ROYCE Simmons said his side lacked intensity after beating Widnes Vikings 42-24 at Langtree Park on Friday night.
Saints came from behind to win their only pre-season match on an emotional night at the new stadium.
“We learnt a lesson tonight,” he said. “They came ready to play an intense game and they ran and tackled hard.
“They showed a lot of commitment and it was a tough hit out for us. I don’t think we started with the same intensity and I think we relied on the home crowd to pick us up too much. I said during the week that unless you come with the right mentality to play then you can feed off that crowd noise.
“If you don’t then it won’t help.
“In the first half we didn’t play or kick well and it was a long way from our best performance. But, it was our first game so you expect this sort of thing. The scoreline probably flattered us.”
He continued: “We were better towards the end of the game and we did some good individual things. Sia Soliola picked us up and got our momentum going. We kicked better too, but our ball completion wasn’t good.
“What’s pleased me is we’ve had 11 weeks of fantastic training and commitment but the last 80 minutes spoiled it.
“But you can’t take anything from Widnes. They were good and will do well this season. Their forwards ran direct and they were
sharp.
“We will be ready for London Broncos and look forward to the challenge.”
