The unwanted 45-YEAR record St Helens could break in Hull FC clash

If St Helens are beaten at Hull FC on Saturday afternoon, it will see them lose six league games in a row for the first time in over 45 years as well as six in a row across all competitions for the first time in more than 38 years.

Paul Wellens’ side are currently on a five-game losing run having been beaten by Salford Red Devils, Castleford Tigers, Wigan Warriors, Warrington Wolves and most recently Leigh Leopards, who thumped them 46-4 last Friday night.

As a result, the Red V have slipped to 6th on the Super League ladder. And with injuries plaguing their squad, the focus now is on ensuring they actually secure a spot in the play-offs come the end of the season.

Saints lost in Super League at the MKM Stadium against Hull FC last season, and need to avoid a repeat if they are to prevent their current team being written into the history books for all of the wrong reasons.

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The unwanted 45-year record St Helens could break in Hull FC clash

The last time any side donning the Red V lost six league games in a row came between March 18 and April 16 in 1979 during the 1978/79 First Division campaign.

That six-game losing run began with a 20-15 defeat at home to Leeds, with defeats away against Hull KR (20-5), Workington Town (10-8), Wakefield Trinity (23-3) and bitter rivals Wigan (7-5) following.

An 18-6 reverse against Widnes at Knowsley Road on April 16 was the last loss of that woeful run for Eric Ashton’s side.

It’s worth noting that in-between the defeats at Workington and Wakefield, Ashton’s Saints had been beaten by Trinity at Headingley in the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup, so the losing run across all competitions was actually seven.

In terms of league games alone though, in the same season, this is the last time any side donning the Red V lost six in a row.

Eventually returning to winning ways with back-to-back victories against Bradford Northern, Ashton’s side finished 5th come the end of the 1978/79 season, 12 poinst behind champions KR.

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1985/86: Saints lose six in a row

Since then, only one Saints side has lost six games in a row across all competitions, and that came in the 1985/86 Championship campaign.

That season, on December 21 (’85), KR beat Alex Murphy’s Saints 22-4 in the semi-finals of the John Player Special Trophy (Regal Trophy) at Headingley.

Then came five league defeats on the spin, beginning on Boxing Day when bitter rivals Wigan got the better of them at Central Park as Murphy’s side were beaten 38-12.

A 30-16 home defeat to Widnes on New Year’s Day (’86) followed, as did a 27-18 loss against Halifax at Headingley and a 26-16 reverse against Warrington at Wilderspool.

Bradford were the last team to beat Murphy’s side in that six-game losing run across all competitions when ‘Northern’ left Knowsley Road with an 18-8 success on January 19.

Eventually, the Red V brought an end to that run with a 44-14 victory at home against Featherstone Rovers at the start of February.

Come the end of the season, Murphy’s men finished 3rd, a point behind 2nd-placed Wigan and two behind champions Halifax.

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