Harvey Barron scored his first senior hat-trick, inspiring Hull FC to a 32-18 victory over St Helens at the BrewDog Stadium. The result snapped Hull’s seven-match losing streak in the Betfred Super League and left St Helens facing mounting injury troubles and a battle to make the play-offs.
Barron Hat-Trick Breaks Hull’s Long Drought Against Struggling Saints
Harvey Barron delivered a career-first senior hat-trick to lift lowly Hull FC to a first win at the BrewDog Stadium in nine years as St Helens’ season continues to unravel. The 23-year-old wing struck twice before the interval and once after the break, snapping a seven-match losing streak for the visitors in the Betfred Super League.
The defeat leaves injury-depleted St Helens, who have never failed to qualify for the Super League play-offs, looking like missing out in seventh place with five games remaining. Following a loss at York Knights the previous week, a home defeat against the league’s second-bottom side was little short of calamitous.
It was only Hull’s second away win in Super League this season and moved them above Bradford Bulls into 12th place. The triumph was fully deserved after a dominant second half that blew a fragile Saints side away.
Coaching Search Unfolding Amid Mounting Injury Woes
St Helens entered the fixture dealing with boardroom developments as well as squad shortages. Chairman Eamonn McManus confirmed before kick-off that the search for a successor to head coach Paul Rowley had been narrowed down to a four or five-man
shortlist.
The home side took the lead inside two minutes through left wing Lewis Murphy, but Hull hit back with Barron’s first try despite playing without the injured Davy Litten, who has been linked with a move to Wakefield Trinity. The visitors went close twice through the power of Herman Ese’ese before wing Lewis Martin, back from a four-week concussion absence, stepped inside Jack Welsby in the 25th minute to give Hull the lead.
St Helens suffered further physical setbacks during the contest. Welsby scored from George Whitby’s inside pass in the 33rd minute, but Barron went over for his second try with the last play of the half from a chip by Aidan Sezer to tie the scores at 14-14 at the break. To add to their squad woes, Saints lost Whitby—who was returning from knee surgery—to another knee problem in the second half.
Second-Half Surge Seals Convincing Victory for Visitors
Barron completed his hat-trick seven minutes after the restart from Zak Hardaker’s pass to put Hull ahead. Three minutes later, Cade Cust went over from dummy half to leave the hosts reeling.
A Harry Robertson try for St Helens was chalked off for obstruction, and Hardaker added a converted penalty following a high tackle by Daniel Suluka-Fifita on Cust to put Hull out of range. Although Robertson won a chip and chase to score with eight minutes left, former Saint James Bell picked off an interception try at the death to rub salt into the home side’s wounds.
The final scoreline read 32-18 in favor of Hull FC, driven by Barron’s scoring display and solid goal-kicking from Hardaker, who converted four goals. Hastings kicked three goals for St Helens alongside tries from Murphy, Welsby, and Robertson, but the Saints squad face an uphill battle to salvage their playoff hopes with five matches remaining.
Match Details and Lineups
The Betfred Super League encounter saw St Helens (14) 18 points come up short against Hull FC (14) 32 points under referee Liam Rush at the BrewDog Stadium. St Helens registered tries from Murphy, Welsby, and Robertson alongside three goals from Hastings. Hull FC countered with tries from Barron (3), Martin, Cust, and Bell, supplemented by four goals from Hardaker.
St Helens fielded a starting 17 featuring Welsby, Douglas, Sailor, Davies, Murphy, Robertson, Hastings, Suluka-Fifita, Humphreys, Walmsley, Keeley, Wright, and Shorrocks, with interchanges utilized for Host, Whitby, Evans, and Matagi. Hull FC deployed a starting lineup of Moy, Barron, Hardaker, Briscoe, Martin, Arthur, Sezer, Ese’ese, Bourouh, Hill, Batchelor, O’Neill, and Bell, with interchanges featuring Cust, Aydin, Romano, and Wood.
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