Saints up to second

St Helens climbed to second place in Engage Super League while defending champions Leeds remain outside the top eight after the home side gained some revenge for their Grand-Final defeat with a 41-20 win.

Saints overcame the shock of conceding a first-minute try to establish control by half-time, when they led 20-6, and comfortably withstood a second-half fightback by the outclassed champions.

Substitute James Roby scored two of his side's six tries and 19-year-old winger Jamie Foster continued his remarkable entry into senior rugby league.

He kicked eight goals from as many attempts on debut in last week's Challenge Cup win over Toulouse and marked his Super League bow with an identical feat.

Leeds scored from their first set of tackles thanks to a superb offload from the tackle by second rower Ian Kirke which enabled Lee Smith to claim the game's first score.

Keiron Cunningham was the architect of the first two Saints tries, Scott Moore and Tony Puletua taking his crisp passes close to the line to crash over within five minutes of each other.

The accurate Foster converted both tries and added a penalty to put his side 14-6 in front and he also improved Roby's first try just before the break.

Stand-off Danny McGuire went close to pulling a try back for Leeds early in the second half but Saints produced the more clinical finishing and they extended their lead on 47 minutes when clever handling from kyle Eastmond got Chris Flannery over for a fourth try.

McGuire carved out an opening for Leeds centre Brett Delaney to touch down and combined with Kevin Sinfield and Delaney to work Ryan Hall over at the corner but Saints finished with a flourish, second rower Matty Ashurst finishing off a break from Eastmond and Cunningham sending Roby over for his second.

Leeds finished well beaten but gained some consolation when scrum half Rob Burrow went the length of the field to score the game's final try.