Hunslet Hawks 10 Saints 40 MUST improve - can do better with greater application, imagination and effort!

That must be the start-of-term report on struggling Saints after this unconvincing Challenge Cup fourth round win on their first visit to the South Leeds Stadium on Sunday.

Given the 30-point margin such a conclusion might appear churlish, but an ill-disciplined Saints' team guilty of slip-shod handling who rocketed into an early 10-point lead looked anything but a Super League side as Hawks soared back into contention to trail just 14-10 by half-time.

However, this was a cup-tie not without its plusses for Saints, including another man-of-the-match showing from Sean Long; a strong game from Chris Smith, a man with a point to prove, and there was also much to commend in the displays of youngsters Tony Stewart, Scott Barrow and Paul Wellens.

Hunslet Hawks have finally come to roost in this neat purpose-built stadium with spectators mainly confined to the stand, with an athletics track lending an certain air of detachment from the action, and it was in this unlikely setting that Saints shot into a fourth minute lead with a brilliant 30-yard individual try by Long. Joynt hobbled off nursing ankle damage to be replaced by Paul Davidson, and it was at this stage that Tommy Martyn chipped through from Long to follow suit and see Stewart plunge over, with Sean's angled conversion giving Saints a 10-nil advantage, and with it more than an hint of a cricket score.

Hunslet had other ideas, however, and hit back when second-rower Rob Wilson broke through to put Chris Ross under way, and he and Butch Fatnowna interpassed from half-way before the winger crossed in the corner for Mike Fletcher to tack on a steepling conversion.

The smash-and-grab nature of the try both lifted Hawks and shocked Saints, and it needed a Keiron Cunningham and Paul Atcheson-inspired move to put Stewart in for his second try to restore the visitor's 10-point lead, but there was more anxiety for Saints when Apollo Perelini was placed on report following a challenge on Steve Pryce.

Fletcher kicked the resulting penalty and then added another when Saints were guilty of ball stealing, and with Hunslet captain Shaun Irwin stopped in the nick of time and James Walker 'turned' in the act of scoring, the half-time hooter came as sweet music to a beleagured Knowsley Road squad.

Substitute 'Freddie' Tuilagi quickly made his bow on the restart, taking the full-back spot with Atcheson moving to centre, and Saints proceeded to exert an stranglehold with two touchdowns in three minutes from Sculthorpe (from Stewart) and Davidson (courtesy Martyn), with Long converting both and tacking on a penalty.

Cunningham then 'kidded' the tiring Hunslet defence to cross, as did Barrow with a similarly convincing dummy, and Scott's long pass saw Sculthorpe round off Saints' second-half bonanza.

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