IT says everything about where Saints are at the moment when they can complete a 3-0 whitewashing of their biggest rivals without getting out of second gear.

Saints won 32-10 and had they not miscued a handful of half chances they could have taken it past the 50 mark.

Defensively Saints were excellent, with their middles limiting an admittedly depleted Wigan pack in their yardage sets and with back rows Morgan Knowles and Dom Peyroux doggedly chasing and harassing the visiting playmakers, ensuring they kicked on the back foot.

It meant Wigan barely had a sniff of scoring, until their freak Zak Hardaker breakaway. The game was well won by then.

After withstanding the early fire, Saints patiently built their way into the game with the shrewd plays of Jonny Lomax and Lachlan Coote built the pressure which ultimately created the position for Tommy Makinson’s early brace.

The first of those came from a pearler of a long pass from Lomax - Golden Boot doing the rest with a trademark dive.

From that point on Saints were well in control, with Coote’s scoring from a Fages grubber and a Kevin Naiqama plucking a try from a high ball.

Fittingly Saints’ last try was a reward for Knowles’ chasing, his charge down of Thomas Leuluai being swept up by Lomax.

Saints: Coote; Makinson, Naiqama, Percival, Grace; Lomax, Fages; Walmsley, Bentley, Thompson, Knowles, Peyrous, McCarthy-Scarsbrook. Subs; Amor, Lees, Ashworth, Smith.

Wigan: Hardaker; Marshall, Sarginson, Gildart, Burgess; Williams, Leuluai; Navarette, Powell, Partington, Isa, Farrell, Smithies. Subs: Bullock, Byrne, Hankinson, Shorrocks.