OUTSPOKEN St Helens coach Ian Millward has claimed that international forwards Harvey Howard and Barrie McDermott are set to become the subject of legal action for commiting fouls on the field.

Millward suggested after his side's 46-24 victory over Leeds that the game could be thrown into turmoil unless the Rugby Football League takes decisive action against the two players.

The Australian condemned Leeds prop McDermott for throwing a punch at St Helens forward David Fairleigh and Millward also claimed that Wigan's England prop Howard is likely to be taken to court for injuring players by leading with his forearm as he goes into the tackle.

"There are two players in this game who are dead set for legal action for their indiscretions and that's Harvey Howard and McDermott," Millward said.

"What McDermott did to Fairleigh there and what Harvey Howard does with his elbow, we have two prime candidates for legal action. That happens regularly in America and it has happened in Australia." On the field, St Helens kept the pressure on Bradford and Wigan with an eight-try romp against a Leeds side badly missing the playmaking skills of skipper Iestyn Harris, who was forced to sit out the game because of a knee injury.

Acting captain Francis Cummins scored his 150th try for the club on his 100th successive appearance to bring the Rhinos back into the game after they had made an awful start but Leeds were never able to retain possession long enough to pose a serious threat.

Saints, avenging their 74-14 humiliation at Headingley, scored two of their tries when down to 12 men following the sin-binning of skipper Chris Joynt for laying on in the tackle.

Their heroes were stand-off Tommy Martyn, who scored one try and set up three others, and outstanding loose forward Paul Sculthorpe, who followed up his 30-point haul against Warrington with a hat-trick of tries and seven goals.