LEIGH are rapidly learning effort and endeavour will only get you so far in the Betfred Super League.

Six successive league defeats, including this missed chance of a double over Saints, has left five points of the Super 8’s.

More importantly, Neil Jukes’ side rest just one spot off bottom approaching Saturday’s visit of seventh placed Wakefield.

A genuine mitigating factor is an injury list that rarely appears to get any shorter.

And there were more casualties after this visit to the Totally Wicked Stadium as Centurions conceded 28 successive points after Jamie Acton’s early try goaled by Ben Reynolds.

Acton, Harrison Hansen, Adam Higson and Dayne Weston suffered knocks and strains of varying severity leaving Jukes desperate for an even break.

“You can’t question the effort and integrity of the boys,” says Jukes. “But at the moment we haven’t got that quality.

“We must have had four or five clear line breaks but only managed to get one over the line. We have got to start posting more points than we are doing.”

“Our challenge was always to be in the top eight and it’s not unachievable. On paper, it looks more difficult but we need to get some bodies back and add some quality as and when we can get it.”

Leigh, looking for a first win on Saints territory since a 19-10 Slalom Lager Championship victory at Knowsley Road in October, 1982, were good value for their advantage.

But things began to unravel, not helped by an accidental collision between Acton and Weston that saw both leave the field for concussions assessments.

Soon Saints were in front as England international Mark Percival profited from Zeb Taia’s off load to register a converted try. Taia repeated the trick for compatriot Theo Fages and ‘Percy’ goaled again to make it 12-6 at the break.

Ryan Hampshire produced a brilliant cover tackle to deny Adam Swift at the start of the second period.

But no one could prevent Ryan Morgan accepting Matty Smith’s pass to extend Saints lead.

And it was game over when wing whizz kid Regan Grace went in 15 minutes from time before Alex Walmsley completed the try scoring.

Leigh finished with a flourish as Sam Hopkins and Matty Dawson went close before full-back Eloi Pelissier and St Helens’ Adam Walker were sin binned for fighting.

But the outcome had long since been decided much to the disappointment of the 1,000 travelling Leigh supporters.

St Helens: Makinson; Swift, Morgan, Percival, Grace; Fages, Smith; Walmsley, Lee, Douglas, Taia, Wilkin, Thompson; substitutes: McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Walker, Peyroux, Knowles.

Tries: Percival (20), Fages (27), Morgan (50), Grace (64), Walmsley (70) Goals: Percival (4) Centurions: Hampshire; Higson, Dawson, Crooks, Naughton; Reynolds, Drinkwater; Acton, Hood, Weston, Vea, Stewart, Hansen; substitutes: Pelissier, Tickle, Hopkins, Burr.

Tries: Acton (8). Goals: Reynolds.

Half-time: 12-6.

Referee: Gareth Hewer.

Attendance: 10,268.