Tristan Sailor delivered a virtuoso performance, scoring two tries and setting up two more, as St Helens dismantled Huddersfield Giants to move up to third in the Super League table.
A superb individual showing from the 27-year-old Australian, who now has 15 Super League tries this season, added glitter to an eighth Saints win in nine outings.
It was a victory to serve notice that Paul Wellens’ improving side will prove a significant barrier in this sort of form whoever they face in the play-offs.
Saints are now just two points behind second-placed Wigan with five games left in the regular season and, in bright sunshine at the Totally Wicked Stadium, the result was never in doubt.
They were on the board early after a Sailor burst fed Daryl Clark, who in turn put in Mark Percival after nine minutes.
But it was a yellow card for Giants centre Taane Milne in the first half which opened the floodgates.
Milne was penalised for a shove and some verbals, and while he stewed on his indiscipline on the bench, Saints ran riot, extending their lead from 6-0 to 24-0 with tries from Kyle Feldt, Sailor – who picked off a high ball brilliantly – and Owen Dagnall.
Huddersfield were troubled by Sailor’s lightning pace all afternoon and, while Joe Greenwood burst through Jonny Lomax to get the Giants on the board seven minutes before the break, Saints returned after it in irrepressible form.
Sailor assisted Lomax in the opening minute of the second period, Morgan Knowles spun over the line from close range and Percival added a second on 55 minutes as Saints went 42-4 up.
After Feldt went over, Sailor saved the best until last, securing his second and Saints’ ninth try, with a blistering 60-metre charge, rounding full-back George Flanagan to go down under the posts.
Feldt kicked the extras to make it a near-flawless eight out of nine.
Further good news for Saints was a 30-minute appearance off the bench for Jack Welsby, as well as the return of long-term casualties Joe Batchelor and James Bell from injury.
Welsby suffered a serious knee injury at the beginning of June, undergoing surgery which medics expected to keep him out of action for 16 weeks, threatening his entire season and probably his participation in the Ashes against Australia this autumn.
He defied the prognosis, returning in 10 weeks to add further to the feeling that the cards may be falling into place for Saints as the business end of the season approaches.
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