Mata'utia, Wingfield, Delaney, Bell. 18th Man: Davies