Firstly, a huge credit to the Broughton Park groundsman for producing an excellent playing surface for the opening cup fixture of the season.

From the very first whistle, Park looked up for the challenge. Just three minutes in, a lineout and driving maul laid the platform before the ball was moved through the hands for the opening try. A perfect start.

Liverpool St Helens responded well and showed they had no intention of rolling over. A strong attacking move saw them exploit a gap out wide and cross for a well-worked try to bring themselves back into the contest.

Any thoughts of Park being rattled were short-lived. Excellent work at the breakdown and some patient phase play took them deep into opposition territory. Credit to the visitors' defence for standing firm, but a superb training-ground move eventually created the space needed for Park to score in the corner.

The next quarter saw both sides battle hard for possession and territory, but Park suffered a setback when their hooker was shown a yellow card. Despite being reduced to fourteen men for the remainder of the half, Park adapted well, continued to dominate key areas of the game and added another try after some excellent attacking rugby.

Half-time: Park 19-7 Liverpool St Helens

Liverpool St Helens again started brightly after the break and remained competitive throughout. Much of the opening fifteen minutes of the second half was played around the halfway line, with Park perhaps guilty of conceding a few too many penalties and relieving the pressure on their opponents.

Eventually, however, Park's hard pre-season work began to show. A well-executed driving maul created the platform before slick handling sent the backs over for another score. Although Liverpool St Helens responded with a try of their own after capitalising on a Park penalty, the home side quickly reasserted control.

As the game wore on, Park's fitness and intensity began to tell. Strong set-piece work, effective mauling and excellent breakdown play provided a steady stream of quality possession, while some impressive handling and powerful carries kept the scoreboard moving.

The final try of the afternoon was a forwards' favourite. Following a series of powerful carries, strong rucking and determined mauling, a clever offload found supporting runners before Alex showed tremendous strength to power through the defence and score a proper prop-forward's try.

A convincing victory, some excellent rugby on show, and a perfect way to start the season.

Full Time: Broughton Park 47-14 Liverpool St Helens