St Helens assistant coach Jamahl Lolesi has blamed fatigue for his side's derby defeat by Warrington Wolves on Thursday.
The Saints were turned over 16-32 by visitors Warrington in their final Super League Super 8s fixture, with the defeat confirming their fourth-place finish ahead of the playoffs, and Lolesi believes that his side lacked energy after their win over Wigan Warriors last week.
"We probably paid the price for last week's game," Lolesi told reporters after the match. "That was a high intensity game and it took a massive toll on us. Warrington played like they had nothing to lose.
"We started flat and struggled to get a hold in the game. When you get off to a slow start, it's really hard to claw your way back into the game. They fought really hard to get back in but all that energy cost us.
"I suppose you could call it a wake-up call. The boys' focus may have been on next week, I suppose that's just human nature."
Champions St Helens will face the Super League leaders in their playoff semi-final next week.
Stephen Topping
