Sean Long has been told by St Helens that he can speak to rival clubs, but the much-decorated former Great Britain scrum half underlined his value to the club he has served with distinction for 12 years with a typically inspirational display in maintaining Saints' one-point league leadership last night.
Long, 32, is holding out for a two-year contract, but will be offered only a 12-month extension and is attracting interest from Huddersfield Giants and Wakefield Wildcats. Having said that it would “kill” him to leave Knowsley Road, Long made his point with a hand in two of three tries and a crucial try-saving tackle on Rob Purdham, although his pass that was intercepted by Luke Dorn for a second Harlequins try made for a nervous finish.
Keiron Cunningham sealed the victory a minute from time with a trademark wrestle and lunge from dummy half, which Long improved with his 999th goal for St Helens. But if Long led the way, some of his team-mates did not always follow and the lack of first-choice wings in Ade Gardner and Francis Meli compromised Saints' attacking ambition.
As doggedly as Harlequins fought, it took them 56 minutes to produce their first try. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, their elite England squad prop, caught St Helens square with a quickly taken penalty. When Dorn read Long's pass 90 metres out and Purdham added a second conversion, Harlequins were within four points. It was as near as they got before succumbing to the strength of Cunningham and only their second away defeat.
Earlier Harlequins fell behind to Chris Flannery's try in the corner. They held firm for a further half-hour, but after being penalised for offside, Long got the ball wide and Paul Wellens squeezed over.
Hull Kingston Rovers kept up their pursuit with a 16-6 defeat of Castleford Tigers, Warrington Wolves beat Wigan Warriors 16-8 and Salford City Reds heaped more misery on Bradford Bulls in an 18-10 win.
Scorers: St Helens: Tries: Flannery, Wellens, Roby, Cunningham. Goals: Long 3. Harlequins: Tries: McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Dorn. Goals: Purdham 3.
St Helens: P Wellens; K Eastmond, M Gidley, LGilmour, G Wheeler; L Pryce, S Long; J Graham, K Cunningham, J Emmitt, C Flannery, J Wilkin, TPuletua. Interchange: J Roby, P Clough, MFa'asavalu, M Ashurst.
Harlequins: J Wells; J O'Callaghan, M Gafa, DHowell, W Sharp; L Dorn, D Orr; K Temata, CRandall, D Heckenberg, J Golden, L Williamson, RPurdham. Interchange: L McCarthy-Scarsbrook, TClubb, B Kaye, J Grayshon.
Referee: S Ganson.
Source:The times
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