St Helens coach Anderson rips into referee

Anderson also called for the introduction of video referees at non-televised Super League matches, and was particularly angry about the validity of Huddersfield centre Paul Whatuira's try on the stroke of half-time, which came after the hooter had sounded.

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Anderson said of Smith: 'We've had him for four out of eight games and I've had my dose of him. I wonder if he's up to this standard.

'I'm bemused by his performance in general. He's not had a TV match — which shows something.'

'Huddersfield were brave, but I thought we were "done" on a number of occasions.

'The RFL has got to invest in technology, because the try before half-time was absolutely diabolical. It was the biggest play of the game.

'I want to get a clock that actually reads 40 and the hooter goes at 40 — and they should invest in video refs, because I would love to have seen a stack of those tries today.'

Saints picked up from where they left off against Wigan and Huddersfield initially had no answer to the dazzling creative play of half-backs Leon Pryce and Sean Long, or the penetrative dummy-half running of James Roby as the visitors raced into a 14-0 inside 17 minutes.

Long, so influential in Saints' 44-10 Good Friday derby victory, set up the game's first try with a perfectly placed high kick for full-back Paul Wellens to touch down after only seven minutes.

Darrell Griffin, returning from a one- match ban, scored Huddersfield's first try on 24 minutes and four minutes later centre Jamahl Lolesi took Stuart Jones' pass and cut inside the cover for the Giants' second try.

Pryce scored a third try for Saints, latching on to a precise Long grubber kick — and Long kicked his fourth goal.

But Huddersfield struck again in the last act of the first half when centre Whatuira touched down Chris Thorman's kick to the line.

Huddersfield went in front for the first time two minutes into the second half after a catalogue of errors by the visitors.

Long missed his penalty kick to touch and then winger Francis Meli, who fluffed an easy try-scoring opportunity in the first half, lost the ball in the first tackle to give the Giants perfect field position — which they put to good use to get Griffin charging over for his second try.

Saints restored their lead three minutes later through James Roby but it did not last as Lolesi sent winger Rod Jensen over 12 minutes later.

Jensen nearly went from hero to villain when he missed Jon Wilkin's high kick to the corner, but Meli fumbled the ball over the line for the second time.

Huddersfield hung on to end a run of three straight defeats and coach Jon Sharp said: 'I was really pleased with the response I asked for. I don't think we've been far off in the last few weeks.

'The issue I had was discipline — but today I thought we smartened our act up.

'Our four new faces were brilliant — especially young Michael Lawrence, who is only 17. The importance of fresh people over the Easter period cannot be overestimated.

'I knew that if we were just one score away from them by halftime, we would be in with a chance.

'I thought the bench today was the difference between the two teams. We had some quality in there. I thought we wore them down.'