Betfred Super League leaders St Helens (10/11 Grand Final Winner) were beaten for only the second time this season by Castleford Tigers on Friday night, but coach Kristian Woolf was proud of his much-changed side.
Woolf opted to ring the changes for the trip to the Mend-A-Hose Jungle, handing debuts to seven youngsters, but despite a spirited effort they ultimately suffered a 30-10 defeat.
Teenage winger Jason Qareqare crossed over inside the first minute to set the tone for Cas, before Derrell Olpherts and Jake Trueman added further tries before the break.
Olpherts, Joe Westerman and Mahe Fonua crossed three more times after the restart, but Saints showed plenty of heart and quick-fire tries from Jumah Sambou and James Bell added an air of respectability to the score.
Woolf was certainly pleased with the efforts of his side.
"I was never going to regret that decision, no matter what," Woolf said on making so many changes. "It was 100 per cent right. The young blokes showed they are Saints players. That was the most important thing. It is a moment they will remember the rest of their lives."
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Elsewhere and Leeds Rhinos claimed only their second Betfred Super League win of the season, as a brace from Brad Dwyer and further scores by James Donaldson and Tom Briscoe helped them to a 25-14 victory over bottom club Toulouse at Headingley.
The match was Leeds' first since they confirmed the appointment of Rohan Smith as their new head coach and outgoing interim boss Jamie Jones-Buchanan is excited by what the future holds.
"I felt like we were in a prequel of something that could potentially be special going forward," Jones-Buchanan said, as per the BBC.
"New coach coming in, Rohan Smith. I'm excited about what he's going to bring in and the pedigree that he's got."
Saturday will see two further Betfred Super League matches take place, including in-form Hull KR's home clash with Wakefield Trinity (Hull KR 3/10, Wakefield 11/4, Tie 22/1 - Match Betting).
KR are seeking a sixth successive victory across all competitions, while Wakefield are looking to avoid a fourth defeat on the bounce.
Warrington Wolves will host Huddersfield Giants in Saturday's other match. Daryl Powell's side have won only once since February and will be looking to kick start their season on home soil (Warrington 8/15, Huddersfield 17/10, Tie 18/1 - Match Betting).
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