Sculthorpe is supreme

The party line will tell you this was "only" a league game and the two-point prize up for grabs was the same as a cakewalk against the Super League's cannon-fodder.

True, Bulls will restore business as usual when rock-bottom Huddersfield Giants slink nervously into Valley Parade next weekend. But don't let anyone be fooled that Saturday's epic with St Helens was just another fixture.

Saints coach Ian Millward gave the game away with his over-the-top reaction to the late Paul Sculthorpe try that finally nailed the lid on Bulls' storming second-half fightback.

Millward had told his side beforehand that this was "just another game" and they weren't handing out any trophies to the winner. Yeah, right! The second the outstanding Sculthorpe dived under the posts, the Aussie coach was ten feet in the air with arms pumping.

"There's no use me sitting there like a stuffed mullet," he smiled afterwards. "Rugby league is the best game, and I enjoyed watching two very good teams playing so well."

The Bulls felt frustrated at letting Saints back into the thick of the play-off scramble. But if Saturday was anything to go by, Super League must be rubbing their hands at the thought of a potential re-match on the way to the Grand Final. This game had everything Twickenham didn't - slick handling, end-to-end action and bagfuls of tries.

The Bulls failed to cross the Saints line during that best-forgotten cup final six weeks ago, but needed less than three minutes to put that straight at Knowsley Road. Jimmy Lowes found the unmarked Tevita Vaikona, who scampered in from close-range and the gloves were off, although seeing Henry Paul's kick bounce back off the post gave an early indication of the frustration to follow.

Joe Vagana made a mess of the Saints kick-off, and from their next set of six the home side were level, prop David Fairleigh sucking in the defence for Chris Joynt to cross. We had already seen more action in ten minutes than Twickenham in 80 and, as the breakneck pace continued, Lee Gilmour continued his hot run with his sixth try of the season.

But while the Bulls exploited the gaps in Saints' defence, they were looking just as vulnerable themselves and were punished when Scott Naylor stupidly got himself sin-binned.

Penalised for holding down Paul Newlove, he complained, which was one moan too far for Wigan official Bob Connolly.

Down to 12, Bulls were open to Saints' free-flowing raids and, after Henry Paul was short with a penalty, the home side went in front to stay. Sean Hoppe poached the ball from Mike Forshaw before Sculthorpe - who else? - went in after selling outrageous dummies to Henry Paul and Mike Withers.

Sculthorpe was celebrating his 100th Saints game in style as he went on to equal his club-best tally of 18 points set just five days earlier. "It was like he had the game-plan in his back pocket," said Millward. An admiring Brian Noble said: "He's a champion player. He was the difference for them."

Sculthorpe's opening strike set the alarm bells ringing for the bank of Bulls fans behind the posts at the far end. And they got a bird's eye view of the sensational try that followed within three minutes.

Bulls were pushing for an instant retort when Kevin Iro picked off Henry Paul virtually on the Saints line. And suddenly the champions roared into overdrive.

Iro fed Newlove on to Sculthorpe and then Tony Stewart. As panic spread through the Bulls ranks, this was last-year's play-off final play all over again.

Stewart tore across halfway and once Paul Anderson had failed to ground him - one of 22 missed tackles in the first half alone - he was going solo all the way.

Right on half-time, the agony increased as Stewart turned provider with a neat switch of direction to lay on a second try for Joynt.

Eighteen points down, Noble stayed calm at half-time and urged his players to use the strong wind as Saints had done. His words were absorbed.

Mr Consistent Mike Forshaw carved big chunks into home territory before flipping out a peach of a pass with his right hand for Robbie Paul to scamper in.

Four minutes on and after sub Stuart Fielden had created more pressure, Jamie Peacock twisted his way over in the corner, surviving a video replay for a possible double movement.

And after 58 minutes, Forshaw ploughed through once more and there was Robbie Paul again on his shoulder to weave his way through.

Three tries in seven minutes and the momentum had turned quicker than the political allegiance of would-be St Helens MP, Shaun Woodward.

Graham Mackay went close and Forshaw knocked on in front the posts as Bulls pushed for another. But as their attempts became more and more frantic, St Helens regrouped.

Sculthorpe dived over for the game-clinching try and there was time for Peter Shiels to rub it in with seconds left after a devastating break by Kieron Cunningham.

Noble admitted: "We came back strongly in the second half. But you can dress it up however you want, when you miss tackles and drop off a lot like we did in the first half, then it's going to cause problems."