Game Three of the 2026 Saints Academy Tour, proudly sponsored by ASW Solicitors, saw our Under 18s show plenty of character and attacking intent in a challenging test against Westfield Sports High School.
Our touring Saints faced arguably their toughest test of the Australian tour so far against Westfield, a side featuring several Australian Schoolboys representatives and players already competing at representative level.
The contest was played across three 25-minute periods, with the hosts making a flying start to establish a 20–0 lead by the end of the opening period.
St.Helens Academy responded well in the second period, tightening up defensively and finding greater fluency in attack to win the spell 6-4 and reduce the overall deficit to 24-6, with Dylan Barnes grabbing our first four-pointer, and Fin James converting.
The final 25 minutes saw our tourists produce some excellent attacking rugby league, Sam Caine-Lewis and James Patterson both crossed for tries, and Joe Hart added the extras. The final period finished level, 12-12, leaving the overall score at 36-18 in favour of Westfield.
It was a physical encounter, with three sin-bins issued following incidents involving late shots and foul play.
Against a strong Australian opposition, Saints remained competitive throughout and showed their ability to respond to adversity as the game progressed.
Dylan Barnes was named Saints’ standout player following an impressive individual performance.
The Academy will now look to build on the experience as the Australian tour continues, with North Sydney Bears up next on Friday night!
