St Helens coach full of praise for hat-trick hero Jack Welsby

St Helens coach Kristian Woolf singled out the performance of Jack Welsby for special mention after he scored a hat-trick in their 34-16 win over Hull.

Welsby scored a hat-trick of tries as he proved a more-than-able deputy for the injured Regan Grace as Saints bounced back from their first defeat of the season at Catalans last weekend with some style.

Lachlan Coote scored a try and kicked five goals with other tries coming from Morgan Knowles and Joe Batchelor. Hull FC winger Mahe Fonua crossed twice with the other try coming from ex-Saints winger Adam Swift. Marc Sneyd kicked two goals.

Woolf said: “Jack is just a good footy player. Wherever he puts himself on the field he is an exceptional player and I love his ability to rise to the challenge, wherever we play him.

“He has played in multiple positions and he’s been happy to do that. That’s a real sign of what sort of player he’s going to be for this club.”

Saints and Hull meet again in the semi-finals of the Betfred Challenge Cup at Leigh Sports Village next Saturday.

Asked if the game would have much bearing on next Saturday’s semi-final, Woolf said: “Tonight was all about with coming up with a really good response from last week (losing at Catalans).

“This week will be about freshening our bodies and minds because the semi-final will be a completely different ball game with a lot on the line. It’s do or die finals footy and this group knows how to win those games and we can draw on that experience.”

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