Saints 74 Hull Sharks 16 THERE'S never a dull moment at Knowsley Road these days, as highly-professional Saints demonstrated in ensuring that internal wrangling stayed a board room matter with this slaughter in the sun.

Super League basement club Sharks were sunk without trace by a 13-try tidal wave which consigned them to an highest-ever defeat - this despite being level at 4-4 at the end of the first quarter!

Spearheading the finely-tuned charge of seven touchdowns in the first half and six in the second was stand-off supreme Tommy Martyn, whose tally of 26 points comprised 11 goals and a try.

Add all-round excellence and Martyn became the obvious choice for both the John Smith and Asda man-of-the-match awards, while flying four-try winger Anthony Sullivan must have been high in the pecking order for the accolades.

Paul Davidson answered his critics with another barnstorming performance up front; Keiron Cunningham and Julian O'Neill grafted endlessly, while loose-forward Paul Sculthorpe yet again proved the ideal link to a free-scoring back division

In passing 50 points for the fifth time this season captain Chris Joynt and his men gave the best possible tonic to the off-field ailments currently be-setting the club, and all this without the injured Kevin Iro, Apollo Perelini and Anthony Stewart.

It was 'Joynty's' 40-yard break that set up Saints' first try for, although halted by Hull full-back Jamie Smith, Chris found Paul Atcheson in support, only for Sharks to hit back immediately when Richard Horne chipped through for Andy Purcell to level matters.

Horne was sin-binned for holding down Sonny Nickle and Sean Long again failed with the goal attempt, and the half-back then broke brilliantly befor Martyn's diagonal kick to the corner was seized upon by Atcheson, who plunged over for his second try.

Martyn failed with the conversion, but he made amends with a glorious 30-yard solo effort after Keiron Cunningham and Long had made the running, and Tommy celebrated by landing the first of what proved to be a goal glut Vila Matautia, Paul Newlove and - inevitably - that man Martyn then sent Long careering over the Hull line as a Saints' side now taking complete control continued to play some breathtaking rugby.

Joynt put Cunningham in before young Paul Wellens had a try disallowed after chasing a kick-though by Long, but the sinking Sharks could only stand and stare as more Martyn wizardry saw Long cross for his second try.

Matautia, Long and Chris Smith enabled 'Sully' to open his account, and although the Horne-Purcell double act struck again for Hull with Graeme Hallas converting, the half-time hooter must have come as sweet music to the bewitched, bothered and bewildered visitors.

Martyn's sixth goal after ex-Saint Simon Booth 'flopped' on Long pushed the lead to 40-10 on the restart, and when Newlove raced over from 80 yards after intercepting Horne's wayward pass one was left to ponder whether such one-way traffic was good for the image of Super League.

Vila then blasted through to send Sullivan over from 40 yards; Long danced his way over in the scoreboard corner; while Sullivan completed his hat-trick after Newlove had done the spadework.

Martyn's gnawingly accurate goalkicking was still adding to Hull's discomfort, and he obliged yet again when Long put in Fereti Tuilagi, while Sullivan must have felt an extra glow in going solo to notch his fourth try against his home city club.

Booth notched a last-gasp try for the Sharks after - given the off-field trauma - third-placed Saints had removed any lingering doubts regarding their psychological preparation with a performance that augurs well for Friday's trip to Leeds.

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