Chris Chester delighted with Hull KR's win over Super League champions
Last Updated: 28/03/15 1:47pm
Hull KR coach Chris Chester was "ecstatic" after watching his side become the first team to beat reigning champions St Helens in Super League XX.
Australian half-back Albert Kelly scored two sensational 90-metre solo tries in the first half to put Chester's men on their way to a 24-22 victory and leave Saints still looking for a first win at the KC Lightstream Stadium since 2008.
Rovers, who also claimed the scalp of Wigan last month, were clinging on at the end after St Helens scored two tries in the last five minutes.
But they were excellent value for a third successive home win that rounded off a good day for the club after they earlier announced the notable acquisition of former England captain Jamie Peacock as football manager for 2016.
"I'm ecstatic, it was a fantastic performance, a dominant performance," Chester said.
"We spoke before the game about how everybody had written us off but people don't know the heart and the togetherness that this group has got.
"We need to be a little bit more composed when we're in front and our game management needs to be a little better. There were opportunities for the one point. But it was a magnificent win."
Ken Sio and Kieran Dixon got Rovers' other tries and Josh Mantellato kicked four goals but it was the long-range efforts of Kelly that provided the big talking point.
And Chester is delighted with the impact of the former Gold Coast Titans scrum-half, who joined Rovers on a two-year deal in the winter, while he is also hoping to secure the future of his half-back partner Terry Campese, the club captain who is only on a 12-month deal.
"I didn't realise how quick Albert was," Chester said. "He is getting better every week, as is the combination with Terry Campese and the quicker we tie Campo down the better."
Saints coach Keiron Cunningham felt Rovers were worthy winners, as he added: "If we had drawn it would have been a disservice to Chris Chester and his club because they were super in that second half.
"We gifted them three tries but that's rugby league. Credit to my boys, they hung in there and kept believing and the two tries at the end made for an interesting finish.
"We had our chances, they took theirs and we didn't quite take ours. Our execution was poor tonight but Hull KR defended really well."
Cunningham will assess injuries to James Roby (concussion) and Atelea Vea (shoulder) ahead of the Good Friday derby at Wigan, which is suddenly looming as a major test of the champions' strength in depth.
"It might have done us a bit of good," Cunningham said of the defeat. "I have no concern about next week, we're just trying to patch a team together and get out there and do our best."