Cunningham: We should have won

John Davidson

St Helens coach Keiron Cunningham says his side would have beaten Leigh last Friday if the match had a video referee.

Saints went down to the Centurions 24-16, with a number of calls going against the visitors.

“The disappointing thing is probably everyone talks about is officiating again, that’s the big thing about it,” Cunningham said.

“Everyone’s calling for video screens at every single game because of lack of trust in certain areas.

“If you’re on Sky TV you win the game, you should be up to 18 points before you even break a canter really.

“But unfortunately we wasn’t on Sky TV and you get plenty of tries disallowed and so many held up over the line and when you look back at them over the video, even myself and ar that distance, can see that the balls been grounded.

“It’s unfortunate but credit to Leigh they came and took it to us in that opening gambit and we were a little bit slow.

“It’s our response to disappointment, which has got to be better.

“Against Leeds it was immense and we had a real unity of togetherness about us and no matter what happened out there they would have kept fighting for each other.

“We got a couple of disappointing calls against us at Leigh and sort of put us on our back foot a little bit and Leigh just kept coming at us and they came through us and pulled off some real soft tries and that was the disappointing thing.

“But the credit’s got to go to the players, after a chat at half time they resolved and came out and I still say if Micky doesn’t score the try then we win the game.

“We came with a real strong wind in our sails and we were taking it to them and we weren’t quite clinical at times but we threw plenty at them.

“When you look at missed opportunities it sort of makes you cringe a bit, it should have been two points in the bag but that’s why we all love this great game.

“It’s the unknown of going to Leigh and playing in all these places, in these games that you’re expected to win and you come against a bit of turmoil and adversity and things go against you.

“We have got to be better and we’ve got to respond better to disappointment.”