St Helens dispatched Bradford Bulls with relative ease, the Saints claiming a 58-20 win with Bryn Hargreaves helping himself to a hat-trick of tries.

The Bulls had taken an 8-0 lead within the first 15 minutes of the game and still held a 14-6 advantage 10 minutes later.

But what could have been a gripping contest turned into a high-scoring damp squib, the Saints overpowering Bradford to post another big win.

Semi Tadulala opened the scoring for Bradford before Paul Syked doubled the lead, but the home side hit back with a try from Maurie Fa’asavalu, Sean Long converting.

Iestyn Harris touched down beneath the posts, a controversial score awarded on the nod of the video referee, but again St Helens hit back through James Roby, Long adding the two points.

And the Saints ensured the lead would be theirs at the half-time interval, Steve Tyrer touching down at the corner before James Graham followed suit, Long converting the latter.

The home side got off the mark after the restart when Leon Pryce broke down the middle of the field to send Jon Wilkin over, Long kicking the goal.

Dave Halley hit back with a try for Bradford but when Hargreaves went over for his first try and Simon Finnigan found himself in the bin it was all over as a contest.

First Kieron Cunningham sent Hargreaves over the line, and tries from Roby and Pryce boosted the total still further before Hargreaves grabbed his third to wrap things up.

St Helens – 58

T: Fa'asavalu (19); Wilkin (28); Tyrer (33); Graham (37); Wilkin (51); Hargreaves (58, 64, 78); Roby (68); Pryce (70)
G: Long (20, 29, 38, 52, 59, 66, 69, 71, 79)

Bradford – 20

T: Tadulala (6); Sykes (13); Harris (26); Halley (55)
G: Sykes (27, 56)

HT: 22-14

Ref: R Silverwood

Att: 9,009