Long does the damage

Still smarting from their 34-18 defeat at the Millennium Stadium 12 months earlier and a 46-10 Good Friday mauling at Knowsley Road, the Warriors suffered yet more misery at the hands of their arch rivals.

With Long in magnificent form, Saints were simply irresistible as they cut loose against some pathetic defence with six high-class tries before half-time, when they led 35-0, and they added four more after the break.

When Saints reached the half-century mark, Wigan fans among the 32,516 crowd - which took the total for the two days to a bumper 63,144 - began to head for the exits, even though there was still half-an-hour of the match left.

Long, so often Wigan's nemesis, was at the heart of the destruction, scoring three tries and kicking seven goals, including a cheeky drop goal, for a personal haul of 27 points.

St Helen's other scorer's in a whirlwind first half also included Jon Wilkin, Francis Meli, Ade Gardner and Willie Talau.

Wigan hit back straight away in the second period through Thomas Leuluai, but were soon pegged back again by Long's exuberance.

And although Harrison Hansen and Mick Higham added further scores, it was Saints' day in Cardiff, and Gardner, Talau and Lee Gilmour added to the Warriors' misery.